Cochabamba (Bolivia), 11/17/2022, Sr. Amparo Vélez Pérez.- Expectation, prayer, study, community reflection, joy and hope... were part of the preparation for this VISIT of our Sisters María Escayola Coris, superior general and three sisters of her council: Herminia Rincón Marín, Ana Patricia Londoño Flórez and Martha Mendieta Aztatzi, who arrived in Lima on October 10th. The visit took place from October 12th to 26th in Peru and from October 27th to November 6th in Bolivia.

In the 1st photo above, from left to right: Sisters María Escayola, Superior General, Ana Patricia Londoño, Marta Mendieta and Herminia Rincón. On the right, the sisters of the Province living in Peru. Below, on the left, in Cochabamba Bolivia, front left, Sr Rosalba del Valle, in the centre, Sr María Escayola and on the right, Sr Berta Berenice Hurtado celebrating her GOLDEN WEDDING. Sr. Maria in Lima and on the right, the Provincial Government with Sr. Ana Patricia Londoño.

As a motivation to begin the visit to the Province, the sisters of the General Government, accompanied by the Provincial Government, spent octobrt 12th on pilgrimage along the Dominican Route in the city of Lima. The celebration of the Eucharist in the Chapel of St. Martin de Porres was the beginning of this walk that took them to each of the Dominican saints, following the guide who led them with a long historical explanation, through the Convent of St. Dominic, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, the House of St. Martin de Porres and that of St. Rose of Lima. Through "ensantado" Peru, as Pope Francis described it.

The Feast of Our Mother Foundress, on October 14th , had a special touch, with the participation of the sisters of all the communities of Peru, in the context of the visit of our sisters of the General Government and with the celebration of the Eucharist presided over by Mgr Juan José Salaverry Villarreal, O.P. Auxiliary Bishop of Lima, our Dominican brother and friend.

WELCOME TO THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.

Ofelia Quispe Huallpara, Provincial Superior, gave the official greeting at the beginning of the inaugural assembly of the Canonical Visit. In Peru on October 15th and in Bolivia on November 2nd :

"Like the WOMEN OF THE DAWN [Mujeres del Alba] who set out on the road to the tomb to meet their Master, we too, the sisters of the communities of Peru and Bolivia, have come from different places, some very far away, to meet our sisters of the General Government: Srs. María Escayola Coris, Herminia Rincón Marín, Ana Patricia Londoño Flórez and Martha Mendieta Aztatzi, who bring us the message of the Risen Jesus, who transforms our lives and sets us on the roads.

We are gathered together, with hearts full of JOY, HOPE and GRATITUDE to begin the inaugural Assembly of the canonical visit that we have been preparing with love and availability, open to the voice of the Spirit who is guiding and accompanying us. And what better way to begin this Meeting than with the celebration of the Eucharist, the mystery of love that gathers us together as Church, nourishes us and strengthens our faith".

This Assembly began, in the two countries, with the presentation of the fruit of the study that each community carried out on "Women of the dawn", taken from the inspiring Horizon of CLAR (Latin-American Conference of Religious) for this triennium. It was a space of deep reflection and a way to present, in a creative way, the reality of each community in the process of restructuring that we are living as a Congregation.

The presentation of each of the sisters of the general government and of the groups of each place, the dialogue, the listening, the experiences of faith and the shared living of the charism of Marie Poussepin, and the joy of grateful hearts, marked these meetings, during which the words and messages of the sisters of the general government filled with hope the expectations of our lay people, who are getting to know and love our Congregation more and are becoming more committed as Church in a world in need of its presence.

EVERYTHING HAS ITS END...

Also, the moment of grace of the Canonical Visit of the General Government to our Province. Sister Ofelia expressed, in the name of all the sisters, the feelings we had at that moment:

"Dear Sisters:

We have lived a time of GRACE with the visit of the General Government to the communities of the Province. A short while ago, and with immense joy, we said WELCOME, Sisters Maria, Herminia, Ana Patricia and Martha.

The days have gone by so quickly! You have been able to reach each community and each sister. You had the opportunity to meet the Lay Dominicans Presentation, the recipients of our mission. With some bishops and priests who presided at the Eucharist.

If the days have passed so quickly, it is true that the experience lived will not pass, because it has been marked by HOPE and by the JOY of the ENCOUNTER and of the commitment. A COMMITMENT to continue to strengthen the RESIGNIFICATION of our lives, in the style of the WOMEN OF THE DAWN, who, upon meeting their Master, the Risen Jesus, were filled with audacity and went out on the roads...

THANK YOU, dear sisters. We continue to accompany you in prayer. We continue to be united in living this Kairos, as the Province of the Andes. The Eucharist that we are going to celebrate, presided over by Monsignor Juan Gómez, auxiliary bishop of Cochabamba, is the highlight of the visit of our sisters of the General Government. In it we offer ourselves with Christ to the Father, in an attitude of faith, hope and charity.”