Salamanca, the place of our origins and a living memorial to Mother Cándida, has hosted the canonical visit of our Superior General, Graciela Francovig, fi, accompanied by General Councilor Iris Altagracia, fi.
These have been peaceful days, marked by personal encounters, conversations, prayer, and sharing in daily life. It was an opportunity to gain insight into the sisters’ lives, listen to their experiences, and give thanks together for the gift of their vocation and the joy of continuing to be Daughters of Jesus.
The visit included the communities of Mostenses, Santa Cándida, and Montellano-Garrido, as well as the various educational and apostolic ministries that keep Mother Cándida’s charism alive in the city.
Sharing life, listening, and walking alongside others
During her first few days in the Mostenses and Madre Cándida communities, Graciela was able to meet the sisters in person and share with them in prayer, recreation, meals, and the simplicity of everyday life.
These are communities where many sisters, after so many years of consecrated life and self-giving, continue to generously offer their lives. In these communities, everyday life becomes a space for presence, sisterhood, and faithfulness.
The visit was also an opportunity to listen to the vibrant spirit of each community, to hear their concerns, and to acknowledge the quiet dedication of so many sisters who continue to make the love of Jesus present through the small yet profound aspects of our charism.
Sacred Heart School: Nurturing Life from an Early Age
Graciela’s visit to Salamanca included a stop at the Sagrado Corazón School. There, she greeted the principal and the faculty, and also spoke with the administrative team and teachers who have extensive experience in teaching, pastoral care, and school administration.
One particularly heartwarming moment was meeting the youngest children—the students in the first cycle of early childhood education, who are just one and two years old and are beginning their educational journey at our school.
A visit that allows us to recognize the life that grows every day in our educational institutions and the mission to accompany, educate, and care for each person from their very first steps.
Montellano-Garrido: A Presence That Accompanies and Sustains So Much Life
The visit to the Montellano-Garrido community provided an opportunity to learn more about the mission the sisters carry out from their two houses, one in Montellano and the other in the Garrido neighborhood.
In Montellano, the community preserves its history and congregational roots while supporting the lives of the 96 young women at the Montellano College for Women. Its presence also extends to classes at the Sagrado Corazón School, youth ministry, and the Talita Project.
In Garrido, life is lived in close-knit communities and parishes. The sisters, living among the people, share in daily life and support efforts that build genuine networks of care, in collaboration with initiatives such as Ranquines and Caritas.
It is a small community, with just two houses, but one that accompanies and sustains so much life—a life woven through closeness, service, bonds, and the many spaces where our presence becomes a welcome, a source of care, and a part of history.
Casa Talita: Providing a Home and Support to Pave the Way for the Future
One of the highlights of the visit was the meeting with the team at Casa Talita, an inter-congregational project that provides shelter and support to vulnerable youth.
Graciela and Iris were able to tour the apartment and meet two of the young women living there, as well as talk with the team in charge—which includes our sister Mari Carmen Escalante, along with the Sisters of Consolation.
Casa Talita provides young people who, upon turning 18, must leave juvenile detention centers and have nowhere else to go with a safe place to live and support to help them begin their transition to adulthood.
A fraternal gathering with a universal spirit
The visit concluded with a gathering of the three communities in Salamanca on the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, together with the sisters in their final probation, who had just arrived to complete the Mother Candida Route experience.
The afternoon snack and dinner, preceded by a moment of prayer and the blessing of the table, provided an opportunity to share in the joy of the canonical visit and to celebrate the richness of the universality of the Congregation.
The presence of the young sisters in formation, who come from various countries—Brazil, the Middle East, the Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam—has made Mother Candida’s dream particularly evident: to reach the ends of the earth so that, in every age and place, we may become true Daughters of Jesus.
At that gathering, held on September 24, a Marian feast day, the anniversary of the vows of the first Daughters of Jesus—and of so many sisters who, throughout history, have dedicated their lives on this day—was also commemorated with joy and gratitude.
Together, they have entrusted to Mary the path that we have begun as a Congregation: the journey of deepening our sonship: “On the path toward the root of our vocation: TO BE DAUGHTERS.” For who better than Jesus to show us the way? By becoming like Him, just as a daughter is like her Father.
Thank you, Lord, for these days of fellowship, for the life we have shared, and for the joy of continuing to walk together as Daughters of Jesus.
