VOTE OF THANKS- 2 (AFTER FINAL PROFESSION)

Vote of Thanks (After Final Profession) Your Grace, Rev. Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, our dear parents, brothers, and family members, friends and well wishers, A very good afternoon to one and all. "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present, and not giving it," said William Arthur Ward. It is the right moment for me to express, on behalf of my co-sisters, our heartfelt gratitude wrapped in love, for the great favours and blessing we have received from the Giver of all gifts. First and foremost, we owe our deepest gratitude to the Father of mercies for the gift of our vocation, and for His constant guiding light and graces which enabled us to respond to His call with total dedication and commitment. Persons come and go touching our lives. Our present moment of joy and gratitude would not have sprung from deep within us, without the blessings, support and the accompaniment of many a person. At this juncture, I would like to remember all those who were instrumental in leading us to this great day in our life. It is, indeed, an honour to have His Grace, Most Rev. Albert D'Souza to preside over the Eucharistic Celebration at our final commitment. Thank you, Your Grace, for your generosity in accepting our invitation and for your inspiring homily to be rooted in our commitment..... A big thanks to each con-celebrant who joined the Archbishop in offering the Holy Mass for us. Our sincere thanks to you, dear Rev. Fathers, Brothers and Sisters present here, for generously responding to our invitation, in spite of your busy schedule. You have brought us an additional note of joy and happiness, with your welcome presence. We express our deepest sentiments of gratitude to our Superior General, most Rev. M. Karuna Kuruvanthanam for admitting all of us to the Family of the CFMSS. I extend our heartfelt thanks to Sr. Ivy, our Provincial Superior and her Councillors for accepting our vows and for their valuable prayers and genuinelove. I would be failing in my duty if I fail to record my grateful thanks to all those who have helped us in one way or the other to reach this momentous day in our life. A million thanks to God for the gift of our parents, brothers, sisters and relatives who had played a great role in giving us a warm bosom to rest on, not only in our childhood or adolescence, but continue to offer it till today. Thank you, for being here with us today on this grace-filled day, to personally share in our joy. You have truly made this memorable day, a joyous one. "I am in travail with you until Christ is formed in you" (Gal 4:19). These words of St. Paul were the compelling force of all our formators; Sr. Pauline and Sr. Annie our mistress during our aspirancy, Sr. Marina - our mistress during our postulancy, Sr. Claret - our mistress during our Novitiate, Sr. Zita - our mistress during our juniorate and Sr. Gemma - our mistress during our tertianship, who have not only accompanied us, but also played a great role in discerning our call to religious life. We are indebted to each one of them, for sparing their valuable time and energy, in patiently moulding and guiding us, and nourishing us with constant support, appreciation and encouragement for our growth. Our heartfelt thanks to each one of them. A big thanks to dear Sr. Joyce and her Team for giving us an year of grounding in spirituality, i.e., 9 months at the IIS in Bangalore and the past three months of intensive preparation at Lucknow prior to our final commitment. We would like to thank our former Provincial Superiors Sr. Zita and Sr. Joyce and their Teams. We are, indeed, proud to be guided and animated by you, dear Sisters, at all the stages of our formative journey. A word of special thanks to Sr. Helen and Sr. Ann for instilling in us the true spirit of our Foundress, and the spirituality of St. Francis and St. Clare, through their classes and sound explanations. Our sincere thanks to all the superiors - both past and present - for their love and constant encouragement, at every phase of our formative journey, as well as for creating a family atmosphere in our communities... Moreover, I wish to thank each member of the community, whose personal interest, enthusiasm, friendship and teamwork, inspired us to move forward in our journey of life. We also record here, our gratitude to all the parish priests of our respective communities, for sustaining us with their timely advice and direction, and above all, with the daily celebration of the Eucharist, our spiritual food. Particular thanks to Rev. Fr. Joe Thykattil, the Cathedral parish priest, for generously placing this church as the venue for our big day. Thanks as well, to all those who have arranged for the sound system. A very big thanks to Sr. Maria and all the members of St. Francis community for hosting this celebration, decorating the altar so beautifully and for all the arrangements, especially for accommodating our parents and relatives, and caring for their needs. A special word of thanks to Sr. Princy Thadathil for preparing the meaningful liturgy, and to Sr. Arpita and junior sisters, for the melodious choir, making the liturgy so meaningful and vibrant. How can we forget to thank the candidates who lead the entrance procession with their marvellous dance. Thank you, little ones and we hope that one day you will be kneeling here in this Cathedral Church to pronounce your Final Vows. Once again, we thank God for all that He has accomplished in our life. We pray to the good Lord to bless all those persons, who have led us to this great day in our life, and beg for His graces, to make the world a better place, by carrying out the mandate of our Institute, "to be enkindled by the Eucharistic flame and to rekindle every human hearts." May He enable us to leave our finger prints of love on whatever we touch! May our hearts leave His healing touch, on whoever comes in contact with us! I conclude with a prayer to all of you, that is, to remember us and keep us in your valuable prayers. On behalf of my co-sisters, once again our sincere thanks to one and all.