Rome (Italy). In Circular Letter No. 1045, at the conclusion of the winter Plenum meeting, Mother Chiara Cazzuola and the General Councillors of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians share reflections on the journey experienced and the paths that lie ahead.
The first thought goes to the Holy Year 2025, opened by Pope Francis on December 24, 2024, a year “rich in experiences that leave an imprint of light on the journey of the Institute.” The opening of the Holy Door invites everyone to become “Pilgrims of Hope,” that is, “seekers of God,” bringing hope to young people and placing oneself in a dimension of constant search:
In the itinerary of personal and community conversion that the Holy Year urges us to undertake, we confidently ask for the theological virtue of hope, which is a gift from God and the fruit of our faith in Him.
A Retrospective Look at the Journey
Mother Chiara and the General Councillors concluded the year 2024 with a time of evaluation of their three years of animation and governance, guided by the General Council’s Program (2022–2027).
Among the significant experiences that “nurture hope and generate life in many parts of the world” is the organization of the Seminars for Generative Animation. These seminars involved the Councils and Provincial teams of each inter-provincial conference (CIAM, CIME, CIB, CICSAL, CINAB, CIAO-SPR, PCI, CIMAC, NAC) and served as “important moments of vitality and communion with the sisters from various continentsRevisiting these experiences, “as a community that animates and leads the Institute in synodality,” the General Council recognized with gratitude “many seeds of life and, at the same time, the fragilities for which we ask forgiveness and entrust ourselves to the Father’s mercy.”
They also acknowledged that embracing missionary synodality is an experience we build together daily, striving to overcome inevitable difficulties, harmonize our diversity, and share fraternity and the joy of communion.
The journey continues with the Triennial Evaluations of the 24th General Chapter (CGXXIV), already initiated with some inter-provincial conferences and involving local and provincial communities. This process is described as a “time of grace and hope to jointly assess ongoing processes, revisit the past illuminated by the Word of God, the experiences of our Founders, and contemporary challenges,” which will guide the Institute’s path over the next three years toward the 25th General Chapter (CGXXV).
The Gift of Missionary Holiness
The three-year preparation for the 150th anniversary of the first missionary departure of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, officially opened by Mother Chiara on November 14, 2024, highlights “the beauty and fruitfulness of missionary communities, first in Mornese and then in Nizza.” It emphasizes that mission is not “an addition to the Institute’s activities,” but an “essential element,” as it “revives the family spirit, apostolic boldness, and collaboration within the Salesian Family.”
Mother Chiara and the Councillors express the hope that celebrating this special event will profoundly impact each sister’s life, the communities, and their mission, involving everyone in “a new missionary call.”
The chosen slogan, It is time to rekindle the fire, urges the rekindling of passion for the mission, which is inherent in every baptized person. This passion is exemplified by Sister Maria Troncatti, whose upcoming canonization highlights her as a Mother, Missionary, Artisan of Peace, and Reconciliation.
Mother Chiara and the Councillors express the hope that celebrating this special event will profoundly impact each sister’s life, the communities, and their mission, involving everyone in “a new missionary call.”
The chosen slogan, It is time to rekindle the fire, urges the rekindling of passion for the mission, which is inherent in every baptized person. This passion is exemplified by Sister Maria Troncatti, whose upcoming canonization highlights her as a Mother, Missionary, Artisan of Peace, and Reconciliation.
