FRANCE
GEMENOS
AUBAGNE
CALLIAN
Gémenos:
The Gémenos house near Marseille is a large and beautiful house
of retirement for 60 people; 
the
Sisters of Our Lady of Sion share it with others, with Assumptionist Oratorian
Sisters and also with lay people; there are also a few men. For all of
them, this is the time of retirement, time for a more interior life, which
does not prevent those who are able from having outside activities: welcoming
people at the neighboring church, catechetical work, liturgy, etc…
or at the Sept Fons Abbey where there are courses in Hebrew, as well as
working with social, cultural and interfaith organizations (Red Cross,
Catholic Aid, etc…). Because of the large number of immigrants from
various countries and with different languages, ideologies,
religions, the region of Southern France is particularly rich in possibilities
for encounter. This reality invites us to live the values of welcome and
conviviality, to make gestures of solidarity with foreigners, with the
marginalized. However, for many, apostolic activity can only happen within
the house through the quality of mutual relations and in prayer.
|
Aubagne: In Aubagne, a few Sisters live in an apartment, close to the inhabitants of this small town and present in the life of the Church (visits to the elderly, bringing communion, etc…) or in social activities (volunteer work with Catholic Aid to help immigrant women who want to improve their knowledge of French). Callian:
|
Callian is one of the most beautiful villages of the Var area; it
is dominated by a 12th century castle and is about 60 km from Nice.
Our house was bought in 1965 in order to welcome our elderly sisters
after their laborious work in our southern institutions around the
Mediterranean, from Turkey to Spain. Since then, 
the
house has been opened to other retired people, both men and women.
The personnel is young and active and comes from the neighboring
villages. By our geographical location, we are apart from throbbing
life, but we do have the possibility for numerous contacts: with
residents and their families, with the inhabitants of the village,
with visitors and friends. We try to give this retirement house
-
the PRADON - a note of welcome, of joy, of friendship, allowing
each person to spend the last years of his or her life in peace.
The presence of 
the
chapel and the life of prayer help us greatly in that. Voluteers
come and bring their contribution and joy.
