Sister Raffaella Petrini professes final vows

MERIDEN, CT (01-07-2007) - In a solemn Mass and ceremony held in the festively appointed sanctuary of Holy Angels Church, South Meriden, Connecticut, on the feast of Epiphany, Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, professed perpetually the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience within the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. Mother Shaun Vergauwen, FSE, Mother General, received her vows and asked the Community to renew their vows in union with Sister Raffaella. The Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone, Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego and celebrant of the Mass, spoke in his homily to the crowded church about the extravagant gift that a vocation is to the Church, and the outpouring of self which Sister Raffaella manifests to all on this special occasion.

Sister responds to the questions of the Church.

Preceding the profession of the vows, Bishop Cordileone asked in the name of the Church, questions of Sister Raffaella, a ritual designed to manifest publicly the Sister's desire, readiness and firm purpose to vow her life to God and the Church. Her resounding "Yes" and explanations proclaimed to everyone present her determination to live a vowed life. After pronouncing her vows, Sister Raffaella received blessings from Mother Shaun Vergauwen, Mother Miriam Seiferman, Vicar General, and Mother Rosemae Pender, Mother Foundress. Sister Raffaella received a solemn blessing from the Bishop and the official ring of the Community as a sign of her consecration.

Sister Raffaella prostrates in prayer before professing vows while the Litany of Saints is sung.	Mother Rosemae Pender, Mother Foundress, gives her blessing to Sister Raffaella.

Sister Raffaella walks with her parents in the procession to the church, followed by Mother Miriam Seiferman and Mother Shaun Vergauwen and the priest celebrants.
	Sister Raffaella's family (from left) Ilaria, Massimo and Giampiera Petrini.

Sister Raffaella raises her blessed ring for the congregation to see.

Sister Raffaella is the first member of the community from Italy. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Massimo Petrini and her sister, Ilaria Petrini of Rome were present, along with her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Claudio Petrini, her long-time friend, Lorena Mancini, from Rome and her cousin, Cristiano Petrini, from Amsterdam. Bishop Cordileone presented the homily in both English and Italian. Sister is a member of the Community's Rome Center and works in the Vatican in the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. From 2001 to 2004 her work in the Vatican was with the Pontifical Mission Societies.

Sister Raffaella earned a university degree in Political Science with a major in Economics in 1993 from LUISS University, Rome. In 1994 she received a Masters degree in International Marketing funded by a full scholarship from the European Union consortium. In 2001 she obtained a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior degree from the University of Hartford. Currently, she is enrolled in the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome where she is studying philosophy.

Celebrants of the Mass (l to r) Rev. Christopher Mahar, Diocese of Providence; Rev. Roland LaPlante, pastor of Holy Angels Church, South Meriden, CT; Very Rev. Douglas Mosey, CSB, Rector and President, Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, CT; Most Rev. Salvatore Cordileone, Auxiliary Bishop, Diocese of San Diego; Rev. Msgr. Joseph Punderson, Vatican City; Rev. Luke Sweeney, Archdiocese of New York; Rev. Peter Cipriani, Diocese of Bridgeport; Rev. Jared Kadlec, Diocese of Fargo.