Chronicle 1 of the General Team’s visit to the Province of Vedrun-America

General Team | Peru | Vedrunamerica

Between February and April 2025, Sisters Maria Teresa Cuervo and Maggie D’Costa travel on behalf of the General Team to the Province of Vedrun-America.

Below we share the first chronicle of their trip, between February 12 and 21, 2025, which they spent in Lima, Peru, to celebrate the Assembly of the Province. There they also visited the Ermitaño neighborhood, north of Lima, where the provincial house is located.

The journey began on February 13, 2025, when we met at the Vedruna house in Lima with all the sisters who participated in the Assembly the following day. The sister delegate from Peru welcomed us with a greeting full of affection, reminding us that we were in the house of all. It is a house that has very beautiful gardens, many flowers and the joyful singing of many birds; even being in the city it is a quiet place.

Provincial Assembly of Vedrun-America

We had the presence of 16 sisters, both delegates from the countries and sisters belonging to the Administration and Management team. In addition, the mission teams joined us and were able to participate virtually.
We share with:

H. Mirta Victoria Paoletti Oyón, from Argentina
H. Clara Schlinckmann, from Brazil
H. Flor María Garrido Lara, from Chile
H. Patricia Milena Osorno Zuluaga, from Colombia
H. Camila Haidée De Jesús De los Santos, from Haiti
H. Amparo Esperanza Silva Alfonso, from Cuba
H. Cecilia De la Cruz Matos, of Dominican Republic
H. Rubelia Reto Ruiz, from Peru
H. Carmen Alicia Figuera Hernández, from Venezuela

We were also joined by Sister Provincial Alicia Inés Zanichelli Lione, the Provincial Team Consultants Br. Marita Garcés Sócola, from Peru, and Br. Marisol Sánchez Páez, from the Dominican Republic; as well as Noeli Maria Massoni, Provincial Bursar, and Melania Silva from the administration and management team.

Sisters Maureen Foltz and Carmen Migdalia Soto from the United States and province secretary Trina de Jesus Hernandez participated in virtually the entire assembly.

The objective of the Assembly was to look back with gratitude, to continue maturing our awareness that we are a province and to continue moving towards the path that will ensure the sustainability of life in mission in Vedrun America. The Eucharist was presided by Edgar, a priest very close to our religious family in Lima.

On the first day, we began as usual with a prayer, this time together with a reflection on the theme of hope, since the motto of the Assembly is “Hope opens new paths”.

We organized ourselves into four work groups: Hope, Certainty, Promise and Confidence. Each group contributed its creativity, which in the flexibility and richness of the spaces of the house has a place to flourish: for example, the garden, chapel, etc., favor the days, although intense, are rewarding.

Then there was a historical review of the last 50 years of the life of Vedrun America and its process of renewal since Chapter XXV. It was gratifying to discover and verify the small and significant steps in the path of renewal of the Religious Life, and the journey in and with the Church. The 13 years of the Vedrun-America Province were highlighted with a grateful heart .

There was also a work of dialogue, reflection and prayer with the sisters delegates from the countries, in which they shared about the current reality of the province, its richness, challenges and difficulties. The work of the groups identified the coincidences with the axes of the Provincial project.

The mission animation teams presented, in a virtual meeting, their strategic plan. The contribution of the laity is important and they expressed their gratitude for the trust we have placed in them by inviting them to be part of the Province’s mission teams.

There was also a socialization of the work prepared by the communities, of the first two chapters of the Chapter Document, “Born Again”:“Towards an integral and ecological spirituality” and “The art of encounter”. Maggie and Maria Teresa accompanied the deepening of chapter seven, “Structures that sustain life in mission”.

Finally, we shared with the formator community from Campinas, Brazil: the formator sisters Marilei Freo Socorro Socorro Vieira Marilene and the formandas, Angie, Colombia and Junia, pre-novices from Brazil, and Karen Jaramillo novice, Colombian. After introducing themselves, they shared with us their program and budget for the year 2025. They shared with us their joy and appreciation of the journey they are making as an intercultural and intergenerational group. They also shared their experiences in learning the Spanish language.

Training spaces

During the Assembly we also had two virtual training sessions, which were very enriching.

Simon Peter Arnold, a Benedictine priest, worked with us on the text of John 6:1-14, on the anti-miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. He invited us, after a reading of reality, not to remain in the doing, because it leads to and feeds melancholy. In his reflection, he said to us:

In this night without stars, it is important to raise the horizon, to raise the action of modest attempts, to have the possibility of making mistakes and to take up the Gospel again. There is still the proposal of the Gospel.

This horizon is now synodality: it is the inspiring utopia, it is the only way. This Jubilee Year of the Holy Door, we pass through the door not to find gifts, but a logic of hope and sharing, not accumulation.

On the other hand, we had Daniela Cannavina, Capuchin Sister of Mother Rubatto and secretary of CLAR. She shared with us two topics: the commitment in the mission – Charismatic Family, and the methodology “Conversation in the Spirit”. In her reflection, she invited us to assume an alternative and prophetic way of working together as a Church and as a Congregation. What church do we dream of and how to respond from our Charism? We want a church of the poor, inclusive, hospitable, prophetic. A Church that responds to the signs of the times and awakens hope.

El Ermitaño Community

We visited this suburb of Lima, where the provincial house is located. The sisters of the Provincial Team, in addition to the service of animation of the province, accompany the youth and are part of the Pastoral Council team of the parish.

It was very nice to be with and share in the times of rest and meals with the elderly and/or sick sisters of the Vedruna Community of Pueblo Libre: Rubelia Reto Ruiz (Delegate of Peru), Irma Adrianzén Vargas, Enith Consuelo Aguilar Portocarrero, Elena Amorós Sagarra, Olga Bayona Loro, Lidia Magdalena Castro Trelles, Irma Victoria Luy Pintado and Mª del Pilar Rodríguez Rodríguez.

During our visit to the neighborhood, we also exchanged greetings with some of the neighbors, to whom we are very fond of. In the short time of the visit, we were also able to visit the local market, and we had a recreational outing to Las Aguas Park, in the same city of Lima.

Some aspects that caught our attention during these days were:

The organization of the Ermitaño market. It is original, because of the way the products are arranged and placed. There are no freezers for the meats, but they are hung on hooks and buyers can choose more closely what suits them.
Informal work is very characteristic of Peru: the day people do not go out on the street to sell, there is no income for the families. Typical are the canchita vendors, which depending on the country has a different name: popcorn, cabritas, cotufas, pira corn…
During our visit to the water park, we were struck by the number of families enjoying the greenery, the water, the little train, the jokes and the candy.
We were able to celebrate three birthdays: those of Sisters Irma Lui, who turned 87, Melania who turned 50 and the 103rd birthday of Elena Amoros: she is the eldest sister of the Province! We were especially struck by the visits and congratulations received by Sr. Elena, who was very happy and attentive to the toast and details that were offered to her. Of course we enjoyed her company at lunch.