The history of the Province cannot begin without a heartfelt THANKS!, to the generosity of the Sisters from the Provinces of Bogotá, Bucaramanga and Medellín, and also to our French sisters. Their audacity and boldness gave birth to whom we are today.
The long journey of the Province of Medellin reveals God's Providence at all times in its history. Following the footsteps of the humble, pious and charitable Marie Poussepin, we have been marked and constantly motivated to live charity as our way of preaching.
Doing a historical review of the Province of Bogota will take us to the beginnings of the Presentation in Colombia, and to say, to the New World.
For the Sacred Scriptures, history has sense to the extent that it generates life for each new beginning, bringing within it a generation that becomes witness to the action of God. In parallel, the history of our Congregation can be read from the birth of each one of the structures and the particular context that gave origin to our Province, is not an exception.
We are in 1950. This is the Holy Year proclaimed by the Bull of His Holiness Pius XII on May 26, 1949 and inaugurated solemnly on December 25, 1949, as a year of growth in faith, and superabundance of graces… “A year of forgiveness and love which will lead all men and women to assume with more ardor the journey towards a future of holiness and peace”.
The first community of our sisters arrived in Arenys de Mar, a small coastal village of that time in 1867. Our Congregation was invited there to take over a hospital-asylum. This was the time when public and private organizations were looking for Congregations to carry out their projects for the most underprivileged population: children, elderly, sick and working women.
Thanks to the interest of the bishop of San Felipe, Don Ramon Munita Eyzaguirre, in 1960, already in process was the arrival of the first dozen sisters to Chile, originating from the province of Bogota: ”San Felipe and Putaendo were two of the towns which together opened their doors to the daughters of Marie Poussepin.
On July 1978, Monsignor Luis Munive & Escobar, Bishop of the Diocese of Tlaxcala and President of the Commission of Missions CELAM, organized a course on « Missiology» for Latin America in two stages during the years 1978-1979.
Attentive to the voice, which calls us, the Congregation, made the missionary presence in Africa possible. Thanks to its commitment to go beyond the borders to extend the work of charity of Marie Poussepin.
The foundation in India is nothing but an “inspiration of Providence” responded to and made a reality; because men and women from different parts of the world were willing to communicate and share the cost. Yes, it was a risk to reach out to the unknown, a new culture, a new life style, almost a complete new way of living.
“I saw our well beloved Religious family with its various languages, its multiple works sown in all the countries, its different characteristics as just one soul under the same rule, in the same sacred bonds" (Rev. Mother Josepha).
Contemplatively gazing on yesterday’s rich history is a grace since the history of a charism is a history of salvation; it is a history of the faithful and merciful presence of God.
The Dominican Sisters of Charity of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin arrived in Fall River in September 1905 to open St. Anne’s Hospital, as a place for the French-Canadian immigrants living in Fall River in very precarious conditions.
The Province of Manizales was born after a discernment by the General Government about the Congregation´s development in Colombia as written Sr. Therese Augusta in the circular letter of April 20th 1952, “The Provinces have so spread-out, so overflowing with missions that a transformation seems to be heeded ".
