In her letter number 32, Graciela also tells us about her last canonical visits and gives us a preview of her next trip .
At the end of July, she landed in Vietnam accompanied by the advisor Sônia Regina She visited this country for the first time, where we have been present as a Congregation since 2012.
Vietnam was a lot of novelty and surprise for Sônia Regina Rosa who accompanied me, and for me. A welcoming people from the moment we arrived at the airport. A very young congregational reality: we have two houses, one with aspirants and the other with only juniors. The younger sisters express dreams, illusions, desires to know about the rest of the Congregation, to belong more and to expand. It was very enriching to meet them and listen to them. There are currently nine juniors, two aspirants and two perpetuals.
After the visit they have started a new foundation in another city, near the capital of the country. The Superior, H. Agnes Ma Inés Ma, will go to her with only two junior sisters when she is in Vietnam.
As for the country, one can perceive a people who have suffered many wars. The union of North and South Vietnam is very recent and one can see the effects it has on the population even today. A people who can express their faith and in which different religions coexist without much difficulty.
From August 2 to 17, Graciela completed the second part of her visit to the Philippines .
I was accompanied by Maria Teresa Pinto . As on other occasions, I visited our houses, works and apostolic presences on the islands of Cebu and Mindanao. Previously, the Tahanan infirmary in Manila. It is very interesting to see how these sisters live social and geographical universalism in the same country. I was very pleased to see the presence of the laity and with what enthusiasm and excitement they live the charism of our Foundress and the mission. We enjoyed Cebu and Davao, with the sisters and in the educational works. There coincided the celebration of M. Candida Day. Candida Day.
I was moved to tears when in El Salvador I was able to listen to the women, mothers of families, visit their homes, which they now have because they were built with the efforts of some Daughters of Jesus. The previous ones were so precarious that they did not allow a dignified life and the rains and other atmospheric phenomena were a constant threat. The creativity of our sisters encouraged them to seek money from non-governmental organizations in order to build new ones. Thirty-six families benefited. For me, it was so moving to see how the dignity of the person has been cared for and how they experience it now that together we constructed that expression: “Tears of suffer are now tears of joy”. Blessed be God for this.
I learned a lot in the infirmary in the Philippines. I didn’t think I could hear from one of the sisters that “we have so many things to do that we don’t have enough time in the day….”. The formation, the experience of the liturgy, the gymnastics classes, the care of those who are in bed, doing things for others, such as work for the hospitals, welcoming people who visit them, make their life a permanent formation and open to the needs of others. For me it was a real learning experience for our life. Thank you, dear sisters of Tahanan!
To end the year, Graciela will travel to Brazil in December with Councilors Sônia Regina Rosa, Thelma Barbarona and Maria Teresa Pinto. Sônia Regina Rosa, Thelma Barbarona and Maria Teresa Pinto. There they will have a meeting with the provincial governments of Latin America and Brazil-Caribbean, at Casa Santísima Trinidad, from December 4 to 9.
