With deep joy and family spirit, this Sunday 17th we celebrated in Celendín, Peru, the feast of St. Joaquina and the Bicentenary of the Vedruna Congregation, thanking God for the life and mission shared during these 44 years of presence in this beloved land.
The celebration began with a very participative Eucharist , lived together with the Vedruna Charismatic Family, lay people, ladies of the Santa Joaquina Workshop, the teachers’ choir, representatives of Christian groups and communities, as well as many friends who appreciate us and with whom we have walked along these years.
The celebration was marked by an atmosphere of closeness, gratitude and joy. The priest celebrant, who has known the Sisters since his childhood, shared a close and endearing homily, recalling with affection the simple and committed presence of the Congregation in the life of the people. At a special moment of the celebration, he called the Sisters to the altar to impart a special blessing, a gesture that deeply touched the gathered community.
During the offertory, four pairs of footprints were presented, each one accompanied by a value that symbolizes the heritage that the Congregation has left in the different realities where it has lived and served. These footprints represented the love, closeness, service and hope sown in so many hearts along the way.
At the end of the celebration, we shared with the participants a fraternal moment in the atrium of the church, where we offered chocolate with cake, thus prolonging the joy of the meeting and the gratitude for so many years of life dedicated to the service of the Gospel in these lands.
It was a simple day, full of meaning, grateful memory and renewed hope to continue walking together, leaving traces of life and fraternity.
Sr. María del Carmen Hernáncez, CCV
