Khush Amdeed! Welcome!
Posted on November 1, 2019, by Claudia Calzetta SL
Photo courtesy of Nasreen Daniel
Khush Amdeed! Welcome! These words spoken by Barbara Nicholas began a meaningful prayer service that welcomed four eager and confident women to Loretto’s first Come and See program — the first Come and See in Loretto’s history.
The Executive Committee and Forum members participated in this unique prayer service along with Nasreen Daniel, Maria Daniel, Samina Iqbal, Kathy Sullivan and me. All had the opportunity to sing both in English and Urdu and actively pray and communicate good wishes to Hira, Maribah, Meerab and Muskaan.
At one point in the prayer service, each person spoke about an object from nature that inspired her to seek good and deepen her personal love of God and others. This particular part of the prayer service allowed everyone present to learn about the aspirations these women have as they begin their journey toward discerning what is best for their lives.
At another point in the service, we read the words of Mary Ann Coyle: “Commitment is like a great adventure, and it is an adventure no matter how many persons have made it before us because we have never made the trip before, and the story of each one’s adventure is different.”
Photo courtesy of Nasreen Daniel
It is truly a great adventure for all of Loretto as we accompany Hira, Maribah, Meerab and Muskaan. We all promised prayers, support and love as they begin a program that provides them with information about Loretto’s history, the Church, sacraments, community and, most importantly, what commitment and vowed life mean in Loretto.
We asked Hira, Maribah, Meerab and Muskaan for updates about each one’s special journey so that we can share them with the entire Loretto Community.
At the end of the simple ceremony, Barbara Nicholas led us all in a blessing as Nasreen handed each woman a candle.
‘Receive this light of Loretto as you pursue the God that we share. Father Charles Nerinckx said, “We don’t know what the future will bring us”; now the future has brought you to us.’
“Receive this light of Loretto as you pursue the God that we share. Father Charles Nerinckx said, ‘We don’t know what the future will bring us’; now the future has brought you to us.”
We ended the prayer service singing, “We give you glory, thanks and praise!” Truly history in the making.
