By Sr. Marlene Acosta, Province Leader of Peru

Fifty-three contemplative and apostolic sisters from across Peru met in Lima for two weeks from January 12, 2025, for the annual retreat and the province assembly.

With the slogan “women of hope”, the first week was spent in reflective retreat. Accompanied by Eudist Father Camilo Bernal, these were days in which there was a strong presence of God’s love in our lives.

Inspired by the women of our history and within the framework of the Jubilee Year, we began an encouraging journey toward hope, a time of grace and transformation that invited us to raise our gaze to fill ourselves with confidence to open ourselves to the new that is yet to be born.

During the second week, from January 20, we celebrated our province assembly, creating spaces to continue projecting our journey as a province.

Themes discussed included the current lived reality in Peru and Latin American, self-care and maintaining good mental health in consecrated life, the Congregational Call to Action for a New Government Structure (with the participation via Zoom of the province leaders of Argentina/Uruguay, Brazil/Paraguay, and Bolivia/Chile), the journey of the province during the previous two years, the life of our contemplative sisters, and integrating safeguarding into every aspect of the life, mission and ministries of the Congregation.

Our partners-in-mission are an integrated part of our journey and were present in many discussions including those on partnerships, finance and heritage, ministries and the work of the MDO (with particular mention of Project Director Linda Quispe, GSIF Latin America Regional Manager Heidy Hochstatter, Sully Santos of the CRS initiative Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC), and Unit Link Communicator Alejandro Alfaro).

These days of togetherness and sharing as province have allowed us to hear God’s voice and gratefully accept the challenge to continue weaving the story of our history through love of the Good Shepherd.