LEZHJA ASSEMBLY AND CLARENCE GILYARD!

6 JUNE 2010 LEZHJA ASSEMBLY AND CLARENCE GILYARD!
I begin by assuring you I had much help and support from Mirjam in getting the Lushne videos onto the blog - hope they worked for you!

Yesterday, I attended the General Assembly of Religious. This was held at "Hotel Rafaelo", Shengjin, Lezhja and about 60 religious attended. Shengjin is more than six hours from here so I stayed overnight, enjoying Sr. Imelda's Loreto hospitality in Tirana, both going and returning. As we arrived in the meeting hall I was on the lookout for someone to interpret, as everything, even the progremme was in Italian! Seeing a Dominican habit, I asked for help! In fact, I had approached the main speaker. He pointed me towards a check shirt, the wearer of which turned out to be a Father Ivan, Maltese priest in Durres. He did an excellent job and the focus of the talk was collaboration and the transformation that can take place if we are fully inserted in mission, even through the 'shadow'. I will type up the notes elsewhere. Mass followed, celebrated by the Papal Nuncio. At the end, he presented each of us with a little bottle of perfumed oil, symbol of the Word of God permeating our lives. An excellent lunch completed the programme!

As we left the Assembly at Shengjin, a Focolare member encouraged us to attend a drama later in Tirana, emphasising that Clarence Gilyard was responsible for the project. I had never heard of him and was amazed at the profile of his films and acting given before the show by the American Ambassador! The drama that followed was -"The Permanant Collection." It was excellently performed by Clarence in English and the other actors in Shqip, with the relevant translations on a side screen. There was a standing ovation at the end. What a surprise when this same Clarence turned up at our English Corpus Christi Mass in the Cathedral this morning and did one of the readings.

I have been back in Korce for more than four hours now. So far I have not seen any of the community or our visitor Sr. Gudula. I presume Mirjam has gone to Macedonia to bring back Lalini from retreat. The glorious weather must have tempted Gudula and Amira to make the journey too.

Have a good week - regret I cannot share the perfumed oil with you!