From 23rd to 26th August Sr. Tatiana Avdokushina took part in the 10th General Assembly of CORSUM in Oktyabrskoe near Moscow (Russia) representing our Institute at the Russian Conference of Major Religious Superiors (CORSUM is our USMI-CISM). The Assembly gathered 23 representatives of female and male religious communities. Because of the coronavirus, not all of them were able to travel.
The theme of the Assembly “The Heart Open to the Whole World” is a quotation from the title of a chapter of the Encyclical “All Brothers”. The Encyclical was presented by Fr Mariano Sedano, a Claretian, with great participation from the assembly in the sharing made after the group work. An important moment of the Assembly was the meeting with Nuncio Giovanni d’Aniello. His arrival took place during the time of the coronavirus and he has not yet been able to visit most of the communities and the Diocese. “A fraternal meeting”, – more than once stressed Mgr d’Aniello, inviting everyone to visit the nunciature and not to be afraid to keep in touch. The Nuncio showed appreciation for the consecrated life and encouraged us to be bold in following Christ by promising prayers and support to the members of the Institutes of Religious Life; he then concluded with the request to accompany him with our prayers.
On 15 September 2021, the Novosibirsk State Glinka Conservatory (named after Russian composer Mihail Glinka) organised a flashmob at the “House, in which music is born” and a meeting of the Rectorate with partners in the field of education, science and culture. Among the invited guests were representatives of the Region and the City, benefactors, rectors and vice-chancellors of Novosibirsk Universities and bodies from the world of culture. This event marked the beginning of a year-long celebration of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Conservatory, which is unique in the region from the Urals to Vladivostok.
I was invited to this reception as a sign of recognition for the contribution and support to the students working on their thesis dealing with Sacred Music. During the reception each of the guests was given a letter of recognition. It was an honour for me to represent not only the Russian Catholic Church but also my own congregation of the MSC.
