Today we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. This feast is known by various titles in different countries and places, but it helps us to fix our eyes on her as the woman who allowed herself to be shaped by God and, through her “yes,” gave us the gift of salvation. It is a date that the Congregation has chosen to mark a significant change in the General Secretariat.
New Secretary-General
In Circular Letter No. 54, our Superior General, Graciela Francovig, announced the following:
Over the past four years, Sister Gloria Albiac has served as general secretary, a role she has fulfilled with efficiency and responsibility. At this time, we see the need for her to rejoin her province within a local community. That is why, after much consultation and discernment, I have appointed Sister María del Carmen Jiménez Correa as Secretary General.
I am grateful for María del Carmen’s willingness to join us, as well as that of her provincial, since she was already a member of América Andina. Life in the congregation unfolds in this way: sometimes involving great sacrifices and difficult decisions, but always with the certainty that we are pursuing the greater good.
I’m sure María del Carmen will be able to carry out her duties as secretary while balancing them with her communications work. She will undoubtedly be a great asset to the general government.
I would like to thank Gloria for her dedication to the greater good of the universal body through her role as secretary general and for the support she has provided us.
A start supported by the community
On this day, the community at the Curia in Rome wished to mark this special occasion with a simple yet meaningful gesture. During the Offertory of the communal Eucharist, Gloria presented Mari Carmen with the Secretary’s Manual as a symbol of the role she is assuming within the Congregation as of today.
The reflection at this moment highlighted how a Daughter of Jesus lives out her willingness to serve: “Our life is dedicated to service within the entire body of our family, and occasions like this help us remember that and renew our willingness to be wherever and in whatever role we are needed. So Gloria is being sent to Catalonia, and Mari Carmen has come from Argentina.”
Memory and Hands
According to our Constitutions, the general secretary works closely with the Superior General, “Serving as her memory and hands in matters to be written and addressed, she shall assist her in everything she wishes to entrust to her, for the good of the Congregation, bearing in mind that, in a certain sense, even without formal authority, she bears the full weight of her office upon herself. The Secretary shall be responsible for preparing the agenda for the meetings between the Superior General and her Councilors and for drafting the minutes of those meetings; she shall also handle correspondence and other communications with the Congregation and with individuals or organizations associated with it.” (CFI 298).
Furthermore, regarding the qualities of a general secretary, our Constitutions (CFI 299) state that “she must be attentive, discreet, and as well-educated as possible; possess the ability to communicate verbally and in writing when necessary, adapting to different people and circumstances and conforming to local customs and practices. Above all, she must be a trustworthy person, discreet in the matters entrusted to her; one who knows and loves the Congregation, so that the Superior General may better count on her assistance, for the glory of God.”
Mary’s “Yes”: A Commitment for Today
The Nativity of Mary reminds us that every great act of self-giving has a simple, almost silent beginning: before the “Fiat” of the Annunciation, there was a birth that already carried the seed of that “yes.” We recognize something similar in this handover: the openness of M. del Carmen and the Andean American Province. This openness, so characteristic of us, is not blind; it is heartfelt, free, and responsible. It is, moreover, a constant readiness—that of one who lives always prepared for the good entrusted to her. Being the Superior General’s “memory and hands” is, at its core, just another way of saying yes to the good of the congregation.
Throughout this month of September, Gloria and María del Carmen are working together to ensure that the transition from one role to another proceeds with the calm and continuity that this service requires. Thank you, Gloria, for these years of dedication. Welcome, María del Carmen, to this new journey that begins today, on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary; you have our prayers.
