Preparing for Final Vows – An Intercultural Experience 

By Sr. Gillian Wallace, SNDdeN

This summer, I had a transformative experience in Namur, Belgium. I spent eight weeks there with 21 other Sisters, preparing to make their final vows. The other participants were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Kenya. Formators and translators came from these countries: Peru and the United States. We were welcomed warmly by the local south Belgian community, most of whom were decades older than ourselves. Not that age mattered. We all are daughters of our foundresses, St. Julie Billiart and Françoise Blin de Bourdon.

Thanks to the detailed planning of the organizing committee, we participants furthered our Notre Dame journeys by hearing interesting information from speakers across the globe. These speakers came to us in person or via Zoom. The topics varied, and I also learned a lot from my fellow participants’ questions and comments.

It was exciting to live interculturally. I spoke or heard more than four different languages on any given day.  It felt so amazing to pray with my Sisters as they danced, sang and prayed prayers I hadn’t heard before. I could join them in at least some of the songs and prayers as time progressed. Dancing, as it happens, came naturally! We danced between lectures, during Mass, and several nights on the floor where most of us slept.

One of the most profound experiences was praying contemplatively with my Sisters in front of the resting places of St. Julie and Françoise in Namur’s Heritage Centre. Our first pilgrimage was across Namur, where we visited the first convent. Sitting on the steps where St. Julie and Francoise lived and worked with my Sisters worldwide was amazing. There’s an intimacy of place, of knowing our foundresses trod the same steps on which we were sitting, which felt profound.

The other pilgrimage site that stands out the most is Cuvilly, France, the birthplace of St. Julie. Today, her reconstructed home serves as a prayer and educational space. We retraced the path St. Julie would have taken to Mass, singing holy songs as we walked. We ended the day with a lively party at the adjacent convent, hosted by our Sisters from the Congo, who now minister to nearby communities.

I feel beyond fortunate to have made friends with SNDdeN’s worldwide. My understanding of and relationship with St. Julie and Francoise feels deeper, more intimate, having trod the hallowed ground they once walked. If one purpose of the Final Vow Programme was to deepen our understanding of and journey in Notre Dame, I would say that mission was accomplished! And for this, I remain profoundly grateful.