18.2.2024 our sister Charlotte from the English province came to Banská Bystrica. Charlotte is a junior and took her first vows on 10.9.2023. The very first meeting with the community was full of joy and laughter.
The first day we took her on a trip to the High Tatras to Hrebienok. Every year Hrebienok hosts an exhibition of ice sculptures and the Tatra Dome, which is made entirely of ice. This year the authors decided to honour the 15th anniversary of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. in Slovakia. That is why they built Westminster Abbey.
We visited the Benedictines at Sampore, the Carmelites at Urpin, and even our own Francis Xaversky in the Cathedral. On Wednesday we had an online lecture with Father František Hylmar SJ on the topic of Examen. The meeting was very enriching for us and we are very grateful for the time he gave us.
On Thursday, Charlotte offered to help with the cooking, so we gave the community the day off and tried to create an international menu. We agreed to make an English leek soup “Leek Potato Soup” and an Austrian sweet dish “Kaiserschmarrn” or Emperor’s Tart. You can find the recipes on the internet.
Charlotte liked Slovakia very much and the next day she felt like at home. We were very enriched by the spiritual program of our junior meeting and also by our sharing with each other. We are very grateful that we had the opportunity to meet each other.
For us, it was an enrichment in our spiritual life and an inspiration in our spiritual journey.
