Peru, Bolivia and Aconcagua, Marie Poussepin’s Laity, 11/16/2021, Claudio H. Veloso, Missionary of the Presentation, Chile.- We, lay people and sisters of the Province of Los Andes and Vice Province of Aconcagua, gathered together on October 29, Friday evening, to celebrate in gratitude the 325 years of the foundation of our Congregation. Sr. Rosemery Castañeda who works in Panama, shared with us the theme, "Sainville, memorial of the Charism" in a passionate exposition. At the end, we had the opportunity also to dialogue with her.

The day reminded and challenged us to make our own daily paths through "Dourdan and Sainville" and thus continue to seek ways better accompany our people in the light of the Charism of Marie Poussepin, an inspiration for our life. We are grateful for this wonderful opportunity to share our passion for our charism.

"Sainville, Memorial of the Charism"

Lay group of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.- On October 29, we celebrated with love, passion and dedication, "Sainville, Memorial of the Charism", which does not mean only to remember, but to place ourselves before a new reality, by the active presence of the laity, sharing the charism of Marie Poussepin, walking together this journey, committed to the work of the Lord, with the Congregation, the Church and the world.

To remember is to live and to revive, to restore and to recreate. It is the capacity to generate life from the Project of God, and it is to participate in the charism of those who preceded us, becoming missionaries and apostles of the Word.

We remembered the coherence of life in Sainville: prayer, contemplation, silence, study, fraternal encounter and apostolic activity. Now we feel this call to continue with the commitment of fidelity placed at the service of the community, to work in the vineyard of the Lord, in the world, from different possibilities, with different tasks to perform, since each one according to the Word has different gifts that have been given to him to put at the service of all. So it is up to you to be responsible for your own decisions, so that like our beloved mother, Virgin Mary, we respond to our vocation with: "Here I am Lord, let it be done to me according to your word".

Carmen Jiménez Ontaneda, Lay Group from Peru.- Marie Poussepin, a woman attentive to the Word of God. She was a woman committed to the historical reality of her time who tells us that it is essential to form persons to respond to the needs of the people who request for it. That is why, the goal of organizing meetings of the Laity, now online, are to make known the life and work of Blessed Marie Poussepin and Dominican Charism, which are centered on the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On October 29, 2021, gathered us as one family, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Panama in an online meeting, not only to strengthen the bonds of friendship, fraternity and identity of the Lay Dominicans of the Presentation, but also to live this year of Grace of 325 years of foundation of the Congregation and 800 years of death of St. Dominic.

It was a meeting that filled us with the spirit of Dominic and the explanation about the image of Marie Poussepin who tells us: "Be gentle in conversation, simple in speech, modest in your answers". Sr. Rosemery Castañeda from Panama enlightened us with her exposition on the theme: "Sainville, memorial of our charism". Most of us identified the time of Marie Poussepin with that of today.

It was an enriching meeting to go deeper in the knowledge of Blessed Marie Poussepin in our lives. We had 40 minutes of the presentation where Sr. Rosemery told us with simplicity and great pedagogy describing the 325 years of history of the Congregation. It was an encounter of diversity of cultures, knowledge, learning, prayer, testimonies united as one where the Charism that identifies us as Dominicans of the Presentation was not missing. We offered tribute with dances and songs to our dear Blessed Marie Poussepin by the young lay people from Peru. 

It was a pleasant meeting where we reconfirmed our commitment as lay people and gave us the strength to continue on the path of evangelization "imitating the life that Our Lord led on earth" by sharing our experiences and being witnesses of life taking the message of God to those who need it and thus filling the hearts of others, inviting us to work for God, through charity and love for our neighbor.