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Seasons of life: Embrace, Reflect and Renew
The joint PLT 2023 convened in Bangalore, resolved to hold the Mid-Life workshops for sisters in three Indian provinces. We are grateful to India Central Province for organizing the workshop this year from September 29, to October 3, 2025, held in the Provincialate, Rajarhat, Kolkata.
Sr. Crescencia and her Team organized the session in a lovely and meaningful way. An incredibly significant icebreaker exercise kicked off the day, fostering a friendly environment and allowing the participants to get to know one another better. The group engaged in profound sharing throughout the day, considering the symbols that each member had brought with them. This activity brought Openness, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Sr. Prema’s heartfelt welcoming note to the group set the tone for the days that followed. 25 participants representing three Indian provinces, gathered for this enlightening event. Fr. Tony Menezes SVD, the workshop’s resource person, assisted participants in thinking about the six main emotions that influence our lives they are: joy, anger, love, surprise, sadness, and fear. The fascinating and useful session guided everyone on an inward path of self-discovery and development.
Our everyday lives are inextricably linked to our emotions. They affect our thoughts, behaviours, and interpersonal relationships. Fr. Tony led a series of Emotions Classes that had a profound impact on our hearts and brains and helped us to comprehend and regulate our inner world.
It was evident from the first lesson that these classes would not be typical. Fr. Tony led us on a voyage of self-discovery with his serene manner and kind words. He urged us to consider our personal experiences rather than merely offering theories. He emphasized that emotions are signals that assist us to comprehend what is going on deep inside of us.
The sessions were enriched with examples drawn from everyday life, engaging interactions, straightforward yet significant insights. The truly exceptional aspect of these sessions was the secure environment fostered by Fr. Tony. We felt liberated to express ourselves, to acknowledge our challenges, and to recognize that we are not isolated in our feelings. Each session served as a reflection, enabling us to identify both our strengths and the areas where we require development. These sessions struck us as profoundly poignant. There were times when we became aware of how frequently, rather than stopping and reacting coolly, we let unpleasant emotions rule us and bring them with us to our mission. Fr. Tony’s remarks opened our eyes to the fact that such feelings are friends to be understood rather than foes to be repressed. We discovered that we learn more about the God who created us and ourselves when we take the time to listen to our feelings.
Fr. Tony’s Emotion Classes were more than just lessons; they were a soothing and rejuvenating experience that served as a reminder that emotional maturity is essential to leading a happy, balanced, and purposeful life.
The event evolved into a place of learning, sharing, and friendship rather than just a meeting. It served as a reminder to everyone that midlife is not a crisis but rather a chance to rediscover oneself, accept life’s feelings, and proceed with a fresh sense of joy and power.
The workshop concluded with an outing to our community in Barasat where the sisters and pre postulants warmly welcomed us with songs and dances and provided us with a delicious meal. From there we proceeded to venture the vast Eco Park. We enjoyed the magnificent dimensions of the park with special decorations and lightings all over for Durga puja. Our time together has been remarkable, we were refreshed and rejuvenated. The workshop was concluded with a wonderful and delightful dinner prepared by our sisters in Rajarhat community. We are grateful to the PLTs and sisters who have enabled us to attend this midlife workshop.
Sr. Sushma & Co.
