Italy: Fifteen Asian Women Make Perpetual Profession with Franciscan Daughters of St. Elizabeth
Fifteen women from Indonesia and Vietnam made their perpetual profession in the Congregation of the Franciscan Daughters of St. Elizabeth during a Eucharistic celebration at the Church of Ognissanti in Florence, Central Italy, on June 27.
The newly professed sisters, nine from Indonesia and six from Vietnam, took their lifelong vows before Mother Paola Yucra Solano, Superior General of the congregation.
Archbishop Gherardo Gambelli of Florence presided over the Mass, concelebrated by about 30 priests. Among them were Bishop Emeritus Rodolfo Cetoloni of Grosseto, General Assistant of the congregation, Friar Guido Fineschi, Provincial Minister of the Friars Minor in Tuscany, and Friar Antonio Picciallo, Provincial Minister of the Capuchin Friars Minor.
Indonesia's Ambassador to the Holy See, Michael Trias Kuncahyono, also attended the celebration in support of the Indonesian sisters.
In his homily, Archbishop Gambelli reflected on the meaning of the sisters' commitment, particularly their promise "to do penance, to serve God and the Church faithfully until death."
He explained that the biblical understanding of penance refers to metanoia—a change of heart and mind that leads to a new way of living.
Drawing from the biblical account of Abraham's call, the archbishop said consecrated life begins with a willingness to set out in faith and to trust God's guidance. He encouraged the sisters to remain open to continual conversion through prayer and attentive listening to God's word.
Reflecting on the Gospel of John, Archbishop Gambelli said Christ's command to "love one another" is rooted in God's unconditional love. He reminded the sisters that faithful observance of Christ's commandments is a response to that love rather than an obligation imposed from outside.
The archbishop also cautioned against individualism and divisions within religious communities. Quoting Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium, he urged the sisters to foster unity and mutual service, saying their witness should be expressed first through their lives before their words.
The Franciscan Daughters of St. Elizabeth were founded on May 26, 1888, in Casalino, a mountain village near Pratovecchio in Arezzo Province in central Italy. The congregation was established by Mother Francesca Casci and Fr. Giuseppe Marchi and received pontifical recognition in 1949.
Today, the congregation's Generalate is based in Florence. Its members serve in Italy, Bolivia, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Holy Land, and Madagascar through ministries that include education, pastoral work, social outreach, and missionary service.
The profession of the 15 Asian sisters reflects the congregation's continued growth in Asia, where Indonesia and Vietnam have become important sources of new religious vocations.
