International Session for Spiritual and Vincentian Revitalization for Sisters 7-15 Years of Vocation

by Sr. Anarie CAYAG, DC

Looking back on my experience of the International Vincentian Session in Paris, I find myself thinking of the disciples on Mount Tabor during the Transfiguration.

There were so many grace-filled moments: walking through places and sites connected to our Vincentian tradition, praying with our Sisters from diverse cultures, and witnessing the joyful presence of the Church during Pope Leo XIV’s visit. Amid centuries-old churches and traditions, I felt reconnected to the roots of both my Christian and Vincentian identity. I encountered a Church whose faith was not merely preserved in history but lived and celebrated in the present.

Yet, more than any grand event or historical monument, what struck me most deeply was the time we spent in the rented room of St. Vincent de Paul in Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne. It was inside his bedroom, which now serves as the prayer room for the Sisters’ community that I prayed most earnestly for all Daughters of Charity—especially those in my own Province—while reflecting on the quiet role of the private room in our lives as religious.

Our translator spoke movingly about the significance of that space. She mentioned that it was not simply where Vincent slept and rested. It was probably where he processed everything that had happened during the day—the people he encountered, the sick, the poor, his parishioners. And perhaps where he processed, what needs to be done?

And I suddenly thought: What about my own room?

A bedroom is the most intimate space a person has. It is where we can drop all our guards—literally and figuratively—lie down, stare at the ceiling, cry, or simply do nothing. My own room has witnessed so much of my life. It has seen me sad, tired, overwhelmed... It has been my hiding place when I needed to be by myself. While rest is necessary, how often do we use our private spaces merely to escape?

For Vincent, even his private room was never private from God. The encounters of the day followed him there—not as noise, but as prayer, discernment, and creative action. His charity did not begin only when he walked out of his room; it was silently nurtured in the privacy of his chamber. Privacy is necessary. Perhaps the challenge is not to abandon our hiding places, but to ensure they remain spaces where God can find us—and from which He can send us out again.

Today, that silence is harder to keep. We can physically close our doors but our phones can keep us from being truly present to ourselves and to God. When I am finally alone, where does my heart go?

In many ways, these weeks were a true Mount Tabor experience. And like Peter, my heart also echoes his words, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.” It is tempting to remain on the mountain—in the beauty and consolation of experience. But Mount Tabor was never meant to be a permanent home. Jesus eventually led the disciples down the mountain.
And so, we go down renewed— returning to our communities, our ministries, and the poor awaiting us. May what we received on the mountain be an inspiration we carry into the ordinary realities of our everyday life.

Sr. Betty Tsai grew up in a Catholic family. As a child, she attended Mass with her mother, but she did not reflect deeply on matters of faith and belief at that time. It was only later, while studying anatomy in medical school, that she experienced the wonder of God’s creation. Through this experience, her faith gradually deepened and matured.

In the 1970s, many children in Taiwan suffered from polio and cerebral palsy. As she reflected on the meaning of consecrated life, she visited three convents. Ultimately, she was deeply moved by the service of the Daughters of Charity to the poor and the needy. With great joy, she entered the Daughters of Charity on September 8, 1972.

Throughout her journey, she has continually prayed for God’s grace—for herself and for those she serves—asking for strength, courage, and joy in facing challenges. She also prays to live out her inner spiritual richness and strives to express this inner abundance through generous and committed service in her external life.

Fr. Gerardo Gregorio VIBAR, CM gives the traditional year-end recollection talk to the Sisters of the Province last 23 December 2025 at the Provincial House.