Vote of thanks

I give you thanks O Lord, with my whole heart; before the hearts I sing your praise, I
bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast
love and your faithfulness. On behalf of my friends I stand here before you to
express our gratitude to everyone who are and were instrumental in making us what
we are.
First and for most I thank God Almighty for all his graciousness. Our hearts swell up
with gratitude and joy for sanctifying and dignifying this day with your plentitude of
blessing. To be loved is the foundation of our consecrated life. Yes, it has become
true in our life today as Jesus Christ has made us His own.
My heart throbs in thankfulness to his Excellency Most. Rev. Govindu Joji, for
availing and gracing this day by officiating this Holy Eucharistic celebration and
touching the core of our hearts, with your thought provoking words and inspiring
messages. Thank you for praying and bringing Gods blessings upon each one of us
and making this day a memorable day, and also I turn my heart in gratitude to all the
con celebrants for your graceful presence and for your valuable prayers. May God
bless all your endurance.
I thank my God, each time I remember you and I pray with joy when I pray for you. I
extend my heartfelt gratitude to Rev. Sr. Shanthi our Superior general and her
team. Today we are very grateful to you for having given us many opportunities
to grow in our spiritual life as full pledged members in SAB Family. May God bless
you and give you strength to carry out your responsibilities.
Hearts thrilled with joy and happiness we thank you dear Rev. Sr. Celeena provincial
superior and the team for your guidance and support in each and every moment of
our lives.
Gratefully we remember and owe our love and gratitude to all our formatters in
different stages of our formation, superiors in different communities who stood close
to us and molded us all through these years and all the sisters who lived with us in
the communities for the past years.
We have always experienced the loving accompaniment of persons, who were
always ready to help us in our needs. Now I take this opportunity to express our
gratitude to Rev. Sr. Spandhana and community and Rev. Sr. Jancy and community,
for making this day a happiest and eventful one, a long lasting memory in our lives.
We also thank Sr. Amala & Co for taking us to the heavenly realm through your
melodious and rhythmic music made us to praise God twice.
Our measure of greatness is not the number of servants you have, but the number of
people you serve. We acknowledge the hard work of all the helpers specially to
Mr.Venu Gopal & Mr. Hanumanth Rao & their team members for taking trouble and

hardship, in completing the constructions of the Chapel and keeping ready for us, on
this auspicious day. We implore Gods abundant blessings and graces upon you &
your families.
Every beat of our hearts extent a thousand cheer and thanks to our beloved parents
who have dandled us up on their laps, thought and instructed and helped us to grow
and to live in Christian faith and love. Dear parents you are the first cause of what we
are today, we thank you.
We also take this golden moment to thank the unseen hands who contributed their
service and made this days event successful. Yes, we thank the guardian angels of
our life whom God send especially at the time of difficulties, pain and sorrow. We
had a shoulder to lean. Thank you so much.
Now I turn my heart to the gathering present here, the parishners, well wishers and
friends your pleasant presence have added flavor to this day. Thank you for your
prayers and blessings.
We recommend the departed souls of our dear Sr. Rashmithas parents. May God
grant them eternal rest and receive them into His heavenly abode to sing, praise and
worship Him.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life so once again we thank the Almighty and each
one of you.
Thanks.. Thanks.. Thanks.

THANKS FOR THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFTS

Outside the Chapel:
The psalmist invites us to enter into the house of God with gladness and (joy)
thanksgiving. Now the representatives from each group and the Sisters of the community will
accompany our dear Sr. Leonila and Sr. Sushma and lead them to the altar of God. (Music
will be played) Candles are placed at the altar. Sister Superior is invited to pin the flowers for
the celebrities of the day.
Opening Prayer
Lord God the master of the universe, we have awakened with whisper of joy, peace and
happiness. We look up to you to praise and thank you for this beautiful dawn. The sky shines
with vibrant shade of colours, the newly opened petals and the pearls of dew on every blade
of grass praise you. We your loving children have gathered in your house to raise our hearts
and minds in gratitude and praise for the precious gift of our beloved Sr. Leonila through
whom your tender love, beauty, care concern and excellent guidance we experienced. We also
thank the Lord for the precious gift of our dear Sr. Sushma, who generously accepted the
Lords cal and came to guide us in His ways. Let us now experience the presence of the
divine within, as we sing a bhajan (Jeeveswara vandhanam).
Introduction

Gratitude is expressing profound thanks fullness for all that God has given. Gratitude is not a
human achievement, its a divine treasure granted to us by the inner pilot within us, the
absolute supreme. We are particularly grateful to God the omnipotent for the miracle of His
love very specially for the persons of Srs. Leonila and Sushma
Persons are gifts that are given to us, packed with suspense, surprise and sentiments.
Our hearts beat with genuine love and deep gratitude for the person of sr. Leonila. The river
as it enters the ocean is lost in it. For once it enters the ocean it can never be recognized. For
its colour and taste are now the colour and taste of the ocean. The person lost in gods love
becomes, one with god, completely to be his forever, never more to be separated from Him.
Yes dear Sister you have journeyed along with the lord in the process of becoming in him. We
thank you for all the pains you have taken to beget new life by forming and shaping the hearts
of us. Let us raise our folded and grateful hearts for you to continue to shine like stars and
experience His unconditional love in all your undertakings as we sing the chorus (deiva
sneham varnichidan)
Special persons are specially chosen by God thats why we say Lord we thank you for
the very gift of Sr. Sushma CMC.to this IMD family. Dear Sister you are the selected one
whom God has brought in a special way with all your uniqueness and gifts. He has created
you with differences so that you will enjoy and share the beauty of your difference with
everyone. Let us raise our hearts and minds as we welcome our Sr. Sushma to this IMD
family and pray that she may be blessed with the choicest blessing and be inspired by the
Holy Spirit. (Pause)
Dear Sr. Leonila you, rarest of the race, a priceless treasure possessed of qualities in
mind, speech, movement, appearance and action. Persons are gifts which the father sends to
us wrapped. Some are wrapped very beautifully. They are very attractive when we first see
them. Some come in very ordinary wrapping paper. Others have been mishandled in the post.
Once in a while there is a special delivery. Some persons are gifts which come very loosely
wrapped.. But the wrapping is not the gift. It is so easy to make this mistake.. Sometimes
the gift is very easy to open up. Sometimes we need others to help You are a person;
therefore, you are a gift, too Every meeting of others is an exchange of gifts. Gifts
received and gifts given.. You dear Sister, you are indescribable gift of God to us. We
appreciate the gift that is YOU not the wrappings. With these sentiments of gratitude to
God let us now sing the hymn - Z 137.
Commentary on Gifts and Talents
Life is given to us like an unfinished product and it will be over sooner than we think.
Therefore, we must do everything we can, to make it as beautiful as possible. Yes dear Sr.
Leonila, you are that unspeakable and indescribable gift of God to us. You had been
accompanying us right from the beginning like a mother. You showed special interest, love,
care and concern towards each of us, walked with us in times of our joys, anxieties, worries
and struggles. Your gentle ways and hearty smile have soothened our hearts. We thank God
for you, for all you qualities of mind and heart with which God has blessed you with.
Living for others is the best way to live for yourself.
L - stands for the caring, bearing, sharing, encouraging and self sacrificing love of Sr.
Leonila. It is the love that enables her to shine even in hardships and say always, yes to the

will of God. Thank you Lord for this precious quality of Sr. Leonila. (Chorus - I thank my
God).
E stands for encouragement. Dear Sister you are a person who have encouraged us
in our journey of life. Your words of encouragement gave us the strength gave us the strength
to stand against all the odds of life. Lord we thank you for this quality of our Sister. (Chorus I thank my God)
O stands for optimism. Dear Sister we always see a ray of hope bubbling in your
face to be optimistic. Even when problems arrive we see the bubbling of joy and deep sense
of contentment on your face. We thank God for the countless blessings that he had showed
upon us through your positive outlook towards life. (Chorus- I thank my God)
N - stands for Nurturing. As the tender plants need care and nurturing, dear Sr.
Leonila, you have touched our life and we have grown. Your loving approach and simplicity
towards us enabled us to grow unto the fullness of Christ. You have nurtured us with
understanding and responsibility. Today we thank the Lord for the precious gift of you to us.
(Chorus I thank my God)
I stands for Integration. Dear sister we are happy to say that, you are an integrated
person. There is rhythm in your gentle movements. You are capable to make decisions with
integrity. We appreciate this gift of yours and thank God for you. (Chorus I thank my God)
L stands for Loyalty. Loyalty is seen in all your undertakings. You are loyal to god,
yourself and to the tasks entrusted to your care. We acknowledge this priceless gift in you and
we thank God for you. (Chorus I thank my God)
A stands for Availability. God in His goodness blessed you dear sister with the gift
of availability. You were always and at every moment available to us, sharing your gifts,
talents and time for us without counting the cost. We have tasted your spirit of availability.
For this gift of yours we thank God for you. (Chorus I thank my God)
Now we invite Sr. Leonila to offer this symbol representing her gift to God and we
ask the good God to fill her with His goodness and love.
May the will of God lead you and guide you
May the love of God enfold you and sustain you
May the peace of God calm your fears
May the comfort of God dry your tears
And may the Word of God feed you at all times
Thus you may see the miracles of God in your day to day life.
Now let us thank the lord with our entire being through the rhythmic movements. (Dance)
Silence: Music
Commentary on Boat
We are sailing for the sun and the ray is being continued. We are reaching for the star and the
goal is never far. Dear Sr. Leonila, We appreciate your excellent leadership of guiding us
formators till now, and leading us closer to the Lord, by sailing smoothly and gently in the sea of
our life in IMD. Your guidance was always a support and inspiration to all of us. As a symbol of
fulfilling your duties till now , and handing it over to Sr. Sushma we now request you to come
forward and hand over this oar to Sr. Sushma.Let us sing E yathrayil vazhi kattuvan kaniyu
Concluding Prayer

Once again Lord we thank you for the marvelous things that we have received through the very
life of Sr. Leonila .Once again we thank you Lord, For giving our sister fruitful years in IMD
family.Sr. Leonila and Sr. Sushma as you are entrusted and chosen to fulfill new responsibilities
this is our prayer and wish for you sisters.
Let your life be filled with the amazing grace of God. Let your life be a song for your Lord. Let
all the experiences of yours have sunshine and shadows of goodness. May the good Lord grant
you, all the great things from His bounty, and strengthen you to continue to sail to reach the
destination for His greater glory. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord .Amen.

Mass Introduction
Let anyone who believes in me drinkOut of the believers heart shall flow rivers of living
water Jn 7:38
Good morning dear sisters and a warm welcome to this Eucharistic celebration. Today is an
auspicious day as we thank God for the precious gift of Sr. Leonila and all the goodness we
received from Him in and through her. To whom shall we compare Sr. Leonilas service for
us and to this community of IMD? Can we listen to Francy what she is going to say about
her?
Sr. Leonila is a stream A running stream!
She is dynamicand constant in her move
She never gets stagnated
She flows beyond the blocks on her way
Her goal is to give life to many.
Anyone who approaches her with hope
Would be refreshed, and energized
And would receive life in abundance
This fulfills the purpose of her call.
Her living is the birthplace of civilization
Hence she is a loving mother
Who nourishes her children with hope and life
Like a river she has only one goal in her life
To merge into the seai.e. to attain fullness in God
Through her very being.yes
Sr. Leonila is a streamA Running Stream
Yes dear sisters, Sr. Leonila becomes a Running Stream by giving herself completely for the
welfare of us, student formators.
She is dynamic and always on the move to empower us through wonderful courses and
various activities. Being a prayerful and courageous person she lead us following the will of
God. We see her as the powerful instrument of God. We found her to be very simple,
approachable, and motherly and the person of strong determination. She is the person of hope
for us. She is the source of inspiration. Every movement of Sr. Leonila amidst us radiated
vitality and vigor to be the role models in the future as she herself is the role model for us
following all the characteristics of a good formator. Her words, deeds, thirst to fulfill the will
of God, vibrant spirit and dynamic actions resemble her like a stream.

The inner force of Gods love helps her to flow on and on into the lives of many. Thats why
she accepted willingly to be the General councilor as she found the will of God in and
through this new mission entrusted to her by her congregation. In this remarkable day, we are
privileged and fortunate to thank God for all the wonders He has made in our lives through
Sr. Leonila. It is also our duty to thank God for the gift of Sr. Leonila, to us and on the whole
to this IMD community. In this Eucharistic celebration, in a special way let us offer Sr.
Leonila to our Lord and pray to Him to bless our sister with His wisdom and knowledge so
that she may be revived more and more to continue her God given mission. Let us also with
grateful heart pray for Sr. Sushma CMC, who has willingly accepted to lead us in the
forthcoming days in the light of Christ so that she may strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
Inspired by the example of Sr. Leonila and assured by the love and grace of God, let us also
become like a stream to serve the humanity as we are called to give life, life in abundance.
Keeping these intensions in mind let us with grateful heart celebrate this meal of love.
OFFERTORY PRAYERS
1. Staff: - Staff is a support to the weak and a sign of authority. We offer you this
staff as a symbol of our Holy father Pope Benedict XVI, Bishops, priests and
religious that they may lead the pilgrim church under the guiding staff of Christs
glory may they find joy and fulfillment, in sharing and serving your people on
earth. Lord accept this offering.
2. Flower Vase: - This flower vase represents our country with many religions,
languages and cultures which our century beautiful. But today we fail to realize
the beautiful world you have made, by corrupting it with lots of troubles,
persecutions, seeking for power and possessions. Transform our world and help
everyone to work for peace and unity. Lord accept our offering.
3. Heart: - Heart symbolizes love, compassion, care and sympathy. As we offer this
symbol, we raise our grateful hearts to you for the marvelous gift and unique
personality of our Sr. Leonila whom you chose and used as one of your powerful
instruments to guide and mould us. As she takes up her new responsibility we pray
for her that the good Lord may continue to bless her and fill her with his joy and
peace. Lord accept our offering.
4. Candle: - Candle symbolizes light that Jesus brought into the world. We offer this
candle as a symbol of our Sr. Sushma whom you have chosen to lead and guide
us. May she continue to keep her lamp burning bright and may all her
undertakings be successful. Lord accept this offering.
5. Bread and Wine; - Lord we offer this bread and wine symbolizing our IMD
community. We specially pray for Fr. Rico and Fr. Stephen who offer this holy
Sacrifice for us that they may continue to be a blessing in all that they do and that
you may lead them by your hand, to share your life to the world. Lord accept our
offering.
Words of Gratitude and Welcome

Dear Eucharistic Lord, we thank you for coming into our hearts and nourishing our
souls with heavenly food, contains every sweetness and every delight. Let each fiber of our
being, may sink into your love. Enkindle in our hearts, the flame of your divine love.
Loving lord, at this grace filled moment, once again, we thank you, for the very
person of our dear sr. Leonila and her precious life. Thank you Lord for endowing her with
your abundant goodness and blessings. Gratitude is the music of our hearts. On this beautiful
occasion with much gratitude, and deep sentiments of appreciation and love we express our
heartfelt thanks to you dear Sr. Leonila for all that you have done for us and for all what you
are to us. May your life, be a continuous blessing for all those who come in contact with you.
May you be a channel of grace for all. And let all your new endeavors be fruitful. This is our
wish and prayer for you dear Sr. Leonila.Now may I invite Sr. Theo to give a bouquet to our
dear Sr. Leonila as the token of our love, gratitude and appreciation foe her sincere service to
IMD family, and each one of us. Also let us cordially welcome Sr. Sushma, into our midst by
giving her a bouquet. May I request Sr. Theo to give her the bouquet as a sign of welcome to
our IMD family.

If you wish success in life make perseverance your bosom friend, experience
your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian angel
Joseph Addison

There is a saying, God has two dwelling one in heaven and the
other in a thankful heart. Just a thank you is a mighty powerful
prayer says it all, God gave us gift of 86400 seconds in a day.
Have we used at least one of it to say thank you. Says William
Arther

First of all we thank the Almighty for His plan in brining whole
Congregation the leading authority of every unit together to share,
to evaluate and look into progress of our Congregation as a family.
So let us thank God.

There is an eminent personality amidst us who deserve our

gratitude in abundance. She is a person throbbing with joy in
service, vibrating love for the needy, and with a challenging vision
for the future. She none other than our dear Sr. Shanthi, the
Superior General who gives warmth to many hearts with her gentle
and thoughtful deeds. She consoles and guides every one who
approaches her. Thank you sister for your care and love for each

one of us and in a special way for arranging this GWC meet to

bring us together. Thank you dear