Across the globe, our Good Shepherd family has been united in a year of celebration, marking the jubilé du bicentenaire des Sœurs contemplatives, founded by Saint Mary Euphrasia Pelletier in 1825.
2025 has been more than just a year of anniversary; it has been a spiritual journey honoring 200 years of prayerful fidelity and the “transforming fire” of quiet presence that embraces the world.
From Asia to Latin America, we have celebrated the courage of every contemplative sister, past and present, whose faithfulness remains the “demeure le cœur battant de notre Congrégation,” holding the displaced, the searching, and our earth in their prayers.
À Australia et Aotearoa / New Zealand, the year offered an opportunity to honor the legacy of the Contemplative Sisters who arrived in Christchurch in 1936 and later in Victoria, where they established the Karuna Community. Although the province no longer has living Contemplative Sisters following the passing of Sr. Valda Singleton, sisters and partners-in-mission gathered during November, the month of remembrance, to reflect on the complementarity of the active and contemplative lifestyles, giving thanks for the bonds of friendship and the spiritual support that the Contemplative Sisters provide.
Despite the challenging backdrop of recent calamities and typhoons in the Philippines, the Our Lady of Refuge Community—encompassing sisters from Cebu, Butuan, Virac, and Quezon City—celebrated the bicentenary of the Contemplative Sisters with a spirit of zealous resilience and solidarity.
A poignant moment of the celebrations involved a visit to the very first contemplative convent in Quezon City, now occupied by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Together, before an image of Mary Magdalene, the sisters reconnected to their roots and renewed their commitment to the contemplative life, offering prayers for new vocations and looking toward the future with hope, proving that the spirit of the mission remains unbreakable even amidst storms.
In Bellary, Inde, the “Jubilee of Grace” festivities commenced on November 18, 2024, when the Jubilee bell rang out to mark the opening of this holy year, while Jubilee candles were lit to symbolize gratitude for the past and hope for the mission yet to unfold. Throughout 2025, the Bellary community engaged in deep reflection and tangible acts of service. A highlight was the inauguration of the “Roots and Wings” museum, which curated significant historical milestones to inspire future generations.
In a true expression of our charism to empower the young and vulnerable, the sisters blessed five newly constructed classrooms for St. Philomena’s Kannada Medium High School and instituted a Sesquicentennial Scholarship for ten students. The year concluded on November 15, 2025, with a Grand Jubilee Celebration attended by Archbishops, priests, sisters, and partners-in-mission, featuring the release of a documentary capturing the remarkable journey of the sisters from France to Bellary.
Au Maison-Mère in Angers, France, the bicentennial of the foundation of the Contemplative Sisters was brought to an eventful close on November 1, 2025. Over 200 sisters, partners, and parishioners gathered in the large chapel for a Eucharistic celebration led by the Supérieur général, le Père Jean-Michel Amouriaux.
The day was marked by a moving musical and theatrical performance that brought the history of the congregation to life through four authentic characters. A central feature of the celebration was the inauguration of the bronze sculpture “Porteuse d’Espérance” (Bearer of Hope). This radiant artwork, designed to capture the light and air of the garden, serves as a tribute to the contemplative life—rooted in the earth yet moving confidently toward the future. It honors the silent, prayerful support that the sisters provide to the mission, carrying the sufferings of the world in the silence of their hearts.
Together with apostolic sisters and partners-in-mission, contemplative sisters in Colombie et Venezuela celebrated the 200th anniversary of their foundation through prayer and action, historical materials, simple acts of kindness, and creative expressions such as letters, poems, and videos. Spaces for meetings and formation strengthened the sense of fraternity, and a special retreat for provincial leaders united contemplation and service to guide discernment and mission.
The culmination of this year of celebration took place in Rome, where contemplative sisters gathered for a historic three-week program. This journey, “Traverser ensemble dans une joyeuse espérance,” included a memorable General Audience with Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square, where the Holy Father’s message on transformative renewal resonated deeply with the Congregation’s mission of reconciliation. On November 11, 2025, a Eucharistic Celebration at Casa Bonus Pastor, concelebrated by Son Excellence le Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle et Father Jean-Michel Amouriaux, marked the formal close of the jubilee year, bringing together contemplative sisters, apostolic sisters, and partners-in-mission from across the global community in a symbol of unity and a vibrant testament to the enduring spirit of the Good Shepherd mission.
