The first day of the visit of the Équipe de Leadership de Congrégation to the Province of Colombo-Venezuelan on April 8, 2026, began with a simple gesture: a heart with open doors.

During the Eucharist celebration, that symbol captured everything the sisters present hoped to live—a community open to God, to one another, and to the world. It was not just a welcome. It was an intention for the days ahead.

From those first moments, the journey became one of encounter. Conversations with elderly sisters and moments of quiet dialogue with Contemplative Sisters revealed a deep current of faith and fidelity—lives rooted in prayer, sustaining the mission in ways often unseen.

The following day, in Rionegro, the gathering expanded as sisters from the communities in Miraflores and San Juan Eudes also joined the gathering in Maria Droste Hall. Here, a simple but challenging question emerged: can we recognize new life emerging, even in the midst of pain, violence, and uncertainty? The invitation was clear—to walk together, to listen more deeply, and to remain open to transformation.

In the afternoon, a meeting took place with partners-in-mission in the María Droste community, where the CLT expressed gratitude for their dedication and essential role in the mission. The leadership team emphasized that all are co-responsible for advancing the charism of mercy and reconciliation.

Discussions explored vocations, current challenges, and the shared call to respond to the needs of the world. Participants reflected on how to extend their mission beyond the congregation into daily life, becoming living signs of vocation and commitment.

The day concluded with artistic performances featuring dance from different regions of the province.

Then the journey moved to Medellín.

In the neighborhood known as San Juan Eudes, the streets, the hills, and the homes told stories of struggle and change. High in the mountains, in a modest home, Laura, a program participant, shared her story of how, through the accompaniment of Fundacion Buen Pastor, her life—and the life of her family—had begun to change.

In the afternoon, Colombian and Venezuelan women program participants shared further stories and ended the day with music and dance.

From Medellín, the journey continued to Bogotá.

Here, the rhythm shifted again. Among the elderly sisters of the Corazón de María community, there was a deep stillness—a quiet strength built over years of fidelity. Sr. Joan Marie Lopez delivered a deeply moving message, shifting the narrative around aging. She reminded these women that this stage of life is not a decline, but a transformation into a more contemplative way of loving.

She called the elderly sisters “silent strength” and the “living memory” that guides the Congregation.

Yet Bogotá also revealed another reality.

Walking alongside outreach teams, Sr. Joan Maire and Sr. Erika met with women facing sexual exploitation and hardship. There were no grand solutions offered in those moments—only presence, listening, and small gestures of compassion. A smile, a word, a prayer. And in those gestures, something essential was restored: dignity.

The journey did not stop there.

In Ibagué, sisters, partners-in-mission, and communities came together for prayer, dialogue, and shared life. There was laughter, creativity, and storytelling—reminders that mission is also sustained through joy and human connection.

Across each place visited, a common thread emerged. The mission is shared. Sisters, partners-in-mission, and volunteers are all part of a single journey—walking together, listening together, responding together.

As the days passed, the meaning of the “open doors” became clearer. It was not only about welcoming others, but about being willing to change, to let go, and to step into uncertainty with trust.

After twelve days, the journey returned to where it began: gathered in thanksgiving.

In the final Eucharist, all that had been lived—encounters, stories, challenges, and hopes—was brought together. And yet, it did not feel like an ending.

Because the real question remained: ‘How do we keep the doors open?’

The answer is not found in one moment, but in a daily choice—to walk in synodality, to trust in the Spirit, and to remain committed to those whose dignity calls out for recognition.

The journey may have ended, but its invitation continues.