From the Province of Ecuador

Sara María Gema Cadena Ortiz was born in Quito – the capital of Ecuador – on June 2, 1930. She completed her secondary school studies at the Santa María Euphrasia School. From the beginning, her teachers saw that she had a serene way of seeing things, a calm approach to decision making, and a commitment to anything she put her mind to. The influential personality of a leader was taking shape, as was her spirit of prayer and faith in which Jesus the Good Shepherd set his gaze to captivate her and call her to follow him.

Having entered the Congregation on August 15, 1949, in La Recoleta, Quito, she made her first profession on July 16, 1952. At the end of her initial formation process, she was appointed principal of her former beloved Santa María Euphrasia School. Later responsibilities included formation director of temporary professed sisters, community leader, and province leader.

She also fulfilled her desire to serve the most needy through her ministries working to empower young people and women in difficulty and through her work with youth ministries at the city’s university.

Sr. María Gema was a woman endowed with great human and spiritual qualities who had great respect and awareness of ecology. She loved life and enjoyed swimming, hiking, and other sports. She had grace and spiritual finesse – seeing God in everyone and everything.

Sr. Bernadette Fox* asked the Province of Ecuador for Sr. Gema to become the Province Leader of the then Province of Bogotá. Upon returning to Colombia, among other services, she began working at the Casa de María Droste, offering workshops and creating personal action plans for women in need of physical, practical, and spiritual guidance.

In 1984, she was appointed leader of the Province of Ecuador. However, when she attended the Congregational Chapter the following year, she was elected Congregational Leader on July 2 – almost unanimously. This was a moment of significant change in the history of the Congregation, for what God accomplished through her: the renewal of our missionary dimension and of our work for social justice.

Her leadership was marked by her simple, fraternal, human, and personal relationships. She traveled across all continents trying to reach each community, each apostolate, and in particular each sister, to stimulate, encourage, and heal the wounds of the heart.

Convinced that the Congregation’s strength depends on the continuity and experience of our founding spirit and charism, she firmly and tenaciously promoted our Congregational spirituality. She restructured the Spirituality Center of the Motherhouse, with its archives, having works on our charism translated and published, in addition to pamphlets, and circular letters – all inspired by the experience of the spirituality of St. Mary Euphrasia, enriched by the doctrine of St. John Eudes, brought to contemplation, nourished by the Eucharist, and marked by the seal of the cross.

In 1993, after finishing her mandate as Congregational Leader, she founded the Lay Associates of the Good Shepherd in Ecuador.

God the Shepherd called her home in the early hours of Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at the age of 94 and after 72 years of consecrated life.

Thank you, Gema, for your life, your testimony of love, fidelity, and deep sense of belonging to the Congregation, giving yourself with love and passion to the service of the Kingdom. With certainty we can say: “Mission fully accomplished”. You passed among us doing good, as a Good Shepherdess. We entrust ourselves to your powerful intercession for your beloved Good Shepherd family.

May you rest in eternal love!

*Bernadette was Congregational Leader from 1973 to 1985, during a period of major change in religious life and ministry. She was Province Leader for two periods of time.

Do you have pictures or memories that celebrate the life of Sr. Gema that you would like to share with us? Please email editorial@olcgs.org