From July 8 to 16, 2024, the meeting of junioras of the América Hispana province was held, with the participation of the junioras of Brazil São Paulo and Brazil Caxias do Sul, in the community of Mangomarca, Peru. With the motto: “HEARTS MOLDED BY THE LOVE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD.”
During these days, we were accompanied in prayer by the testimony of some young people who have given their lives for Christ: Carlos Acutis, Clare Crockett, Guido Vidal França Schäffer, Thérése Deshade Kapangala, Gianluca Firetti and Chiara Corbella.
At the beginning of our meeting, Sr. Mirina Ibarra suggested to us: “Let us not lose the step of God in our lives in this time of grace.” And this is how we lived it, sharing our vocational experiences, benefits and challenges on the first day, and then socializing the answers to the questions proposed as a summary of each day, or the different works proposed by the various speakers.
What enriched us was sharing life with each other, discovering in each one's path, common situations: wounds, dreams. She made us happy to see how the goodness of Jesus the Good Shepherd works our vulnerabilities and shapes our hearts through our docility and our communities, doing so much good differently. She also enriched us with the presence of Juniors Ana Paula and Gabriele, from the provinces of Brasil Caxias do Sul and Brasil São Paulo respectively. Their participation made us feel that, being part of different provinces, we are a family, the Congregation is our joy and we are united by the joy of being Pastorcitas.
She was accompanied by the psychologist Katherine Romero Llanos, who invited us to manage the inner world, the emotions, the feelings, recognizing them and making friends with each one of them to understand with more serenity that we are processual beings when discovering ourselves and the other. The speaker Cecilia Lozada García socialized us with living freedom with intelligence, developing a balanced affectivity to live with dignity and solid self-esteem. Sister Blanca Cely, odn, from her experience began from an anthropological basis, and then went deeper into the vows and invited us not to forget that we are human, that God counts on our clay. Therefore, it is necessary to become aware, listen and listen to each other, because in community I verify my vocation to walk humbly with our God, as the prophet Micah reminds us (6:8): “I ask you this, and only this: love with tenderness, act with justice, walk humbly with your God.”
We had spaces to let what we experienced during the day resonate in our hearts, making it life within us in moments of worship and community prayer, guided with questions to summarize the day or personal work.
During the meeting, we had a pilgrimage to the museum of the Santo Domingo convent, where the tombs of the Peruvian saints are located: San Martín de Porres and Santa Rosa de Lima. We were able to observe, reflect and have an intercultural moment enriched by the testimony of these saints who have given themselves among the poor, with an admirable ardor and fear of God, sharing from the simple, from the small.
We also took a trip to the Pachacamac Archaeological Sanctuary, located in the Lurín valley, one of the main historical places in Peru.
We have experienced how the love of the Good Shepherd becomes concrete, with gifts and details from the superior general, Sister. Aminta Sarmiento and the sisters of the council, to the sisters of each of our provinces and communities who pray for us, who have thought about the fraternal meeting and, especially, the community of Mangomarca that welcomed us, the postulants: Rocío, Wilmary , Lucía and Sister. Elsa Zavaleta, who have gone out of their way to make us feel good and make the best of this meeting. Also through the closeness of the Pauline family, such as the visit to the Daughters of Saint Paul before starting our meeting, a community neighboring us, the sisters motivated us to thank God for the faithfulness. Also with the Pauline Fathers who accompanied us in the celebration of the Eucharist and invited us to their home with simplicity, advising us not to forget where we come from and not to become attached to things in order to live poverty more freely.
On the last day we had the opportunity to think and express how we can, in a concrete project, continue our path, what we are committed to and how we can give continuity to this fraternal meeting. We ask the Good Shepherd to grant us the grace to treasure what we have received so that it is not just another experience and we continue walking, reconceiving our religious life.
Juniors of the Province Hispanic America
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