Reliving Childhood: An Encounter with Gratitude and Faith

Childhood is a time of discovery and joy, where every memory is kept as a treasure forever.

From 19 to 24 July, we had the privilege of being guided by Jolanta Kafka, Provincial Superior of Europe, into the childhood of our Founders, Maria Antonia Paris and Anthony Mary Claret. This reflection naturally led us back to our own childhood memories, inviting us to reconnect with the people and moments that shaped our beginnings.

During this enriching time, we took part in a variety of meaningful activities, including reflective readings, sharing personal and group experiences, innovative group exercises and profound moments of prayer. This journey back to our childhood reached its culmination in a day of retreat, during which silence helped us to reflect on and truly integrate the experiences we had lived through. We brought the week to a close with a pilgrimage to the significant places of Venerable Mother Antonia’s childhood: her birthplace, the settings of her youth, the moment of her conversion, and the origins of her religious vocation in the Company of Mary, in Tarragona and Vallmoll.

We also had the joy of celebrating the Eucharist in the chapel of the Virgin of the Cloister, where Maria Antonia made the vow not to be separated from one another and to cross the seas, going wherever the Lord calls them for mission.

We ended the week with grateful hearts for our childhood, during which the seed of faith was nurtured and allowed to grow. We are likewise profoundly thankful for the life and witness of our Founders, whose early experiences continue to inspire and guide us today. We are equally grateful to Jolanta, who accompanied us throughout these days.

We ended the week with hearts full of gratitude for our childhood, during which the seed of faith was sown and grew and flourished. We are also deeply grateful for the lives and witness of our Founders, whose early experiences continue to inspire and guide us to this day. We are equally grateful to Jolanta, who accompanied us throughout these days.