“It was around the sixth hour. A woman came from Samaria to draw water”

As daughters of Mother Antonia Paris and St. Anthony Mary Claret, it was always a dream to be able to set foot on the land where they lived and experienced divine inspiration. That dream began to come true on January 21, when we arrived in Reus, accompanied by Priscilla, our Superior General, Amilbia, General Prefect of Formation and Thushari, Secretary General.

The first moment we stood before the tomb of Mother Antonia, we felt something profound: her presence, her love for all of us. As we sang together a song dedicated to her, we experienced her accompaniment, a deep certainty that she interceded for us. It was a moment of grace, which filled our hearts with a renewed sense of belonging to the life and mission of the Congregation.

On the 23rd we delve into the historical context of the nineteenth century in which our Founders lived, dedicating time to reading, reflection and deepening. It was very nice to be able to deepen the challenges of this time and the response of our founders with a group dynamic. Each group presented its reflection and deepening of the historical context.

The news of the death of Cristina Ruberte, Secretary, Prefect of Apostolic Mission and General Administrator, touched our hearts and as a group we were able to accompany her with a representation of 4 of us who with Priscilla and Amilbia participated in her funeral. It was a deeply moving experience to celebrate the Eucharist and not least to meet our older sisters, whose unwavering courage and perseverance strengthened our own vocation. Their lives, marked by fidelity and sacrifice, became a living witness to the grace of God at work in our Congregation.

On Sunday 25 we had the visit of Jolanta, Provincial Superior of Europe, who welcomed us on behalf of all the sisters of the province. She also accompanied us on the visit to the museum.

Getting to know Antonia París’ family roots closely, time of formation in the Company of Mary, her trip to Cuba, being able to look at objects from the first Claretian community, gifts from Father Claret for her, and the same room at the time of death and etc. filled us with curiosity to know more about her life and her mission.

On Monday the 26th, Priscilla invited us to take a further step in the process, in the light of the text of the Samaritan woman, “It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water” (Jn 4:6-7). With this Gospel narrative, we have begun the reading of life from the beginning. Moments of prayer and sharing have enriched us in the knowledge of ourselves, in the recognition of the deep “thirsts” that we have in this present moment. The experience from the beginning of the life of the founders has been a ray of light that has illuminated the serene and profound reading of our childhood. Through creative dynamics we colored our childhood experiences and drew the most memorable moments that marked who we are today.

By the end of the week, the group has grown, finally, after so many challenges in obtaining the visa, we were able to welcome five sisters from the Mission Province of Africa.

Sunday, February 2, the Presentation of the Lord and the day of Consecrated Life, marked a high point of the week. On this occasion, 4 of our sisters Shanthi, Dayola, Vigini and Dency renewed their vows in the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Reus. It was a very meaningful and participatory celebration. In the afternoon the entire community of Reus had the devotional renewal of the vows in the crypt of the Mother Foundress with a celebration of light. We thanked the Lord for the gift of the Claretian vocation and wished each other fidelity to the call.

We express our gratitude to Sisters Bertha, Laureana and Ewa who with so much generosity and fraternity make the path easy for us and to Priscilla, Amilbia and Thushari for accompanying us closely from here.