By Patricia Stortz, Associate
Sister Margarida Da Silva is currently the Generalate House Coordinator for the congregation. She is fairly new to the position, having arrived in Rome, Italy from Toronto, Canada on September 1, 2020. Getting to that point took persistence and a miracle.
Getting the visa to allow her to live in Italy was especially difficult, largely due to the restrictions and closures involved with the COVID-19 pandemic. Twice her appointments to get her visa were cancelled on her. After two months of daily attempts to get another appointment, she finally sent an email to the embassy asking if she could go to Italy and get her visa later, possibly in Italy or on a trip back to Canada. A prompt response arrived with instructions. On Thursday she sent her paperwork by overnight courier to the embassy. Three days later she had her visa. A miracle!
There have been other challenges over the past year. Transition to a new ministry is never easy; add another language and many cultures to the mix and it becomes more complicated. Being Portuguese by birth and an immigrant to Canada, she is well aware of how to live with language and cultural difference. “There is a lot to learn, and I knew that I would need to be open and flexible; I needed to receive, listen, observe, pay attention and especially to be ok laughing at myself. It is best to take things lightly, laugh and move on,” said Sister Margarida.
Life has been busy with both the usual daily work and the unexpected, such as when the electricity went off and started a fire alarm. It was the first time Sister Margarida had to turn off the alarm.
Retrictions in movement due to the pandemic have meant that Sister Margarida has not yet been inside St. Peter’s – even after a year of life in Rome! “I just go to the grocery store, the pharmacy and to appointments.” However, she did recently see the pope from a distance.
She says that the most wonderful experiences so far have been related to the kitchen. Wonderful smells draw people to the kitchen. There they learn from each other and appreciate the uniqueness and differences of the many cultures present. “These have been wonderful moments of creating community.”
Cultural and personality differences are present, but it is more important to focus on each person as an individual, as a human being. Mutual respect, caring for each other and sharing have made the time of transition a time of grace.
