From May 15 – 19, 2026, sisters from the Provinces of Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia-Venezuela, and Central America gathered in Cumbayá, Ecuador, for an important meeting on the journey towards regionalization. The meeting brought together the Northern Region Committee, which is accompanying the implementation of the new governance structure; the First Regional Chapter Planning Committee; and the province leaders of the four Provinces that will form the new Region.

The days together offered time for formation, conversation, relationship-building, discernment, and shared work — creating a space to look honestly and hopefully at what it means to leave behind familiar provincial structures and begin imagining a new way of walking together as a single Region with the same mission.

Participants also reflected on what can be strengthened when these experiences are brought together: shared learning, wider collaboration, stronger networks, and a greater capacity to respond to the needs of girls, women, children, and their families and communities across the Region.

This gathering formed part of the preparation for the First Regional Chapter of North Latin America and the Caribbean, whose theme is: “Reborn in the Spirit, we walk in synodality towards transformation.” This theme reflects the heart of the process: a call to be renewed, to listen deeply, and to build a Region able to respond more clearly and effectively to the needs of the mission.

Regionalization is not only a structural change — it is a true movement of the Spirit, breaking down borders, unifying efforts, strengthening leadership, and encouraging the full engagement of partners-in-mission. It helps ensure that zeal for justice and reconciliation continues to bear fruit in every corner of this land.

The path ahead will require openness, flexibility, and courage. It will also require respect for the history of each Province and a willingness to let something new emerge. The May meeting in Cumbayá was an important step in that direction: a sign that the Region is already learning to walk together, with a common horizon and a renewed commitment to the Good Shepherd mission.

As the Region prepares for the Chapter, this whole journey is a source of hope. Something new is taking shape — not apart from the mission, but for the sake of it — so that the charism of Saint John Eudes and Saint Mary Euphrasia may continue to bear fruit in today’s realities.