May 22, the day on which the Church celebrates St. Joaquina de Vedruna, was an occasion of encounter, living memory and missionary commitment in different communities of our Vedrun-America province, united by the same spirit that animated our foundress almost two centuries ago.
This year, the commemoration takes on a special nuance: we are on the way to the Bicentenary of the Vedruna Congregation, which we will celebrate in 2026. Under this horizon, the celebrations in our continent were marked by significant gestures of family, shared faith and option for the common good, which express the Vedruna charism in a contemporary key.
Brazil
In Campinas, the vegetable garden of the Vedruna Center was revitalized with the presence of Alicia Zanichelli – from the Provincial Team – and the participation of children, sisters and the local community, in a concrete gesture of love for creation and commitment to life. Also there, the Novitiate of Vedrun-America joyfully celebrated our saint, deepening her legacy and vocation.
Venezuela
In Caracas, St. Peter’s Church received the family of Colegio El Carmelo in a mass where the different facets of Joaquina’s life were reviewed, inspiring a deep reflection on her legacy.
Chile
In Huilco, the community of the Chapel of Saint Joaquina lived with fervor the traditional novena, animated by the laity of “Huellas de Joaquina”, culminating with a Eucharist that reaffirmed the links between history and the present, faith and mission.
The Vedruna San Felipe School shared games, artistic expressions and an emotional mass in the Cathedral, where members of the educational community were recognized for their 25 years of service. The Student Center also paid tribute to the Sisters with gratitude.
Cuba
In the communities of Aguada de Pasajeros and Covadonga, Joaquina was an inspiration to rediscover the value of family love and daily service. There, her figure was celebrated as a woman who, even today, teaches to “love without measure” and to find Jesus in the simple and the everyday.
Argentina
The Kindergarten of Nuestra Señora del Carmen School in Suipacha began the pilgrimage of the image of Joaquina through the rooms of the youngest children, involving families, educators and children in an intimate experience of shared faith. A family celebration in the chapel and the transfer of the image to the primary level continued this experience. As is now a tradition, a hot chocolate was shared among families, teachers and students, strengthening the fraternal atmosphere and the community spirit that characterizes the Vedruna school life.
At Colegio Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón (Cramer, Buenos Aires), the entire student body gathered in the large courtyard of the institution for a joint celebration of faith and charism, similar to what took place at Colegio Niño Jesús de Praga (Carcarañá, Santa Fe), where a Mass was celebrated and a colorful and joyful day was spent with the children, who recognized Joaquina’s legacy as a call to sow hope.
Peru
From the Peruvian jungle also came the voice of celebration. The communities of San Juan and a hamlet of a tributary of the Ucayali River, lived May 22 with simple but deeply meaningful celebrations. In an atmosphere of living faith, the families asked for Joaquina’s visit to their homes, and together they prayed, sang and gave thanks for the 25 years of Vedruna presence in these rivers and villages. They asked that the life of Joaquina continue watering those lands, sowing charism and -why not? – future vocations.
Uruguay
At the Colegio y Liceo Sagrado Corazón Vedruna of Montevideo, a Eucharist was celebrated centered on the call to “do good”, as Joaquina did, always attentive to the needs of the world.
Every gesture, every celebration, was an expression of a living Congregation, going out, with the face of a family, which recognizes itself as part of the same body and celebrates the spiritual heritage of Joaquina de Vedruna. We prepare ourselves for the Bicentenary recognizing that communion, grateful memory and daily commitment to the most needy are part of our identity. Saint Joaquina continues to walk with us: her life and example nourish our communities, strengthen fraternal bonds and encourage us to continue embracing the needs of all, with hope, creativity and commitment.
“The Bicentennial is envisioned as a feast of shared faithfulness, sown on good soil.”
Francisco Jauregui, Vedrun America Province Communication Team
