I Will Never Forget
By Clarice B., mother of Gianna, missionary in Romania
As the mother of a Con-solatio missionary in Deva, Romania, I recently had the privilege of visiting her and her missionary teammates, and I couldn’t have been more proud of them. Everything I imagined a Catholic mission to be, how it is actually lived out, I saw in Romania. Arriving in Deva from Cluj, my daughter sighed and said, “Now we are home.” Deva is where she loves to be because it is where she and her fellow missionaries are practicing their school of love. Experiencing their rhythm of prayer was incredibly beautiful for me. The girls have learned how to chant, in Romanian, the Liturgy of the Hours (Lauds, Evening, and Night Prayer). They attend mass daily and commit to praying in adoration for one hour per day. They pray the rosary as they walk through the streets of Deva. These breathtakingly beautiful rituals give them the strength to fulfill the mission.
In just a few days, I was able to experience many different beautiful relationships this mission has built throughout the years. I will never forget visiting two elderly Romanian neighbors who were so gentle and kind and full of smiles for these young women taking the time to check in on them and listen to their stories. I will never forget creating the letter “N” of Nicoletta out of roses for her 11th birthday celebration coming up, then seeing her and her cousin light up with joy when we all arrived at her birthday celebration. I related very well to her Roma (gypsy) mother, who was trying to pull together this party without very much help as her two-year-old started pulling off her (full) diaper. The missionaries and I jumped in and helped with sandwiches and décor and she shed some tears, telling them how much she loves them and has come to see what good friends they are and how much she counts on them! Meanwhile, my daughter explained that they have learned so much from this strong, faithful, courageous woman. It was a beautiful, vulnerable moment.
I will never forget meeting a beautiful Roma girl, about 4’10” and about 15 years old with a baby on her hip and another due this summer. The missionaries told me that she had fought the pressure to abort the first baby, but she was feisty and full of spunk and insisted on keeping the baby. Now her family adores this little girl, but are pressuring her to abort the next baby! Again with her spunk and clarity, she asked, “How can they say that when they love this little girl so much? They will love this one too!” I will never forget playing hand games with two sisters who lost their mother to cancer when they were very young and are now being raised by their grandmother. The oldest shared some pictures of her mother in a sweet moment of intimacy and trust.
I tell everyone here in Denver, Colorado that my daughter’s mission is to be Mary, at the foot of the cross. Perhaps unable to fix the problems that these people face, but present for them. This was exactly what I witnessed. Every person we met had a lifetime’s worth of stories with all of life’s joys and pains. I saw that the Con-solatio mission bathed each person with Jesus’ gaze, with the heart of Mary. And even as I saw this beautiful display of faith in each of the missionaries’ interactions with each other and with others, they insisted that they were receiving more than they were giving. I certainly felt the same way: I received a great gift in being invited into the Romanian mission. The hope and love and faith I witnessed is something I will never forget.