From 2 to 4 February 2024, the meeting of the “Daughters of the Holy Spirit” Associates of the Peru-Chile Unit was held at the San Francisco Solano Retirement Home in Lima-Peru.
The meeting had been prepared by the Coordination Team of Associates of the Peru-Chile Unit (ECA-UPCH) and in a post-Covid-19 context for over a year.
On 2 February, the meeting began with a lunch for over 50 people around a long table. Then the meeting was opened by the ECA-UPCH, under the direction of Sister Ann Almodovar, Superior General of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, who recommended that participants sharpen their capacities for listening, silence, prayer and personal and community discernment in order to find answers to spiritual and missionary challenges. We then tackled the first topic, based on the question: “How have we lived our experience of faith and Christian commitment over the last five years? “The testimonies and answers remained in the hearts of each associate on a day full of emotion, hugs and reunions..
On 3 February, we began the day with a re-reading of the international guidelines, where we reaffirmed that these guidelines continue to be the key orientations in the life and journey of the Associates, but that there is always a need to be more aware and daring in living them to the full. We continued with the revision of the Book of Life of the DHS Associates, where the spirituality and charism of Marie Balavenne and René Burel, founders of the Congregation, are still faithfully in force: it was indicated that each Associate should constantly review his or her life, both personally and in community.
We ended the long day of Day 2 with a cultural gala evening, which turned into a great celebration of the meeting of our two cultures, Peru and Chile.Each participant put their talents, skills and creativity to good use.
Sister Hélène Josse was thanked for her 32 years of pastoral service in Peru when she returned to France for good.
On 4 February, the last day of the meeting, the proposed ECA-UPCH regulations were presented, and the participants adjusted and drafted the scope of the objective, functions and contributions to the regulations proposed by the Peru-Chile Unit.
The meeting ended with the celebration of Holy Mass by Father Santiago Vallebuona, a Jesuit priest (SJ). In his homily, he told all those present that we are called to serve the Church and society, reminding us that Pope Francis never tires of reminding us that the Church is an institution that is always on the move, synodal and faithful to the project of Jesus.
We ended our meeting with lunch, where the joy, the farewells and the desire to meet again in 2027 remained in our hearts, with our founders as mediators before God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Ivonne Cuellar Gallardo
Head of Communications Chile – Peru Associates
With a few notes from the article by Felix Guillen Ayala,
Coordinator of the Peruvian Associates.
Published on 3 March 2024
Hello Daughters of the Holy Spirit family,
I want to tell you about the wonderful experience we had after our Associates Meeting, as a Family, in Peru.
At the end of our meeting, 6 Associates from Antofagasta, Chile, were invited by the Associates from Callao, a town in Peru near Lima, to stay with them. It was magical and full of love. I’d like to thank each and every one of them for the time they devoted to us, accompanying us at every moment. We felt very united with this Spirit, who showed us that we are together.
Thank you, Brothers of Callao, thank you, thank you very much.
Clara Pasten González – Associate from Antofagasta – Chile
