General superior
The Superior General is the visible bond
of the very diverse parts of the Institute,
the sign of all its members gathered as one large family, that of Marie Rivier.
Mother Maria dos Anjos, pm
She was born on July 14, 1950, in Portugal. She made her religious profession on September 30, 1970. After studying religious science, she taught “Catholic moral and religious education” for 20 years in two public schools. In 1984 she was appointed Provincial Councilor, in 1995 Provincial Assistant and in 2000 Provincial Superior of the Province of Portugal. During the 2011 General Chapter, she was elected as a member of the General Council for six years. The 2017 Chapter elected her Superior General.
She likes reading and silence. The Word of God that gives life for her is found in the gospel of John 14:23: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him, we will come to him and make our home with him”.
Messages
As we meditate in awe
the Mystery of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple,
we join Saint Marie Rivier
in celebrating the Feast that “took her breath away”!
May we follow her example and become people of
DESIRE– like Simeon, awaiting the revelation of the presence of Christ
in each moment;
OFFERING – like the child Jesus, giving our whole selves to
the service of the Kingdom of God;
FAITH – like Mary and Joseph, trusting in God amidst the
mystery of their journey,
PROPHECY – like Anna, proclaiming the Good News always and everywhere!
In this way, we will walk in the company of
the Woman Apostle, Saint Marie Rivier, today and always.
Let us become Saints, Apostles, true Disciples of Jesus Christ!
Mother Maria dos Anjos Alves, pm
Feastday 2023
Happy Feast Day 2022
Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple
Beyond the event that can serve as a support to this feast,
Mary appears today as the Pure One,
the "perpetual spring of charity",
the "spiritual temple of the holy glory of Christ our God".
(Byzantine Liturgy)
Dear sisters from all over the PM world,
Dear members of the spiritual Family,
On this FEAST DAY, our joy bursts forth in honor of the VIRGIN MARY who is given to us as our MOTHER and GUARDIAN.
We let our hearts flow into her maternal heart by entrusting to her our joys and sorrows as well as those of our sisters and brothers in humanity.
With MARY, let us live in our interior TEMPLE in order to find there the strength and the grace of God that continues to multiply its marvels.
With SAINT MARIE RIVIER, let us sing our gratitude to MARY, since she continues to watch over our personal and community history.
Mother Maria dos Anjos, pm,
Councilors and Castel Community
21 November 2022
HAPPY FEAST DAY MARIE RIVIER 2022
On February 3, 1838
after having closed Marie Rivier’s eyes, Sr. Marie, her Assistant, exclaimed:
« O Mother, in heaven,
do not abandon your daughters ;
LEAVE THEM YOUR SPIRIT! »
(Mourret, p. 393)
It is this same prayer that we want to repeat together on this February 3, 2022, the year in which we live the joy of the certainty of the canonization of MARIE RIVIER.
YES, may SAINT MARIE RIVIER give us her spirit: her ardent love for JESUS CHRIST, her faith in the power of prayer, her apostolic boldness, her compassion for all suffering.
May this spirit of holiness take root ever more deeply in our hearts so that we may be, everywhere and at all times the presence of JESUS CHRIST, attentive to the true needs of our contemporaries. C112
Happy Easter 2021!
Dear Sisters and all the Rivier Family,
Once again, we celebrate the joy of Easter! The empty tomb of Christ becomes the center of our rejoicing and the reason for our life. The risen Christ is the crucified Christ who triumphed over the power of death and offers life in abundance to every human being in our world and this, for all ages.
While our world continues to be immersed in the plight of the pandemic, and while, day after day, we see the graves of the victims increase, FAITH allows us to transform the gaze of our heart and contemplate LIFE that bursts forth from the empty tomb of Christ. Yes, with Mary Magdalene, joyful in the Lord, we can witness to our world: Christ Jesus, our hope, is risen! Alleluia!
To each of you, and to all the Rivier Family, I wish a Happy Easter!
Mother Maria dos Anjos Alves, pm
with the Councillors
and the community of Castel
MARIE RIVIER,
A WOMAN FOR OUR TIMES!
Dear Sisters
and the members of the Spiritual Family of Marie Rivier,
happy Feast Day of Marie Rivier
Together, let us celebrate,
in thanksgiving and praise,
THIS WOMAN with a heart of fire,
THIS WOMAN who invites us to live like her,
an ardent love for Jesus Christ,
faith in the power of prayer,
apostolic boldness,
and compassion for all suffering,
THIS WOMAN who invites us to follow in her footsteps
and be an “open Gospel“
in our world today!
Together, let us continue to ask with faith,
through the intercession of the Virgin Mary,
for the grace of her canonization
for the greater glory of God.
Together, let us live this day
in JOY and HOPE!
Mother MAria dos Anjos Alves, pm
Superior general
The members of the General Council and the community of Castel
Happy Feast of the Presentation of Mary, as we begin this Year of Thanksgiving!
Message
Very dear Sisters,
A new time is beginning for us, a time of gratitude, which we welcome with a gaze of love and goodwill. We want to live it with dynamism and creativity, with wisdom and openness of heart, overflowing with confidence and commitment!
Let us live the beauty of our consecrated life, the Lord is wonderful and so very good!
- Let us praise our God, thrice Holy, who is full of tenderness and mercy!
- Let us say to Jesus and the Virgin Mary how much we love our Foundress, Marie Rivier!
- Let us prepare with love, trust, and creativity for the 225th Anniversary of our Foundation!
From our lives, totally given, springs a song of praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving! Let us praise our God for the Virgin Mary, the Church, our world, Marie Rivier, our Congregation, our families …
Let us dare to look at our lives and at our daily realities with a positive gaze, one that is full of hope and mercy. Then, we will see God at work, despite appearances and the ambiguities of life.
Thanksgiving and praise is our song of hope and beauty! Despite all that is happening in our world, I invite you to spend this year in gratitude and blessing. May nobody ever end a day without giving thanks for someone or something!
Jesus admired the birds of the sky, the lilies of the field; he marveled at the faith of the people. Let us cultivate a pure and open heart, a simple heart whose gaze is clear and kind.
Marie Rivier tells us today: Every moment is a treasure in which God has placed an infinity of richness and eternal delights. Let us be persons of thanksgiving, let us become praise
May this Year of Thanksgiving bear fruits of joy, mercy, and peace for the greater glory of God and the happiness of all! Let us give thanks to the Lord!
Let us live this year with the Virgin Mary; she is a place of prayer for us, she turns us towards God, she draws the Spirit upon us… C 76. She is the model of our consecration. We are the daughters of Mary, called to live like her in a state of adoration and offering before God C 11.
Mère Maria dos Anjos Alves, pm
Superior General and the General Councillors
Castel Gandolfo, November 21, 2020
