The novices in their bridal dresses on their way from the Tabor Shrine Die Novizinnen in ihren Brautkleidern auf dem Weg vom Taborheiligtum

In the Tabor Chapel: the novices receiving the candle, sign of their vocation to be light of the world with Christ. In der Tabor-Kapelle: die Novizinnen erhalten die brennende Kerze, Zeichen ihrer Berufung, mit Christus Licht der Welt zu sein.

Procession of the gifts Opfergang

The Tabor Chapel was filled with relatives and friends; some novices come very distant places. Die Tabor-Kapelle, gefüllt mit Angehörigen und Freunden; einige Novizinnen kommen sehr weit entfernten Orten

Congratulation to the new sister! Herzlichen Glückwunsch der neuen Schwester!

By the Tabor Shrine, before the clothing Beim Taborheiligtum, vor der Einkleidung

Fotos: Mang © 2002

BRAZIL, Santa Maria, Sr. Mathilde Mang. Seven young women were acceptend into the community of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary on August 25, 2002, in Santa Maria, Brazil. During the weeks before, a Sister hat visited the former parishes and schools of some of the novices to introduce relatives and friends into the meaning of their vocation.

After a week of incessant rains, storms and cold temperature, the sun broke through on the morning of the feastday – it was like a summer day early in spring!

Preparation in parishes and schools

Tow weeks before the day of reception, a sister visited the parishes of four of the novice to prepare relatives and friends for the feast. The same sister during three days visited the schools that one of the novices, from Santa Maria, had attended. In the mornings and afternoons, she visited the classes, at night, meetings were scheduled in the chapels. The School Mission ended on with a Holy Mass in the Chapel. The students were open, and altogether 35 persons, students and some teachers, joined in the celebration on August 25.

Congratulations from Vatican

On Friday the first relatives of the novices arrived. One of them is from the state of Ceará, approximately 4,500 kilometers (2,850 miles) from Santa Maria, another one from the state of Bahia, approximately 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) of distance. The other parents came on Saturday morning to join in a program to prepare for the reception of their daughters.

The ceremony took place in the Tabor Chapel; the sisters' choir sang festive songs, together with the people who filled the chapel to capacity. Before the final blessing was given, the priest read a congratulatory note from the Vatican to all, which was applauded with much joy.

The whole day was marked by a joyous, family-like atmosphere. The relatives of two of the novives, siblings, said: "How could these two find something so beautiful!"

After the benediction, those relatives who had come by bus early in the morning already had to leave for the long journey home.

While the seven young sisters in the Tabor province continued their noviate with Sr. Maria Regina, other young women in Switzerland, Germany, and Chile were preparing for their solemn reception on the following weekend.