In the first part of this series of testimonies we recalledthe initial journey of St. Candida and the first Daughters of Jesus, and listened to the voices of those who began their journey as postulants, novices and juniors.
Now we want to deepen the experience of those who have said their “forever” and made their perpetual vows, maintaining their fidelity over the years. These are sisters of different ages, cultures and times of incorporation into the Congregation.
We asked them what it means for them to live their perpetual vows today, how this consecration gives them meaning and strength for the mission, and what they discover about God’s call in their daily lives. Their words show us that the “forever” remains current, fruitful and full of hope.
Esther Sanz, Spain.
“For me, making my perpetual vows was a great, great joy. It was to feel that my story was now forever joined with my deepest desire, with my call from within, God’s call to be who I am: daughter and sister.”
Teresita Tsai, Taiwan.
“To make perpetual vows, for me, is to belong eternally to God, to belong to the Daughters of Jesus! When I say “yes”, I want to answer God’s call as one of the Daughters of Jesus, I say it with greater certainty, with greater fullness. Moreover, my longing becomes a reality through the acceptance of the Congregation, practiced together with my sisters within the Congregation.”
Anna Nguyen, Vietnam
“For me, the final vows were a special and deeply moving moment. They made me understand deeply that God loved me and was calling me. In these vows, I gave everything so that, by belonging to the Congregation, I could belong more fully to Christ. Responding to this vocation was not easy and required a lot of courage, but deep down, I felt at peace and certain that God would always be with me.”
María Jesús Esnal, Spain
“I made my perpetual vows at the age of 27, choosing the day of the anniversary of my baptism. I lived it with great enthusiasm because of all the meaning it had for me to publicly express the desire to “live forever the following of Jesus” in the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus. The missionary sense of my life had been very much internalized in me since I was a teenager and in our Congregation I felt that I could live it”.
Rosario Marina, Argentina
“What it meant for me to make perpetual vows in the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus was to generously give a definitive yes to Jesus and the extension of His Kingdom, from this charism, with my gifts and poverty, trusting in Him and the protection of our Immaculate Mother.”
These testimonies remind us that the “forever” of St. Candida and the first Daughters of Jesus continues to echo in the life of every sister today. Their words are a sign that God’s fidelity continues to sustain our dedication and that the mission is renewed in every generation.
It is a good opportunity for us as Daughters of Jesus to ask ourselves: What does it mean to make perpetual vows, and also for the lay people with whom we share the mission: What does it mean for a person close to you to make perpetual vows as a Daughter of Jesus?
As Mother Candida Family, on this day we commit our trusting prayer for the fidelity of vocations.
