Bogotá (Colombia), 01/05/2020, Community of Usminia.- During this time of pandemic, the doors of our local community in Usminia have been wide open to provide help to the most vulnerable people and families in the south of Bogota, Capital District of Colombia. We have distributed hundreds of food packages, led virtual meetings with groups from the parish, and promoted different actions regarding the prevention of drug abuse and domestic violence. However, we never imagined that boys and girls from our neighborhood would arrive at our doors, by their own initiative, asking eagerly to start as soon as possible, our apostolic activity in person, and to deepen in our spirituality.
At the beginning we could not believe it. It seemed almost impossible for us to meet their expectations, due to the different measures and protocols adopted as a result of the mandatory isolation. However, children kept coming more frequently and in greater number. Therefore, we decided to accept their offer because of their insistence. They convinced us to have some meetings where they could learn and share with other children, since they were desperate to be locked up at home for so long and wanted to do something different too.
On August, we decided to meet the parents of these children keeping all the health care protocols; for the parents the initiative of their own children was also a surprise. Taking advantage of the coming month of October, we offered them to know more about our own spirituality; both parents and children agreed.
We started meeting every Friday, and introduced them to the life of Marie Poussepin, her family's history, the silk stocking factory, and the passage from Dourdan to Sainville. We animated the meetings with some songs and videos which they loved. We did different handicrafts with the children, and by doing so they were able to recreate the Marie Poussepin’s life, whom they call now their foundress.
It has been a source of joy for us. The children of this area are really poor, even some of them have problems of domestic violence; others, are from the Venezuelan immigrant families. There are about twenty children, between 4 and 14 years old. They have decided to call themselves “Little Seeds of Marie Poussepin” and now they are part of our Presentation family.
On October 14 we prepared with them, for their families, a theater performance about Marie Poussepin. The parents really enjoyed and admired their children's abilities.
On November 21, the children accompanied us and sang at the Eucharistic celebration for our renewal of vows at the parish of Mary, Mother of the Divine Mercy. The parishioners were amazed by “our companions” and the parish priest, Fr. Edwar Francisco Cristancho, took this opportunity to invite the children to sing for the mass on Christmas Day.
The members of the "Little Seeds of Marie Poussepin" are very happy and very committed to live our spirituality, as they were also given the opportunity to be in charge of the Christmas novena with their families through the local radio station called "RADIO CEPEP: mueve tus sentidos". Everyone has been able to participate in and are excited to take their first steps as radio broadcasters. In addition, on December 19 they were present with the Dominican Laity, from the Province of Bogota, in their novena through the virtual platform Zoom.
These children have grown spiritually, they have also deepened in the knowledge of our Charism, they just love Marie Poussepin so much. New children have joined the group. They come quite naturally and always on their own initiative. A fraternity has been created among them which is very difficult to explain. Today we introduce them to you as a fruit of the year of grace for the Beatification of Our Mother Marie Poussepin and as a Christmas gift, of which we are infinitely grateful.
Next, we share some photos and an audio of these "Little Seeds of Marie Poussepin", trusting in the prayer of "our" Congregation (as they call it).
Los niños se hacen presentes: Semillitas Marie Poussepin