The Superior General of the Daughters of Jesus, Graciela Francovig, has once again contacted all the sisters of the Congregation through her Letter No. 48.
From the General House in Rome, at this time of changes in the General Government, Graciela shares with simplicity, gratitude and depth what is being experienced at this time.
Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
In a special way, the letter dedicates space to the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a solemnity that reminds us of God’s immense love for humanity, manifested in the person of Jesus.
On the occasion of this celebration, Graciela expresses with joy:
“Very happy Sacred Heart of Jesus Day!”
June 27, 2025
And she joins the whole Church in celebrating and contemplating that Heart that continues to beat with love and mercy for each person.
Sustaining Words: Pope Francis and the Heart of Jesus
In her letter, the Superior General takes a beautiful excerpt from the encyclical Dilexit nos of Pope Francis, reminding us of the trusting tenderness of Jesus towards each one of us:
“He whispers in our ear, ‘Be confident, son’; ‘Be confident, daughter.’ ‘ It’s about overcoming fear and realizing that with Him we have nothing to lose.”
And it also reminds us:
“Fear not. Let Him come near, let Him sit by your side. We may doubt many people, but not Him.”
That same Jesus is waiting for us to give him space to illuminate our existence, to lift us up and fill us with his strength, like the one he promised:
“I will not leave you orphans, I will come back to you.” (Jn. 14:18)
The image of the Good Shepherd
The letter also invites us to contemplate on this day the image that the liturgy proposes: the shepherd who cares for his flock, who does not abandon, who goes out to seek, who goes out of his way for each sheep.
Jesus is like that:
“Merciful love that loves us in every circumstance: in loneliness, suffering, failure, even in sin. Nothing can break the love that Christ has for us.”
To let oneself be loved and to love
Graciela encourages us to let ourselves be flooded by that love. To feel loved in order to be able, from that experience, to love others as Jesus loved them:
Let us allow God’s love to flood our lives. May we feel loved by him so that we can love others as he loved them, giving life so that others may have it in abundance, caring for the dignity of every human being: that of my sister who is next to me in the community and that of the one who is alone, homeless, immigrant or displaced or living a deep loneliness or a meaningless life. With them we want to continue to be Jesus by loving others. May Jesus, under whose devotion we welcome ourselves today, obtain for us this grace, that of allowing ourselves to be loved and to love others.
And it reminds us that, with them and from there, we want to continue to be Jesus who loves.
With this self-giving love, the Daughters of Jesus are sent on mission. One of the necessary services is that of government.
Next, in her letter, Graciela communicates the appointments she has made to the service of provincial government of Spain-Italy, of the Indian Pacific, for Mistress of Novices of the Chinese Novitiate in Manila and a fourth provincial councilor in East Asia.
He also shared that the sisters Thelma Barbarona and Sonia Regina Rosa have already returned to their Provinces. Little by little they are preparing for the new general government to begin the work of the six-year term.
Prayer for Peace
To conclude her letter, Graciela makes a plea:
“I would like to ask that we unite intensely in prayer for peace: may the Lord help us to live in peace as humanity and among ourselves. We are living in difficult times and many people, our sisters, are suffering because of it. Lord, obtain for us peace as your gift!”
A message that keeps on beating
This letter, written around the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, reminds us that his love is the source that sustains our mission and our community life. And that in times of difficulty, that Heart remains open, welcoming, healing and sending.
May this grace, that of allowing ourselves to love and to love others, accompany us also today.
