A Journey of Grace in Rome

The sisters arrived in Rome with great enthusiasm and a deep desire to fully embrace the long-awaited formation experience. After a few days of rest and adjustment to life at the Generalate, they had a session facilitated by Sr. Iris Gonzales, FI, which focused on each sister’s culture, roots, and personal wounds as a preparation for forming their community for the Last Probation.

This encounter offered the sisters an opportunity to get to know one another more deeply and to lay the foundations for harmonious community life, one that is open to interculturality and embraces diversity. The experience helped them discover that, beyond their differences, it is possible to live together in fraternity when each sister is willing to learn about and understand the stories of the others. Becoming more familiar with each sister’s personal history helps them gain a deeper understanding of her personality, life experiences, and the circumstances that have shaped her way of living and relating to others.

Despite the time they had already spent together in Spain, the sisters also needed to prepare their proyecto comunitario, which will serve as a guide for their community life over the coming months. In an atmosphere of openness and trust, each sister shared her deepest desires and expectations for the community they are gradually building together. The community project is not merely a document to be prepared; rather, it is an instrument that helps them respond to the particular objectives of this final stage of formation. It also fosters a more conscious and fraternal way of living together, faithful to the formative journey they are undertaking.

The sisters also had the opportunity to visit some of Rome’s most iconic landmarks, a new experience for most of them. They enjoyed the city’s beauty and rich historical heritage, discovering in their encounter with different cultures and realities an invitation to deepen their experience of universality and interculturality. One of the most meaningful moments was their visit to the Vatican, where they had the opportunity to join the Pope in praying the Angelus. It was a particularly significant experience of ecclesial communion, allowing them to feel part of one Church, united in faith.

As part of their preparation for the month-long Spiritual Exercises, the sisters devoted time to studying the autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola, accompanied by their instructor, Sr. Magda Zhang, FI. This encounter with St. Ignatius’s spiritual journey invited them to revisit their own life stories and recognize how Jesus has been forming them and continues to call them to live as His daughters, following in the footsteps of the saint.

As they reflected on the journey God has been writing in each of their hearts, the sisters were able to renew and embrace more deeply the gift of their vocation. Their daily sharing sessions each afternoon provided a privileged space to listen to one another, welcome each other’s experiences, and discover how the story of St. Ignatius illuminated their own lives, particularly in light of the realities they are experiencing today. Amid these days of preparation, they also joyfully celebrated the birthday of one of the sisters, Ann Nguyen, FI. The simple yet heartfelt celebration became an opportunity to strengthen their bonds of fraternity and continue growing together as a community.

Thanks to the generous availability of Jesuit priest Juan Jose Bernal, SJ, the sisters were able to visit several significant places in Rome associated with the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola. This visit helped them deepen their understanding of his spiritual experience and appreciate more fully the richness of Ignatian spirituality, which inspires and guides them on their journey of following Jesus as Hijas de Jesus.

With hearts open and renewed by these experiences, the sisters are now preparing to begin their one-month Spiritual Exercises, which will take place from October 15 to November 15. This will be a privileged time for a profound encounter with the Lord, interior listening, and discernment, allowing them to open themselves more freely to the transforming action of His grace.

Let us accompany them with our prayers so that, remaining open and available to God’s action, they may live this experience with faith, trust, and generosity. May the Lord continue to guide their steps, strengthen their vocation, and help them grow in love and self-giving, so that they may joyfully continue responding to His call and to the mission of the Congregation.