Acts of 10th European Assembly of Lay Dominican Fraternities
Saint Dominic’s European Lay Fraternities have celebrated the 800-year Jubilee of the Order with a Chain of Preachers of Hope. At the Assembly in Fatima we received the last contribution to this Chain from the Portugal, the hosting country of the Assembly.
In 2009, because of the financial crisis I was fired, after 20 years of work in the same company. I was 43 years old, my husband was unemployed too and we had two children of 8 and 10 years old and a mortgage to pay to the bank. The crisis was bad in Portugal and there were no job offers.
When I was told that I had to go away, I felt like I had no floor under my feet. I called my husband and immediately the floor started coming back. Then I called a lawyer who gave me some advice.
Then I started to read the newspapers, trying to find a new job. I was feeling very old, I had only experienced one type of job so my feeling was that I did not have wide experience.
Despite this black situation, I was strangely calm. I never, never lost my hope, I don’t know how. Or maybe I do…
Ten months later, although the crisis was still in course, I started a new job with much better economic conditions, closer to my home and technically much more interesting!
I don’t like to say that it was a miracle, but the fact that I never lost my hope was, I am sure, God`s gift.
Cristina Busto, Province of Portugal
The Chain: Each Province/Vicariate is invited to share their stories and/or pictures with a neighbouring Province/Vicariate, if possible with a meeting. That Province/Vicariate invites the next Province/Vicariate, etc. For the Chain there is a route with a time table, which can be used. If every Province/Vicariate also sends their stories and pictures to the ECLDF website, we will, in this way, create a real chain of preachers of hope throughout Europe until now. Here we finish our Chain, at the Assembly 2017 in Fatima.
Here you will find the announcement of the Chain and also an overview of all the contributions.
Related posts
