“Tertianship is a ‘school of the heart’ which comes to our members at that time in their lives when perhaps it is most needed, when ministry challenges and demands can overwhelm the spirit and when the clear sight of ‘the one thing necessary’ might be obscured by the clutter and baggage which we have collected over the years.  The time of Tertianhsip is a precious gift, a time of deepening insight into our own lives and the life of the Institute.  It brings healing and reconciliation and strengthens bonds with the world wide Institute.”

On the 1st October 2007, a new group of Tertians arrived in Stella Maris, an FCJ Convent in Broadstairs, on the South Eastern coast of England.  We were from five different continents – India, East Africa, Spain, England and two from Ireland.  We were joined by our directors, Emer McNally IBVM and Bernadette Turtle IBVM.  Some had travelled a long distance and had already spent some time in England, for others the journey was much shorter.  For all of us however, it was the beginning of a new journey which we were to travel together.  Very soon we were to recognise the gift – and the challenge - of living in such an international community.  We had to move beyond our comfort zones as we tried to adapt to one another’s ways, to struggle with the challenges of language, of different customs, food, and perspectives on life in the Institute.  Moreover, all of us came with our own history, and had our hopes and anxieties about what lay ahead.

We lived in two houses on the grounds of the FCJ Convent, with Emer and Bernadette in a third.  We were also joined for many activities by four FCJ Tertians and their directors.  They too came from different cultures, which added to the richness of the experience.

We spent the first month settling in, getting to know each other, and sharing our faith history. We also had some workshops which prepared us for the Spiritual Exercises.  These included a reflection on the life and spirituality of Ignatius, led by Ron Darwen SJ, and a pilgrimage to Mary Ward Yorkshire with Magdalen O’Neill IBVM( SEE PICTURE)

The Spiritual Exercises took place in Broadstairs, among the FCJ Community who live there.  While each made their own unique journey through the Exercises, a very special part of the day was a half hour each evening when we came together for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.  This was a time of prayer for one another and for the wider Church and world.  We found the presence of the FCJ community at Exposition very supportive, and we were also very aware of the many people in our own Institute who were remembering us at this time.

 Art worshop with Jen Bromham IBVM

  The other workshops throughout the programme were aimed at deepening our spiritual and emotional     development and so supporting the key elements of  Tertianship.  They included Praying with Art, Clay, Dance and Dreams, Spirituality and Affectivity, Faith and Justice and Creation Spirituality, the Enneagram, Shame and Sexuality, Anger and Conflict Management.  Overall, they were very much appreciated.

 An apostolic experience in Belfast

 Another key element of our Tertianship were the Apostolic Experiences which took place during Lent.  These took us to various places in England, Wales and Ireland, and involved each of us in activities such as study of scripture, looking after the elderly and the sick, working with people with AIDS, with refugees, and with those living on the peace line in Belfast.  Each of us faced personal challenges during this time and moments of recognition of our own vulnerability and helplessness – and that of others.  It was good to be visited on our placements by one of our directors.

We arrived back to Broadstairs in time for Holy Week and Easter.  This we celebrated together, and were involved in helping with the preparation of the liturgies.  It was also a time of coming together again to reflect and share on the graces and the learning from our Experiences.

Soon after Easter we set off together on a pilgrimage to Mary Ward country in St Omer, Liege and Augsburg, once again accompanied by Magdalen.  We were joined by Jacqueline from Mauritius, who had just completed a course in St Anselm’s, a college near Broadstairs.  We spent a few days in St Omer and Liege, where we couldn’t but be moved by the stories of struggle and pain which Mary Ward and her first companions suffered, as they discerned together the way forward for the Institute.

On our arrival at Augsburg we were met by two CJ sisters:  Monika, who is in charge of the Mary Ward Centre, and Rita.  From the start, we felt very much at home with them, and were touched by the generosity of the Sisters and the hospitality we received in every CJ house we went to.  We spent some time with Monika reflecting prayerfully on the Painted Life – this took us back to her childhood in Yorkshire, and her time spent in London, St Omer and Liege, as well as to her own experiences of the Spiritual Exercises and her journeys across Europe.  We then visited Munich – accompanied by the Bavarian Television who, at Monika’s initiative, were putting together a programme on Mary Ward as part of the 2009 celebrations.  Monika was keen to involve both branches in this programme and a few of us were interviewed – no doubt we will hear more about it next year!

 Monika Glockann guiding us around Augsburg Cathedral

Munich was a very moving experience – perhaps particularly our visit to Anger Convent.  As we sat in the Chapel where Mary Ward had been imprisoned, we listened to the text of the Bull of Suppression – and reflected on the tremendous joy and peace of Mary in the face of so much suffering.

We also visited Alt Oetting to see the hat and shoes worn by Mary Ward on her journeys to Rome – and were once again warmly welcomed by the community who live there.

The pilgrimage was a time for us to really connect – or reconnect with the spirit and history of the Institute and to allow Mary Ward to speak to us in our time.  On the last night in Augsburg some of us went to the school hall with the Painted Life displayed to listen to a concert performed by pupils from the school in Augsburg, as well as some from a CJ school in Hungary.  It was a lovely way to finish our pilgrimage – to see the fruits of Mary Ward’s dreams and endeavours before our eyes in the singing and dancing of the children of schools in Europe run by the Institute in our time.

We continued to study and reflect on the life of Mary Ward when we returned to England, and one of our last tasks was to put together a presentation of some aspect of her life to share with the group.  Following this, we were led to reconnect back with the present time of the history of our Institute through a sharing on our own Provinces to which we would soon be returning.

Finally, we had reflective time to look back and evaluate, and to look forward as we continue our journey.  Some of us are returning back to our provinces soon and to communities and ministries, for others the Tertianship continues for a while yet, in a different form.  For all, this has been, and continues to be, a time of renewal, integration and recommitment.  We are grateful to all who made this Tertianship possible for us, to Emer and Bernadette for leading us through the programme, and to Marian and Beatrice who visited us in Broadstairs.  We are also grateful for the continued prayers and support of the whole Institute during this very important time in our lives in the Institute.