Province of France, 06/14/2020.- From France: More letters to Marie Poussepin.

Letter to Marie Poussepin

Dear Marie Poussepin,

Today as I have the special grace to live in the house where you were born in Dourdan, France, I want to talk to you for a while about the experiences that I had during my long journey, first of all in the School of the Presentation in Tunja when I was a very little girl…all my school years and later as your daughter in the Congregation that you founded many years ago.

I have many memories of you; I remember when the SISTERS spoke to us about you, your work and the history of the Congregation over so many years and present in many countries. What I admired the most in you was your goodness and charity to all and the care for the most repugnant sick people of your time and the miracles and favors received from the Lord through your intercession for many needy people. Personally, I remember with great affection all the celebrations that we held in your honor during the month of October and specially on the 14th, the day of your feast: the songs, plays, verses, games and of course, the Eucharist was the center of the celebration. I enjoyed it very much.

I remember, whenever I would ask for your intercession either to do well in the exams or for other needs that I had, I always had felt that you were ready to help me. All I had to do was to invoke you; you were always very special towards me.

When I began my vocation process, I asked you many times to show me whether it was really my path, my project of life and I always understood that I could be your daughter. When I arrived at the novitiate, the sisters gave me the book “ Mujer camino” (woman on the way) and I did not go to sleep until I finished it, with such a profound and beautiful feeling, because I felt that what I was really looking for was in accordance with what you were offering.

I admired that you had lived the "life that Our Lord led on earth" by serving the neediest and children, which was like another vocation that I was very clear about, education. I wanted to live with great responsibility this beautiful mission of educating the youth and children.

During the novitiate, I learned more to love and appreciate you ; on the day of my first profession, I felt you very close and since then, you have always been there in my days of Light and in the days of darkness or clouds, always encouraging me and helping me in community life and mission. There are many favors that I received from you, for the sake of the girls in the schools, their families, in favor of my family and in my personal life, as for example, my health, which has often been seriously disturbed and I have experienced that you are attentive to offer me a generous help, even better than what I asked you for. Because you know better than I what I really need.

Today I remember all the activities and reflections that I carried out with the girls, the teachers, and all the personnel of the schools where I worked, the health workers, the missions in the country sides or in the areas of the marginalized and I keep in my memory the love and affection of the girls and all the people for you. They all worked hard to get to know you better.

During these last years, I remember with immense gratitude the favor or the miracle that you did for the health of my family, especially for my sister when, due to a serious accident she had, the doctors no longer gave us hope for her life, and yet, after asking you with much faith on your feast day (October 14, 2018), on the same day she got better, by which the doctors were all impressed. On that day, I said, “Whatever they ask me to do, I will do it with all generosity.” For this, I thank you from my heart.

Within a year I received the good news to come to Dourdan for our mission... Here, I am happy in spite of my difficulty with the language and my health which is not often very good, but I feel You very close; this encourages me and gives me much peace and joy in my daily life and now this time of lock- down due to "Corona virus" has been an occasion to pray, reflect and share experiences of life in our community and with other communities.

I ask you, dear Mother, to intercede for the Congregation in all the countries where we are present today, so that we may have good health and enthusiasm to respond with creativity, charity and sense of belonging to the present reality of our world. For Dourdan, may vocations flourish and our Charism may be continued throughout the centuries.

With my filial love, Sr. Ana de Dios Berdugo Cely

Thank you, Marie Poussepin

As we celebrate the 25 years of the beatification of MARIE POUSSEPIN, my heart is filled with gratitude. This celebration invites us to recall the life of the foundress of our Congregation and reaffirm once more how her Charism of charity continues to be alive today in our present and future mission.

To be in Dourdan, the city that saw Marie Poussepin grow up, to be in her house, where she experienced not only moments of family life, but also hard times of chaos and confusion and to see how her trust in God filled her with courage and daring to undertake with hope, the challenge of administering the factory and serving the poor sick, encourage me and fill me with hope to continue my life and mission in our small community in Dourdan. Its life-style is marked by the presence of each sister, by simplicity, everyday work at home, hospitality, listening and poverty expressed in the gift of self and the learning of the language to be able to understand and give a Word of encouragement during this special time lived by everyone in the world and in France because of Covid 19. Solitude and silence help me to discover the richness of our Charism, to love silence and to live silence in a climate of prayer and work.

As a daughter of Marie Poussepin, I ask her to instill in each one of the sisters, the spirit of charity and love for the poor. May the light of the Risen Lord shine on each one of the Sisters so that her missionary project and legacy may continue to last and be fruitful.

THANK YOU, MARIE POUSEPIN FOR YOUR LIFE AND YOUR HEART OPEN TO GOD AND TO THE GROANINGS OF THE SUFFERING.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEGACY OF CHARITY AND LIFE OF FATH AND FOR LEARNING TO LOVE AND SERVE OTHERS.

  Sr. Ligia Edilma Sorro C.