A Pilgrimage of the Heart: The First Days of the “Ruta”
The group of Junior Sisters of the Hijas de Jesús has begun, with deep gratitude, the first days of a journey back to the roots of their Foundress, Mother Cándida María de Jesús. During these days, they have been accompanied and guided by Sisters Maite Ortega, FI and Rosa Romo, FI who have generously and wholeheartedly taken on this service.
On September 16, a particularly meaningful day, the sisters experienced the great gift of visiting Andoain, the birthplace of Mother Cándida. There, they visited the Berrospe House, celebrated the Eucharist in the Berrospe Chapel,
A pose in front of the Caserio de Berrospe
The Chapel at Berrospe where the group celebrated Mass.
and later visited the Parish of San Martín, where their Foundress was baptized. They also had the opportunity to discover the fountain where Mother Cándida used to gather flowers for the Virgin Mary, a place where, without a doubt, her filial heart found a space for prayer and encounter with God.
The Baptismal font of Juana Josefa
Fuente of Mo. Candida where she used to offer flowers to the Blessed Virgin
On September 17, the pilgrimage continued in Tolosa, where the sisters visited St. Joseph School of Tolosa, a work that Mother Cándida had to struggle greatly to establish and sustain. Her spirit continues to live on in this place, especially in the way people welcome one another and relate to each other as true brothers and sisters. In Tolosa, the presence of Blessed Antonia Bandrés is also felt in a special way, as it was her birthplace. It was deeply moving to see her image in the parish and to discover that the baptismal font where she received the Sacrament of Baptism is still preserved.
Juanita says: “I want to do what that books says!”
On September 19, the journey continued towards the land of Saint Francis Xavier. There, they visited the castle where he was born and grew up, the chapel where he was baptized, and the Basilica. A few kilometers away, they continued their pilgrimage to the Monastery of Leyre, where they visited the crypt and the Church of Saint Mary of Leyre.
An Experience That Touches the Heart
Visiting the home and the places connected with Mother Cándida was a deeply moving experience. In every corner, one can somehow perceive her presence and spirit. One can also sense the affection with which the people of her homeland remember her and the pride they feel in her. It touches the heart deeply to see with one’s own eyes and to walk through the places where she was born and where she began to grow in faith, a faith that, over the years, would give her the strength to follow Jesus with generosity and trust.
The visit to the Sanctuary and Basilica of Saint Ignatius of Loyola also held special meaning. This experience helped the sisters to better understand the profound connection between Saint Ignatius and Mother Cándida, and to discover how Ignatian spirituality awakened in her an ever-growing desire to do more for God and to give herself generously in the service of his Kingdom.
St. Ignatius’ Sanctuary
St. Ignatius’ Chapel of Conversion”
In this Basque land, far from the great cities and from Spain’s capital, the Virgin Mary touched the hearts of two courageous people: Saint Ignatius and Saint Cándida, awakening in them a deep passion for God and for mission. From these simple lands, both were called to seek ways to preserve, proclaim, and nurture the faith in the hearts of people.
After several days of walking through and coming into such close contact with the roots and history of Mother Cándida, the sisters feel a deeper love growing within them for their Foundress. They are also beginning to understand more fully her desire to found the Congregation. She was a woman with a heart passionately in love with God, longing to bring people closer to Him and to help them know and love Him.
Today, many years later, we can see how that passion for serving God continues to bear fruit in our reality. Her footprints remain alive. This pilgrimage has not simply been a journey through historical places. Above all, it has been a pilgrimage of the heart: a return to our roots in order to give thanks, remember, understand, and renew our desire to continue walking in the footsteps of Jesus, with the heart of Mother Cándida.
The UP group continues its journey along the path of our Foundress, recognizing that experiencing her history firsthand will be a great help in feeling and savoring once again the story of her vocation, and in discovering new meaning in the call that, more than ten years ago, led each of them to embrace total consecration to God in this Congregation.
By Sr. Crystal Bermejo, F.I.