Otros artigos deste número | Versión en inglés | Versión en francés

In Memory of Sister Edward
Gros, Marie-Dominique (et al.)

Sister Marie-Dominique, NDS, Paris, June 5, 1998 (1)

Having lived and collaborated with Sr. Edward in Rome from 1964 to 1978, I write this in memory of her and of the decisive role she played in the “apostolic direction” taken by the Congregation during these years that were so important to Sion.

Ever since her novitiate with Mère Marie Alphonse in Paris in 1926-28, Sr. Edward had a profound love of the people of Israel. In 1951 she was elected to the General Council and came to live in Paris. In December 1962 she accepted to taking charge of the Centre for Israel that had recently been created in the Motherhouse in Paris. This was just after the first session of the Council, during which, contrary to the wishes of John XXIII, the question of the relations of the Church with Judaism was omitted, having been withdrawn from the agenda of this session by the Central Commission.

Sister Edward then stimulated and supported the contacts made with several bishops, in particular by Sr. Benedicta and Sister Magda, and the great work undertaken with theologians Kurt Hruby, Pastor Richard Molard, and Yves Congar, OP. They elaborated a Note which could serve as basis for the reflections of the Council, setting out two principles: i) the Jewish people are the Root-People of the Church; ii) the Jewish people today are closely associated with the Church in the accomplishment of God’s Plan.

At the beginning of the second session of the Council (October, 1963) this Note was given to some of the cardinals and bishops who had been previously contacted, some of whom held key posts in running the Council, such as Liénart (Lille), Veuillot (Paris), Villot (Lyon), Martin (Rouen), Garrone (Toulouse). It was also given to some of the experts: Y. Congar, R. Laurentin, H. Denis, H. Cazelles and others. During this session Cardinal Béa presented the Council with a fine text entitled: “On the relation between Christians and non-Christians, principally the Jews.” Violent opposition to this text broke out immediately, coming both from the “conservatives” and from the Patriarchs and Bishops of the Middle East, who feared that Christians living in Arab states would be endangered by this act of the Council, interpreted as giving support to the State of Israel.

During the two years that this campaign lasted Sr. Edward, together with the Sion General Council, did her utmost to assure the best possible collaboration of Sion with those who supported the efforts of Cardinal Béa. Finally, on October 28, 1965 at the fourth and last session of the Council, Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions) was affirmed by vote. The promulgation of this Declaration was a great joy to Sion.

A few days later, in November 1965, two meetings were successively held in Rome in the house of the Dutch Sisters of Bethany on the Piazza Navona. These meetings brought together some of the Fathers of the Council: among others, Bishop Elchinger (Strasbourg), Bishop Holland (Salford, England), Bishop Leipzig (Baker, Oregon, USA) – and experts including: Mgr Ramselaar and Cornelius Rijk from Holland, Fr. Eckert O.P. from Cologne, Bruno Hussar, René Laurentin. They had all fought for the success of the Declaration and wanted to reflect on what was to follow this act of the Council. Bruno Hussar suggested inviting two Sisters of Sion. I went to the first meeting with Sr. Magda, and to the second with Sister Edward. In conclusion the group requested that the Congregation of Sion to create a structure which would, on the one hand, provide information on the implementation of Nostra Aetate throughout the world, and on the other, would itself work towards this implementation.

Sister Edward, deeply aware of her limits, but convinced that Sion should respond to this request coming from the Church, bravely accepted to take on the foundation of this “Service” which, at first sight, did not appear to have any clear means of action. She knew that she could count on the support and competence of Fr. Rijk, whom Cardinal Béa had just appointed Secretary of the new office responsible for relations between the Church and Judaism, within the Secretariat for Christian Unity.

So it was that, at the end of 1965, SIDIC was born (Service International de Documentation Judéo-Chrétienne), in which Sr. Edward worked for over ten years in collaboration with Fr. Rijk. From 1970, when she was no longer part of the General Council, Sr. Edward was able to give all her time to SIDIC. It was then that SIDIC was transferred from the generalate house to better situated and more spacious buildings in via del Plebiscito. A new community was formed there around Sr. Edward.

In all simplicity, she took her share in the various tasks of the house, always ready to render service, whether to prepare the meal, welcome visitors, or to stimulate research, encourage work, or reflect on a project. Throughout her ten years in Rome, we saw her even-tempered, welcoming, full of humour, and forging links of deep friendship. Very reserved with regard to her personal life, she spoke little, but was always ready to listen, and to trust others. Her authority came across as it were naturally: she saw what needed to be done, and said it, and it became obvious that it should be done. She was constantly concerned with the formation of sisters for the future, for she was always looking ahead; with her there was no stopping. She upheld us all by the strength of her convictions and by the example of her life totally given to her Lord, the God of the bible and of history, to whom she gave all.



Franca Ciccòlo Fabris, Rome, September 18, 1998(2)


Tall, a mass of grey hair swept back from her face, an aristocratic bearing from another period, her dignified, almost severe expression softened by a gentle and attentive glance: this is the image of Sister Edward which my memory retains.

She had been invited to our cottage near Lake Como by my husband Renzo, who had met her several times at meetings of the SIDIC Association. He had been one of the founding members and was, at that time, its president. She was amazed by the beauty of the panorama: the summits of the Grigne range mirrored in the water, the little hamlets along the shore, and the lush green of the surrounding woods. She immediately fell in love with the garden around the house, a rock garden, terraced and rough, where it was (and is) difficult to keep down the weeds. One morning, after a violent thunderstorm during the night which had cleared the air and highlighted every contour, she announced that it was the best moment to clear the path of weeds, and immediately set to work. Emmanuele and Mattia, our three- and four-year-olds, watched her with a mixture of curiosity and awe, having sensed that she did not always approve of their childish whims!

One day I asked her advice about Elena, a fifteen-year-old girl who had recently been confided to our care, and who had a real aversion to anything religious. Sister Edward made a suggestion which ever since, in various circumstances, has continued to be a “light” for our family life. “Try,” she said, “reciting a prayer before each meal, a simple reflection by one or other of you, that will draw attention back to the Lord of life and express thanks.” Today Elena has a twelve-year-old son who, when we have a meal together, waits expectantly and intently for the prayer!

Dear Sister Edward, I miss your affectionate greetings at Christmas and Easter which kept us close even when we had not seen each other for years. But I know, I believe, that in ways only the Spirit of God knows, you - like Renzo - remain always present among us.



Piet van Boxel, London, September 22, 1998(3)


To the many who visited SIDIC in the via del Plebiscito, Sister Edward was always the welcoming hostess. For those who worked at SIDIC, she was an indefatigable support and a continuous inspiration, almost identifying herself with SIDIC. She was not a theologian by profession nor trained in Jewish studies; nor was she familiar with all the data of the often dark history of Jewish-Christian relations. Nevertheless, she was the unparalleled advocate of Jewish-Christian relations, with an innate feeling for essential and sensitive aspects of the dialogue. Nobody, neither Jew nor Christian has ever shown any suspicion about her motives.

Those who worked with her over the years have probably never asked themselves why she devoted her life to this mission of Jewish-Christian dialogue. At least I never did. Her dedication was natural and something that goes without saying. Only after her death during the funeral service did I ask myself about the origin of her passionate love for SIDIC. Listening to the many good things which were said about her we were given one all-embracing image: Edward was a righteous woman. This must have been the reason for her passionate commitment to Jewish-Christian dialogue. For her righteousness included and presupposed that no injustice was done to anybody. Loyal to the Church and faithful to her Christian tradition, she was aware of the ideological oppression by which people inside and outside the Church had suffered and still did.

Being asked by the General Council of the Sisters of Sion to begin a centre for the promotion of Jewish-Christian encounter, Sister Edward must have conceived this as her way of doing justice to the Jewish people who had severely suffered from Christian ideology. By combatting this ideology, she became a friend of Jews and Christians and a guide in Jewish-Christian dialogue. For all those who were and are involved in this encounter, Christians as well as Jews, Sister Edward was one of the righteous of the world.
Zikhrona livrakhah, let her memory be a blessing.



Elèna Mortara Di Veroli,
Rome, September 28, 1998(4)

I began frequenting the SIDIC Centre around 1970, just after I had begun translating the works of Abraham Joshua Heschel into Italian, during the period of my initial research into American-Jewish literature. The SIDIC library was always a welcome port of call for a Jew like myself looking for material in English on Jewish themes. The calm, friendly atmosphere of the place communicated an openness to dialogue and collaboration. There, at the SIDIC offices on via del Plebiscito, I came to know Mother Edward - for so I called her, as I think the Sisters of Sion did too. She was the soul of SIDIC during that period, the constant presence, the reference point. At her side in guiding the SIDIC Centre was Father Cornelis Rijk, another great figure in the building of relations between Christians and Jews. He was the political heart of the Centre, a great promoter of cultural initiatives. It was he who invited me to give one of my first lectures in my area of research. But the constant presence was Sister Edward. She was the welcome at the door - a tall slender person, slightly stooped - ready to listen and to help. She was always available and ready to surmount any practical difficulty in order to solve a problem. It was in this way that I continued to meet her at the Centre where she both lived and worked. Near the end of her stay in Rome she moved her residence to the Sion generalate on the Janiculum hill, to which I once gave her a ride in my car at the end of the day. I learned that she was about to return to her native England, and I was sorry, because it would mean my losing both a friend and a reference point. I had a real affection for her. Today, the awareness of her absence is even stronger. She worked effectively throughout her life, creating friendly relations and innovative structures which continue to help overcome the centuries-old prejudices which have so marked our history. May her memory truly be a benediction.


_________________

1. This tribute has been translated from French.
2. This tribute has been translated from Italian
3. Dr. Piet van Boxel, who is now librarian at Leo Baeck in London, was member of the SIDIC staff, 1975-1981.
4. This tribute has been translated from Italian