23 May After 100 years, and still bearing fruit… The Andean Caribbean Province is born
It has taken three years to learn to walk together, to seek God’s will for our mission in the 4 countries. Today, May 18, Colombia, Cuba, Panama and Ecuador make up the new Andean Caribbean Province.
We feel it as a gift to be born today, the feast of St. Raphaela, and to experience that we continue to be born from the Heart of Jesus to bear fruit.
Little by little we gathered in Bogotá for this event, from Cuba came Sisters Ana and Eli, from Ecuador Clarita, Paulina, Magdalena, Rocío and Sandra; from Panama, Libya, Ismenia, Maria and Ivonne; from Medellín Neyla, Amalia, María Elena and together with the sisters of Bogotá we had in the morning prayer a space to make grateful memory of the path traveled as Provinces and to thank the Provincial Sisters who accompanied us in this process.
Around the altar table, the sisters gathered in person and virtually to celebrate the Eucharist presided over by Fr. Víctor Martínez SJ, where Sister Josefina Castillo read the decree of suppression of the Provinces of Colombia-Panama and the Province of Ecuador and the creation of the Andean Caribbean Province. Sister Adelaida Albendea read the patent appointing the new Provincial, Sister Sandra Padilla aci.
In the Eucharist we had a sign that continued to speak to us of hope, and that was the renewal of vows of two young sisters.
With a joyful heart we shared the table with those who accompanied us, family and some friends.
At the end of the day gathered together as at Pentecost, we ask for the gifts of the Spirit to encourage us on this journey, to renew our spiritual vitality and to commit us to walk together in the company of Mary. To symbolize this desire, the following day we made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Chiquinquirá.
