The post-pandemic period gathered in-person the 24 CCTAO members of the Provinces of Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, East Timor, Indonesia, Philippines and Delegation of Australia in Kluang, Malaysia last August 24-29. For the Sacred Heart Province, this was attended by Sr. Lilia Nuesca, Provincial Leader and her Council – Sr. Magdalena Larcia, Sr. Charito Balancin and Sr. Estrella Vasquez. Most of the participants who transited in Singapore were welcomed joyfully by the Sisters at Life Spring convent on the 23rd and travelled by land the next day to Kluang, Malaysia. The gathering was filled with joy and excitement at seeing one another again or for the first time. In Kluang, the Sisters were welcomed by the Pre-school children with their songs and dances in colorful national costumes as it was the country’s celebration of Independence week. Sr. Christine Law and her Sisters hosted the gathering with impeccable Canossian hospitality.
During the conference, Sr. Margarete Sta. Maria, incumbent President of CCTAO, presented the different programs and projects accomplished since 2018 after the last CCTAO planning meeting in Rome. The period between 2018 to 2023 was marked by COVID-19 pandemic and two Provincial Chapters with the General Chapter in-between. Before the General Chapter, the General Council had several meetings at Institute level with Provincial/Delegate Councils on the need for reconfiguration of the Canossian Regions which includes CCTAO in the Asia-Oceania region. On December 2021, the General Council had a meeting with CCTAO members to discuss the reconfiguration model chosen. The proposed guidelines were ratified by M. Anna Maria Babbini and General Council on January 2022. The succeeding CCTAO meetings saw the need to form the Formation and Resource Teams as well as the team in charge and members. The Formation Team proceeded to plan the Formators’ Formation Program and the Resource Sustainability Program. Indonesia promptly responded to the need for missionaries in Japan and sent two Sisters. After the General Chapter, CCTAO had meetings to plan for the CCTAO gathering in Kluang, Malaysia on August 24-29 and to plan the budget and logistics of the Formators’ Formation Program for Future Leaders with two modalities – online via zoom from May to June and in-person formation in Tagaytay, Philippines from July to August, 2023.
After the CCTAO report, there was a sharing by each Province/Delegation on its journey after the Applicative Provincial Chapter, urgent concerns and proposed areas of CCTAO collaboration. The Resource Sustainability Team led by Sr. Virginia Wong, Sr. Lilia Nuesca and Sr. Geraldine Tan facilitated the inputs on Lay Empowerment. Fr. Michael Sweeney shared a video taped input on ‘Exploring Co-responsibility for the Mission of the Church’. Ms. Theresa Goh C. K. an international speaker on leadership, had a thematic input via zoom on Lay Empowerment and Sr. Lilia Nuesca shared on the charismatic aspect on lay empowerment. There was group sharing on our practices of lay collaboration in our ministries. The CCTAO Formation Team led by Sr. Christine Yeo, Sr. Charito Balancin and Sr. Ma. Rosalia Navera shared the evaluation result of the recently concluded Formators’ formation Program which was very positively lauded by the participants. Those days of the conference were joy-filled and enriching as the tasks involved were collaboratively and generously carried out by the members. Thanks to Sr. Margarete Sta. Maria for facilitating this gathering. We are very grateful to Sr. Christin Law and Sisters of Malaysia Province for hosting us generously in Oasis retreat House, for the visit to Merriam House of the elderly, Melacca convent and its historical sites. We also deeply appreciate the hospitality of Sr. Christine Yeo and Sisters during our arrival and departure in Singapore, for the educational visit at St. Joseph’s elderly home and the guided city tour. We truly experienced synodality in participation, communion and mission during this CCTAO gathering. To God be the glory that we may become Women of the Word in loving relationships.
