School Sisters of Notre Dame
SSND Japan Region Associate Covenant Ceremony
held　on  May 15^th, 2011

On Sunday, May 15th, 2011 the Covenant-and Renewal of Covenant-Ceremony of Associates was held at Iwakura convent.
This year one woman became a new Associate and 12 Associates renewed their Covenenats.


A New Associate was born !


Ms. Hiroko Minase received the Associate badge
and YAS (part I) from Sister Eileen Nakamura.

The ceremony was held during Sunday Liturgy celebrated by Father Lukas Horstink, OFM.  Ms. Hiroko Minase has been preparing until now to become an Associate, and today she was accepted as an Associate by Sr. Eileen Nakamura, the Vicar of the Regional Leader. “We thank God for preparing her to be an SSND Associate member. Let us together make a covenant of love and support for one another.”

After that ceremony, twelve Associate members renewed their covenants. They have lived 2,4,6,8,10,12,14, and 18 years as Associates. Each associate member read out her promise for the next two years. Each Associate received a candle as a symbol of Christ.

The Sisters extended their hands and sang a blessing for all the Associates.

After Mass, we had a tea party together. Both the Sisters and the Associates renewed their desire to live out Mother Theresa's Charism daily wherever they might be.

It was a grace-filled time with self-introductions
by each Associate member.

May God bless our new Associate
as well as those who renewed the covenant!