Today, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles, the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus is experiencing a day full of meaning. It is no coincidence that it is precisely on this date that two new provincial governments are beginning their work: that of Andean America and that of Brazil-Caribbean.
Mary Magdalene was the first to encounter the Risen One at the empty tomb, and from that encounter a mission was born: “Go and tell my brothers” (Jn 20:17). She did not keep this encounter to herself; she became a messenger, one who was sent, the first voice to bring the news of Life to the community. Today, in this same spirit, our sisters also receive a mission, which is to place themselves at the service of the Body, of the Congregation, and of each province entrusted to them.
A Time of Shared Discernment
In Circular Letter No. 54, our Superior General shared with us, among other things, the fruits of an intensive period of discernment experienced together with the general government—a process of listening, prayer, and mutual trust—which today has resulted in appointments and a mission.
Therefore, first and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for the willingness with which the sisters have embraced this mission. This willingness to serve is, in itself, a way of proclaiming the Risen One.
Gratitude to Those Who Are Completing Their Service
We cannot begin to look ahead without turning our gaze, with gratitude, toward those who today conclude their term as provincial superiors: Sr. Dayse Agretti and Sr. Sônia María Soares. Both have given the best of themselves, sparing no effort for the good of the Congregation. May the Holy Spirit—the same Spirit who sustained Mary Magdalene on Easter morning—fill their hearts with the serene joy of a service well done. Thanks also to their councilors, many of whom are concluding two three-year terms of quiet and faithful dedication.
New Provincial Governments
Provincial Government of Andean America:
● Provincial Superior: Sr. Rommy Sandra Villarroel Vargas
● First Councilor: Sister Ana Apolonia Mendoza López
● Second Councilor: Sister María Cecilia Martínez
● Third Council Member: Sister Asunción Hernández Mora
Provincial Government of Brasil-Caribe:
● Provincial Superior: Sr. Regina Célia de Oliveira
● First Councilor: Sister Leila Janaína Pereira da Silva
● Second Councilor: Sister Sônia Regina Rosa
● Third Council Member: Sister Gisélia Maria de Sousa
● Fourth Council Member: Sister Arisleida Rincón Puello
Both governments will begin their term on July 22, and the new provincial leaders will soon participate in the provincial meeting in Rome, a forum for gathering and fellowship with the rest of the Congregation.
Sent Out Like Mary Magdalene
Like Mary Magdalene in the garden, each of these sisters is entrusted today with a mission that does not arise from her own merit, but from a calling received in faith. The office of governance, like every form of service in the Church, is not a position of power but one of self-giving: to accompany, support, encourage, and discern—together with the sisters of each province—the path that the Spirit is opening up.
May this coincidence of dates serve as an invitation: may every provincial government, like Mary Magdalene at the tomb, recognize the Lord present in the midst of the community, and have the courage to proclaim him through their lives.
We accompany with our prayers the sisters who are beginning their service today, and we renew our gratitude toward those who are concluding it. The entire Congregation moves forward, once again, sustained by the faithfulness of so many sisters who, like the Apostle of the Apostles, never cease to proclaim that the Lord lives.
