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      Global Connections                 Volume 9, Issue 4 Noh Jeok Seong Hae (露積成海): Drops of Dew Accumulate to Form a Sea Sister Rosa Eunsoon Kim   Noh Jeok Seong Hae (露積成海) This might sound a bit odd, but there are moments when I suddenly feel like I’ve aged.  One example is when a sentence I learned from a textbook or advice from my parents suddenly becomes clear to me.  A good example is Noh Jeok Seong Hae, a Korean idiom in four Chinese characters.  The concise idiomatic phrase means that tiny drops of dew, when gathered, can form a sea; that is, even small efforts, when accumulated over time, can grow into something vast.  The metaphor carries a message of hope.  This reminds me, as a religious who cherishes faithfully living each day, that even the smallest moments of my everyday life hold profound value before God, encouraging me to keep moving forward. Still in the Process of becoming a Woman of Providence Often, we affirm our identity as members of the Sisters of Divine Providence through the term ‘Women of Providence’.  Perhaps for that reason, I sometimes find myself asking where I am as a Woman of Providence.  And yet, I find myself repeating the same response—that I am still becoming a Woman of Providence.  Yes. I believe that all of us –myself included—are becoming Women of Providence through the ongoing journey of living out the Charism and Mission passed down to us by our Founders.  The journey will be fulfilled when we at last stand in God’s presence, together with the Sisters who walked this path before us. Therefore, regardless of the circumstances, our journey as Women of Providence must be lived and fulfilled through an awakened daily life, deeply rooted in the spirit of our Founders and the Charism.  I Would Still Plant an Apple Tree Today Perhaps many people are familiar with Spinoza’s words:  Even if the end of the world came tomorrow, I would plant an apple tree today.  When I first heard these words as a child, I couldn’t understand them and wondered why he would plant an apple tree if the world were ending tomorrow.  Later, I came across an explanation saying that planting the apple tree was something long planned—and that it was meant to express the idea of remaining faithful to the work entrusted to me today even if tomorrow were the end of the world.  This idea, I think, aligns with Noh Jeok Seong Hae and mirrors my belief that we are still on the path of becoming Women of Providence.  I believe that the Sisters who live each day faithfully with a positive attitude—never losing hope regardless of the circumstances— are those with patience like dew drops that can one day form a vast ocean, those who don’t succumb to the fear of an uncertain future, and who strive to live fully and faithfully in the present.  Closing As everyone well knows, we are presently experiencing challenges arising from changes at the Congregational level.  With a profound awareness of our need for God’s wisdom and grace, we find ourselves, now more than ever, offering heartfelt prayers for the future of our Congregation. I pray that we, as Women of Providence, may remain faithful in our daily lives, no matter what challenges we may face.  And I pray that, not only until God hears our prayers, but so that we, too, may become people who pray, until we can truly listen and recognize His voice.   .................................  For the full text, please refer to the attached file ....................................  

  Major Superiors meeting with Bishop Bruce Lewandowski of the Diocese of Providence, RI, was held in the hall of St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Providence. Following a brief tour of the cathedral, an opening prayer was offered. There was a time for greetings with the newly appointed Bishop Bruce, after which the bishop gave a presentation and led a discussion on “The Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod.” All attendees were also asked to introduce their respective communities. The meeting concluded with Mass and lunch.    

  “The Jubilee is a precious time for each of us as individuals and as a community to reflect on our lives. It is also a time for deep reflection and inner contemplation, a time of grace to listen to the word the Holy Spirit speaks to us today (cf. Rev 2:7).” -Pope Francis- The Church is celebrating the Jubilee Year under the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’ beginning December 24, 2024, and continuing until January 5, 2026. From October 8 to 12, 2025, a Jubilee event for consecrated Life took place. Consecrated life were urged to be witnesses of hope even amid the suffering and difficulties experienced during the Jubilee, and to put hope into concrete practice through solidarity and sharing with the socially vulnerable and those who suffer.                 Opening and Closing Vigil for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life  

  The 2025 CLB Meeting has concluded. Held in anticipation of next year's Congregational Chapter, this meeting featured earnest and candid sharing and reflection on news from the German, US, and Korean Provinces, and the Peruvian mission, and various matters related to the Chapter. We pray that Provident God will guide us. We also extend our gratitude to the German Province for generously providing all conveniences for the meeting, and all the participants, the facilitator and the interpreters.

  Participants in the CLB meeting visited the tomb of Bishop Kettler, the founder, enshrined in the Mainz Cathedral. As during the visit to Mother Marie's grave, we asked Bishop Ketteler to pray for our Congregation and for us who are seeking transformation at the Congregational level. In particular, attendees had the opportunity to enter near the bishop's tomb, pray, and sing hymns together.    

  the third day of the CLB meeting, there was a visit to Mother Marie's grave in Neustadt. This site holds the graves of Mother Marie and the third General Superior of the Congregation, along with some sisters from the German Province. Originally it had operated as our orphanage in the early days of the Congregation, but the Sisters of Mercy currently carry out their apostolate here. For the German Province, the Sisters visit this site annually on August 1st, the anniversary of Mother Marie's death.    

The 2025 Congregational Leadership Board Meeting (CLB) began on September 30. On September 30 and October 1, Sister Karin Dufault, the Montreal Sisters of Providence, shared about the process the Sisters of Providence have undergone. They started as a one congregation under a new framework to restructure last January. It was followed by a question-and-answer session and a time for reflection with the participants. This time served as a valuable warm-up to address the current issues facing our congregation as we explore the possibility of becoming a one congregation. We thank Sister Karin for her sharing.  And we'd like to ask you remember the CLB meeting in your prayers.  

  The 174th anniversary Mass commemorating the foundation of the Congregation was celebrated at the Mainz Motherhouse Chapel, presided over by Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz Diocese. Attending the Mass were Sisters from the German Province, members of the Congregation's leadership team participating in the CLB meeting scheduled to begin on September 30th, Provincials and Councilors from the German, US, and Korean Provinces, the Superior of the Peru Mission, and friends of the German Province. This Mass was a time of deep prayer with our Founders, Bishop Ketteler, and Mother Marie, especially for the Congregation and ourselves, who are in a process of change considering the demands of the times and the reality of the Congregation. We ask you to pray with us for Bishop Ketteler, Mother Marie, for the sake of ourselves, and the Congregation!   The chalice used by the Bishop Ketteler

Official Visitation to the German Province 1 The official visitation to the German Province began on September 25 with a meeting with the Sisters of the Mainz community. On the second day, there was a meeting with the provincial leadership team and a visit to the Sisters of the Aschsffenburg community.

September 29, 2025 Dear Sisters and Associates, Happy Foundation Day!  As you read this, the Congregational Leadership Team will be in Mainz, Germany celebrating our 174 years as a congregation!  It will be a special celebration with the Bishop of Mainz, along with Provincials and Council members who are participating in the Congregational Leadership Board meeting to follow the next day.  We will be remembering each of you in our prayers during these days. Of course, when I think of Foundation Day I think of Bishop Ketteler and Mother Marie and how they gave themselves to the mission of the Gospel.  I think of those first German women who were sent to serve and educate the rural girls and to serve the economically poor people of their times.  I wonder if there was any plan or if they were just supposed to find a place where there was a need and try to meet it.  There were no institutions then, no guidelines to consult, no best practices.  These first sisters went equipped with their passion for mission and trust in God.  They jumped in with both feet, so to speak, and gave it everything they had.  What about us today?  We’re just regular people whom God continues to call.  God invites us, through the lure of Providence, to give our whole hearts and jump in with both feet.  I imagine, as the little community of Sisters grew, even though hardships may have come their way, they didn’t give up.  They continued to show up, for each other in support, and for those to whom they were sent.  They responded with their time, talent, compassion, voices, hopes, dreams and love.  Fidelity is the word that comes to me.  Crossing an ocean, risking the unknown, settling in a foreign country, a different language, culture and customs, and yet they came, faithful to the call.  That kind of fidelity requires a steadfast commitment to those values which directed and defined them.  I think those courageous women grew as a result of the changes that taxed and tested their tolerance and led them to find God where God was, rather than where they thought God should be.  I copied this quote but I don’t know who said it.  “Fidelity lies in making whatever changes are necessary to bring us from the ideals out of which we have always operated, in order to achieve those ideals toward which we have always striven.  Fidelity manifests the truest part of us in process to the whole of us.”  What would Bishop Ketteler and Mother Marie say to us today?  Perhaps they would tell us that fidelity to Providence rests in consistently moving toward what will bring us more and more to wholeness of heart, clarity of mind and integrity of soul.  As we live out the legacy of our founders, let us review our own values, our own commitments, our very trust in the God of Providence whose dreams for us never fail.  Let us be seekers whose heart stretches for the truth and acts for justice.  Let us do the hard work of community so we may seek truth in light of each other’s wisdom.   Let us continue showing up, with trust that we are enough.  Everything we have and are is for the service of the kindom of God, of humanity, and of creation.  We give what we have of ourselves.  And God makes that enough.  Blessings to each of you on this Foundation Day! Sister Barbara McMullen, Congregational Leader