Estrella Misionera - April-June 2012

MISSIONARIES OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP Year XXIX, No. 95

QUARTERLY PUBLICATION

April—June 2012

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EDITORIAL MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERIOR GENERAL RCE IV MISSION EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY OF MORELIA, MICHOACÁN EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOP: WISDOM AND LIFE EXPERIENCE AN EXPERIENCE OF TRUE GROWTH

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MISSION IN SONSONATE

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HOLY WEEK MISSION 2012

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"ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS: PATH TO GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION" A REFLECTION ON OUR SPIRITUAL EXERCISES SCHOOL OF MISSION ANIMATORS THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT WILL BE ALWAYS REMEMBERED XLVII CIRM ASSEMBLY 2012 VOCATION PROMOTION EXPERIENCE IN MACAU LET US REJOICE AND GIVE THANKS! ERECTION OF THE DELEGATION MEXICO-NORTH ONE MORE STAR TO SHINE THE HEART OF A MOTHER VENEZUELA: ALREADY A DELEGATION! CELEBRATING THE “OUR LADY OF FATIMA FEAST DAY” IN MACAU ASSEMBLY OF THE MÉXICO SOUTH DELEGATION EXPERIENCES IN COLEGIO VASCO DE QUIROGA WORKSHOP ON THE FOUR STAGES OF PERMANENT FORMATION C.SS.R. – M.P.S. ENCOUNTER IN MÉXICO

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THE MONTH OF MARY MEETING OF EDUCATORS IN THE FAITH BISHOP VICTOR LYNGDOH’S ACCOUNT OF HIS VISIT TO VENEZUELA FRATERNAL VISIT TO THE COMMUNITY OF NEZAHUALCOYOTL FROM VENEZUELA TO MÉXICO

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AND MAY HIS MEMORY LIVE FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS

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VISIT TO THE COMMUNITY OF TAMPICO THANKS, MY MOTHER! "PRELUDE TO PERPETUAL LOVE" A VISIT FROM AFRICA TO OUR COMMUNITY "THE COURAGE AND RISK"

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WELCOME, OUR DEAR ASPIRANTS! GOD GIVES US THE GIFTS ...

BACLARAN: A WONDERFUL DESERT EXPERIENCE FEELS LIKE HOME… STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART HOLINESS AND BEAUTY MESSENGER OF PEACE 25 YEARS? CELEBRATION OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP FOR YOU, MPS: A VERY PRECIOUS GIFT...

PULLING TOGETHER

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Peace, where are you? This is the question and the pursuit of many, be it individuals, families, groups or even countries. It seems that in many different corners of the world, expressed in different languages, in various manner of saying as in a sigh, or with a sob, or with a weeping in pain, or even by screaming and shouting, the whole world obviously hungers and thirsts for peace…

Perhaps there are some who still cannot admit that only peace can silence their hearts since they cannot let go yet of their wealth, ambitions for power or any addiction in their life.

From the beginning, peace is God´s gift to mankind. ¨and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters¨ (Gen.1:2). His very presence in the hovering of His Spirit and in the orderliness of His creation is peace. However, many of us are blind because we consider that other things can make us whole and happy. God created the world in a manner where no one would be hungry, where there is justice but our first parents opted for the false power.

In the history of mankind, men and women continued to be blinded and deafened by other things until the poor shepherds were greeted by the angels when our Savior was born: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Lk.2:14) We recall a song entitled One More Gift which expresses much of this experience of longing for peace. The song goes this way: ¨If there’s one more gift, I’d ask of you, Lord it would be peace here on earth as gentle as your children’s laughter all around, all around…¨ And even the famous song Prayer of St. Francis and many other hymns for peace communicate this universal need for real peace…that peace which does not refer to just keeping quiet even when there is hatred, anger, bitterness, insecurity or resentment deep within the person´s heart. The peace which the first song tells of is evidently different: ¨Grant me serenity within for the confusions around are mere reflections of what’s within me…¨and having this kind of peace, means sharing it by becoming instruments of peace as the second song conveys to us.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

In this issue of Estrella Misionera, we may say that each one of us is apparently invited to respond to the Lord´s greeting: ¨Peace be with you.¨ This powerful statement of the Lord becomes very clear to us in the different encounters and journeys we experienced during this past quarter as in (1) our Lenten mission experience with our brothers and sisters which we culminated on Easter Sunday; (2) in our opportunity of being with the Lord in a very special way during the Congregational Annual Retreat; (3) in the participation of our congregation together with all the members of CIRM (Conference of the Religious Major Superior of Mexico) in its XLVII Assembly on the theme: "Religious life, Listening to God's Word, Promoting Peace." ¨ wherein all the participating religious congregations listened to and literally cried with the victims who shared their painful experiences of injustice and violence in Mexico at present;(4) in our special and creative way of praying daily in the month of May the Holy Rosary which Mary had taught us to pray so there may be peace in the world; (5) we also celebrated the Day for all mothers…isn´t it that the word ¨Mama¨, ¨Amma¨, Ïnay¨ ¨Mǔqīn¨or in any way we call our own mother is somehow a consoling experience of peace in our heart? Jesus on the cross gave us peace in the person of a loving Mother as He said to John: ¨Behold thy Mother¨(Jn. 19:27) Mary´s presence brings peace in our hearts for with her we know that we will be able to reach Jesus.

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Moving on with our journey, no one can deny that we experienced (6) on Pentecost Sunday itself the breathe of peace of the Holy Spirit as we underwent a journey of deeper self-knowledge in the course of the four stages of permanent formation and (7) as we were visited by our dear Redemptorist brother-priests from different countries in Latin America; and (8) the experiences in the erection of the three more delegations namely North Mexico, Venezuela and South Mexico and (9) our experience of other special liturgical celebrations during this time - the Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, etc.

Within these three months, (10) some sisters and family members had passed away. Our journey with them might have only changed its form but praying for the eternal peace of their soul, we are sure that they still continue to walk with us and intercede for us. We also remember (11) our ¨Fathers¨ in the month of June, it is from them that we learned the discipline which helped us all to be ¨women of peace.¨ Let us recall once again the beautiful message for all women educators and missionaries of the late Pope John Paul II in his message twelve years ago for the celebration of the 28 th World Day of Peace:

In this context, I wish to direct my Message for this year's World Day of Peace especially to women, and to invite them to become teachers of peace with their whole being and in all their actions. May they be witnesses, messengers and teachers of peace in relations between individuals and between generations, in the family, in the cultural, social and political life of nations, and particularly in situations of conflict and war. May they continue to follow the path which leads to peace, a path which many courageous and far-sighted women have walked before them!

And as we celebrate our feast in every country where we are present, in our respective communities and in the midst of our sisters and brothers who call Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, we are once again reminded of the challenge before us as individuals who offered our ¨Yes¨ to the Lord on the day of our Profession, remembering Mary herself with her Fiat; as communities which despite of the differences and uniqueness of its members commit to walk hand in hand; as delegations, following the example of the geeze (Pulling Together p. 49) and as a Congregation which in participating in the evangelizing mission of the Church is ever open and attentive to the Holy Spirit which constantly moves us to be more human in Christ Redeemer like Mary.

With Mary, who forever bears Peace, we who are called MPS (Misioneras del Perpetuo Socorro), are likewise called in the here and now to be genuine MPS (Messengers of Peace and Solidarity) with all those who suffer.

With peace in our hearts, let us joyfully sing together as one family the song composed for the visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in Mexico last March. This song entitled ¨Messenger of Peace¨ speaks for and to us in a real special way (p. 43).

Remaining in the festive spirit of the feast of our dearest Mother of Perpetual Help, the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed, we recall how she lovingly offers the King of Peace to us. For that, let the prayer of PJPII as he ended the document mentioned above bless us and warm our hearts as we continue our journey with God`s people:

I implore the Most Holy Virgin Mary to sustain those men and women who, in the service of life, have committed themselves to building peace. With her help, may they bear witness before all people, especially those who live in darkness and suffering and who hunger and thirst for justice, to the loving presence of the God of peace!

The Lord said: ¨Peace I leave you, my peace I give you.¨ Let us all then enjoy and spread this peace within our very being, among ourselves and with all our sisters and brothers in our respective missions and apostolate.

The peace of the Lord is with us! A peace-filled feast to all!

(Sr. María Victoria Vivar Flores, MPS)

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ALLOWING US TO TEACH THROUGH THE ICON OF OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP GAZING AT THE ICON ¨The eye is the lamp of your body; when your vision is clear; your whole body is full of light; but when it is not, your body is full of darkness.¨ (Lk. 11, 34)

Dear Sisters, Ave María!

We continue to go deeper into the teachings of the Icon of Perpetual Help. This time, I want to share with you this message someone shared with me which, I am sure, some of you have already read. With due respect to the rights of the author, what I intend to do here is for us to continue enriching ourselves thru different reflections which will lead us to more profound Marian experiences with the help of the icon.

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Let us put ourselves in an attitude of prayer and receptiveness; allowing ourselves to gaze at the icon and feel her love. The meditation that we propose is but a glimpse. Later, each one must move in her/his own way "from height to height, to see God in Zion." Beholding the icon in the eyes of your heart, do something very simple and even if you may appear silly. Focus on the wooden frame on which the icon is painted: the four cardinal points, with the North over the head of Mary, the East at the right of the Child, the South under the sandals of Jesus and the West on your left. Thanks.

The icon of Our Lady of the Passion comes from the island of Crete, and is known as the "patroness of sailors." It was brought to Rome by a merchant who had stolen it and after many vicissitudes was rescued from oblivion. It was placed at the private chapel of the Irish Augustinians by the Redemptorist Michael Marchi. From then on, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer spread the image with great love and devotion.

An icon is not to be scrutinized profanely, but to discover and interpret one's own vital spiritual journey as we look at it. Our spiritual journey is an itinerary led by the Lord, guiding us from passivity to active involvement.

Day, year, lifetime, are distinct "spaces" of time with similarities in them: Day Sunrise / morning

Year spring

Life birth/ youth

noon

summer

midlife

afternoon/ evening

autumn

maturity

evening/ night

winter

elderly

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A day is a minuscule life. It has a sunrise, moving towards the fullness of day; a midday / noontime of life-- full of possibilities, and..its demons ; a sunset / getting old; a dying /as the night falls. Our Christian life follows this rhythm: advent and waiting, being born and youth; reaching the fullness of maturity; suffering as in autumn; detachment and letting go; allowing aging which gradually leads to winter, dusk...

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This icon inscribed the history of salvation. Starting with "North" moving in counterclockwise direction, we will be tracing the Paschal mystery of Christ and of the Church in Maria, the mirror and the pattern of the mysteries we recognize in our own lives reborn in baptism. To find the cold and the winter at the "North Pole" of the icon, we "move" and "go culturally -cross " in the northern hemisphere. There, it is has cold, dark night.

In winter, at the pole, the night is long. There is the expectation of light, like a great advent... Advent of all mankind. Advent of and from the creation. In the South, there is warmth and life. The sun rises in the East where life is born. In the West, the sun sets.

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The center of the icon is represented by an unshakable alliance sealed with the Passover. God, in Christ, did nothing; yet, was emptied. He made Himself small, to make us great. At the Center, the resurrected and trans figured humanity in Maria who is primacy of the new creation, offers a hand as a throne while the other hand, serves as a stable object for the child Jesus to cling to. This unbreakable alliance shows an admirable exchange sung in the liturgy. God, represented as small and not releasing the hand clasping Him, emptied Himself of the love which we need so much. By clinging, we were exalted ... in Him, with Him and for Him. It is difficult to find the words. God, the Son... the Word of the Father, became man and emptied Himself to make us great and divine. Mary, the Church, is transfigured, with the resurrected figure. Jesus, on the other hand, clung to our Lady as He looked at the instruments of His passion held by the angel. The Holy Spirit of the Annunciation and of the Pentecost is fire that dyes the mantle of Mary red. Let us go back to the North. There is nothing. Is it just waiting for nightfall or for death to come? No, it is not! It is Advent!

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On the forehead of the Virgin are the Cross and the Star. Star and cross: they pursue and overlap each other. Is it not the star expected by the nations, the star of the Messiah, the one which the Magi saw from the east; the vigil of humanity that lasts from creation until the end. The Messiah, the Christ was born. Things begin to brighten up. The endless night is already cradling the dawn of day.

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We have thus, moved to the East, the Orient. The East is in the spring. It is already Christmas. It is good to remember that in ancient Christian language it reflected the unity of the mystery. The Lord is in the East. Ad vent has ceded his place to the ineffable presence: Christmas. The Child sees the cross and the instruments of the Passion "for us and for our salvation". One of the angels whom the Father sent to comfort the Son, holds the cross.

In other versions of the icon, the crown of thorns is set on the cross. The second angel holds the chalice, lance and swab. They are all the instruments of His passion: "for this, I have come...", "If the Son of Man does not die‌

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The Child's body does not appear still. He looks like a great river of grace, come down to walk on land. His cloak is of earth color with gold that denotes divinity and wrapped with the red of the Holy Spirit. We are now in the South, in the maturity of the summer. Have you carefully observed the sandals? See that one is securely tight to the foot, and the other? It has become loose or almost falling off. The sandals have multiple meanings. The first is of the absolute respect of God as holy ground.� (Ex. 3.5 and Jos. 5.15) The second is that of the two natures of Jesus Christ: discalced of His divinity, fits humanity. The third is strange and exotic to our mentality, but not for the biblical-patristic. It is the spousal dimension. Christ, the only One who has the right to unite divinity with human nature. John the Baptist is mere "friend of the Bridegroom". The Messianic Spouse who married humanity is Jesus. This is why the law of levirate marriage as the Baptist repeated over and over again that "he is not worthy to untie the sandal..." that he "is not the Bridegroom, but the friend of the Bridegroom." In summer, in the South, fullness reigns. The season for harvest is reached.

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What is in the West...in the Occidental? Nothing. Everything is empty, at first glance. We are in autumn.

Leaves fall and the trees are bare. Harvest takes place and fruits are collected. Everything is stripped. Walk toward the sunset, toward old age. Will death expire in winter? Through the cross, we move towards the light.

We go towards the resurrection... Pentecost through the Passion and Death.

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As we complete our tour, we return to the North. The night of the winter and the death may not haunt us any longer. All night, death has been defeated in the Passover of Christ. Easter Vigil, which is the mother of all the vigils, is illumined by resurrection, the new fire and the candle. Sung with the best of the poetic vein of the Church in the Exultet, it is evident that life has defeated death. "Death, where is your victory, death where is your sting...?"

The North, the winter of our Icon is no longer dark and the shadow of death no longer brings fear. The Cross and the Star do not coincide. Christ is the love of the Father squandered on our behalf by the Spirit. The waters of all the torrents will not be able to turn it off or deny it, because love is stronger than death. Let us continue the state of Vigil, recognizing the return of the Anointed One, i rejoicing His presence without end and "wiping every tear, all together, with Mary, contemplating Him face to face".

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The Passover of Christ is already our resurrection. The Icon is window of Heaven (the gold color is the color of God, "of the old days" of Daniel and the Apocalypse). Mary, - in her humanity, the sure hope be cause of the Alliance is new and eternal. These are already divinized. Mary has already lived her Easter.

Christ traveled the road with and for us. According to the stage of our age in the Spirit, Christ traced and run from North to South, from the Orient to sunset, the path of His and our Easter, offering this sacrifice without end; a permanent waiting (advent), a continuous birth, advanced through the quarantine of the fullness (Lent) and became new and eternal Easter.

Recall that in the previous issue, we highlighted the experience of listening. Now, we want to focus on gazing. Let us observe and analyze our gaze to correct what prevents us from contemplating the see the action of God in what we see.

Quoting from the Sacred Scripture in the Gospel of Luke: ¨ the lamp of the body is the eye," Let us then apply this to the process that we, as MPS in this Sexennium, hope to journey in becoming more humane. We are invited to purify our gaze, both at the personal, interpersonal and Congregational level, allowing the Lord to teach us to be good disciples in our experience of prayer, community and apostolic life.

Only with a pure and disinterested gaze, can we transform our lives.

We find in the icon a guide to do this.

If therefore your whole body is full of light, no darkened parts, it will be wholly illumined; as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”

(Lk. 11,36) The Lord continues to guide our faith so that our hope will be alive and our attitude will be cheerful.

In Christ Redeemer and Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help,

M. Cecilia Morales Tapia, MPS Superior General

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On the 24th and 25th March 2012, the IVth Extraordinary Council Meeting (RCE IV) was held at the Perpetuo Socorro Casa Hogar at Zacatenco, with the Fr. Israel Aldo Estrella Garcia, IAM National Secretary as the guest speaker.

On March 25, we started at 9: 00 a. m. with the Eucharist presided by Fr. Aldo. To begin the day, M. General Cecilia Morales Tapia gave a message of welcome and orientation about the meeting for the second day.

Subsequently, Sr. Ma. Teresa Medina Sanchez shared on the reflection of the meeting of the CIRM (Conferencia de Superiores Mayores de Religiosos de México), taking the reading of the Transfiguration of Jesus. She said that the CIRM gives now the proposal with the reality of the Religious Life to work in networks, i.e., congregations must join together whatever of the same spirituality that we may have for the good and effectiveness of our apostolic work. And then she asked the assembly these questions: ¨Is it not essential that we consider now networking in our own Congregation? How we can do it among us? In which areas do we need to do this? ¨ After some discussions and suggestions, it was agreed that networking for the following areas will be created with a specific sister responsible: Education: Sr. María Rosa Lugo Casa Hogar: Sr. María Verónica Zendejas.

Mission: it is hoped that one sister takes on this area Formation: Sr. Diana Cruz.

M Bertina Teresa Ledezma proposed that we must share the documents on the Congregational Identity and Charism. Likewise, in this meeting, an evaluation regarding the monthly recollections and the course on Assertiveness was also done wherein the sisters also wrote their suggestions and proposals.

Sr. Ma. Guadalupe Montoya Blas, Superior of the community of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca and current President of the FEP in the region of Istmo, shared the material of the 592 agreement made by Dr. Ferrini in the Assembly of the CNEP (National Confederation of Private Schools). She informed that schools affiliated with the CNEP undergo an accreditation process: Educational model to apply to any school (4th Accreditation Model); (Education Model); (SACE) System of Accreditation of the Quality Education. The system seeks to guide the evaluation from the perspective of continuous improvement and represents a self-study practice, in order to strengthen their management and quality assurance in educational services.

Moreover, M. General Cecilia gave some indications.

The next RCE will be on the 25th to 27th of May 2012, from Friday at 4 p.m.

It would also be soon that the assemblies for the Mexico North and South would take place for the erection of their delegation and for the election of their delegate and council. The dates and tentative venues chosen were: – for Mexico- North: 30 April to 1 May (Casa Hogar, Zacatenco ) while – for México- South: 13 - 14 May (Quecholac, Puebla) Finally, M. Cecilia gave the following tasks to be worked on in every community:  Evaluation of community projects.  Turn-over Report of the Superior

(Sr. Norma Patricia Pérez Esparza,

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We send a cordial greeting and a frater-

nal hug to all our MPS sisters in the different delegations.

We believe that community life is a gift of the Holy Spirit (VFC 8), open to the historical realities of the world and of the Church. We live in the examples of Jesus.

We must always seek to live in a true evangelical friendship. This is what Jesus asks of us.

Here we work with the Perpetual Help Lay Missionaries in giving catechism to the children.

Recently, we held a meeting with the catechists. They are willing to help us with other things. They are not many but are very willing to help in anything they can. They are an extension of our religious family. Our concern is that we may continue to give them formation according to the statutes and the charism and spirituality of our Congregation, so that they their work may be more efficient.

(Sr. Blanca Emilia Romero Rodríguez, MPS)

MPS CENTRAL HOUSE (MARCH 24-25, 2012) FACILITATOR: LIC. MARÍA RAMONA GUZMÁN

One of the objectives of the six-year term 2011-2017 is to offer special attention to our elderly sisters by means of comprehensive training workshops. The initial workshop called: “Wisdom and Life Experience” was planned on September last year aiming to address the following:      

To give all participants health tools in taking care of their well-being.

To find inner peace through the consciousness of the love that God has for us.

To learn how to use the necessary means so as to achieve harmony with ourselves and our neighbors.

To recognize and acknowledge one’s own history in the journey of the years.

To work on forgiveness so as to be more free and create internal health.

The program began with the announcement of Extraordinary Council Meetings formed to motivate superiors and their respective communities in raising awareness among the elderly sisters, particularly those of 50 years of age and onwards.

There has been some resistance in the beginning from our elderly sisters to participate. Some expressed that it was not helping them to be ¨boxed¨ as “Sisters of the third age". However, we pushed it through realizing the purpose of this activity. There was enough time for preparation and we received support from several communities to achieve our goal.

Together with Licentiate Maria Ramona Guzman, the support of the General Government, and the Community of the Central House, all preparations were made and checked on all the aspects of logistics.

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The date of the workshop finally arrived, and we were pleasantly surprised on how many sisters from different parts of the country came to the Central House for the event. Some superiors brought their elderly sisters to the Central House while some sisters decided to stay in other nearby MPS communities in Mexico. D.F. Various committees were created to facilitate the activities. Sister Ricarda Rendón Meza from the Community of Perpetuo Socorro Casa Hogar, headed the liturgy committee and opened the workshop with a very heartwarming prayer. Lic. Maria Ramona Guzman, Ms. Teresa Guzman and Sister Maritza J. Morillo Herrera initiated the program with a big surprise participation of 47 MPS sisters from several states of Mexico and from Mexico D.F. itself .

We also had the honor of having our Superior General, M. Cecilia Morales Tapia and Gen. Councilor Maria Victoria Vivar Flores at the start of the workshop. M. Cecilia addressed the sisters with words of encouragement and was happy to find joy in every face of the elderly sisters participating. She especially thanked them for being beautiful examples of Consecrated women by dedicating their life to the Congregation of Missionaries of our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The two days of the workshop were intense with various activities such as internalization, sharing of experiences, deepening in the processes of personal growth, guidance as well periods of relaxation, break time, snacks and recreation.

On Sunday, March 25, commemorating the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, we started the day with a Eucharistic Celebration, presided by Fr. Desire Afana, a zealous missionary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In his homily, Fr. Afana motivated all the sisters present to appreciate this beautiful stage of life of experience, wisdom, and total confidence with the commitment to be example for the Congregation, for the Church and for the world. In addition, he urged the assembly to give to God the first hours of the day, and every effort to promote good interpersonal and fraternal relationships needed so as to live the invitation Jesus made to his disciples: "See how they love as brothers and sisters…”

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As part of this Eucharist, we also remembered the 69th year consecration of Sr. Isaura Flores Rodriguez (Imelda), a member of the San Antonio, Texas MPS community and a participant in the workshop. P. Desire congratulated Sr. Isaura for the years of service and surrender to God, and encouraged her to continue giving her time to the mission that was entrusted to her.

In concluding the celebration, the celebrant invited everyone to renew the commitment we have made of "GIVING LIFE FOR ABUNDANT REDEMPTION, as Christ, the son of God did." He also referred to the Mission of the Virgin Mary, who knew how to respond to the plan that God showed her, which she assumed up to the last cost. A closing prayer of lauds was led by Sr. Maria Consuelo Morales Gir贸n from the MPS Itinerant Mission Team in New York, USA. We continued with the program of activities as scheduled with the prayer in the meeting hall and this time Sr. Raquel Lara Alba, from MPS San Luis Potos铆 community encouraged everyone to continue in the atmosphere of prayer, encounter and experience of God as sisters of the same family.

We would like to acknowledge and thank our dear Sisters for responding to this invitation, for believing that at this stage of their lives, there are great things to be done, to be given and to be taught. We thank them for their openness, testimony, joy, and sorority, making this workshop possible and accomplishing its purpose. Indeed, we have the experience and dedication of Lic. Maria Ramona, the collaboration of MPS several communities, especially the Central House, casas hogares, schools and the General Government, but the presence and availability of everyone fulfilled our goals.

We ask God that He may help us to share with our respective communities everything that we have learned in this workshop and that we may continue to practice them for our own good.

(Secretariat of Religious Life)

When I found out that a workshop for elderly sisters would be given, and we were told to participate in it, I couldn't help laughing. On the day of the workshop, I resisted a little. But I was curious; and so, I went to see what was there for us.

The truth is that I liked it! I even went over to Ramona Guzman, the psychologist who gave us the course, to see if she could help me in some aspects, to which she agreed. Unfortunately, for some reasons, I wasn't able to keep the appointment.

The month of May came. Sr. Margarita Jaime called up and urged me to take advantage of an offer for another workshop with Lic. Ramona. I readily agreed.

Again, it was another wonderful experience for me. Through the Liberation Therapy, most of my feelings of anxiety and stress were gone. Seeing others in the group also made me realize that I am not the only one with problems. There were those in worse condition. Likewise, I saw that nothing is impossible when one desires and decides to change.

Everything is a process. I proposed some personal activities to help me move on. Although I have not been able to comply 100%, I hope to achieve everything with the help of God who is a most patient and loving companion.

(Sr. Josefina Anaya Ortega, MPS)

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Our delegation in Central America had meetings during the year according

to the schedule we sent. On 06 February, we had the first phase of formation on the theme: Vital Cycles in Our Life". In June, the next subject will be on Enneagram which will be held in Mazatenango. The Mazatenango community had mission with students during the Holy Week by visiting some houses in order to know them more. We had the next mission in Sonsonate while the Postulancy community went to the Parish of Palencia at Easter..

Here, almost everybody who participated in Holy Week 2012 Mission Team were youth. We distributed ourselves into 6 areas belonging to the Parish of Nahulingo. At EL EDEN, there were: Flor Rauda, (the girl in orange blouse), Iliana García (4th from the right to the left) and Guadalupe Romero (3rd from left to right).

In the BOLSONA, Julia Granados ((4th from left to the right) and our postulant Ingrid Damián; and in SANTA CRUZ, Sr. Maripaz Santos Vicente (not in the picture) and the young Fernando Escoto (center). In Canton CACAO ABAJO: We have brothers René and Nataly Zelada (1st from right to left and 2nd from left to right). In CACAO ARRIBA: Sr.Aracely Guzmán and Brenda Aguilar (sister of Vicky Cardona, former novice). And in LA ENSENADA, Sr. Patricia Gutiérrez Santa Cruz with youth Jesica Carolina Morales (3rd from right to left) and Flor Castro (2nd from right to left).

Also we see Fr. Samuel Murcia who helped us celebrate the Easter Vigil in the 4 areas.

MISSION IN SONSONATE (MPS Community and group of lay MISSIONARIES Del PERPETUO SOCORRO with Father Samuel Murcia, Vicar of the Parish of Our Lady of the Angels.

We have come across a community that was strongly indifferent to the Church. The lack of presence of the parish priest as well as his failure to attend the needs of the people had made them feel abandoned and this encouraged them to transfer to other religious sect where their spiritual needs are met. On the other hand, fortunately we discovered that the children of the Sacred Heart of Jesus community who welcomed the call of the mission served as the open door for us to touch the heart of this community. This only reminds us that In the mission, we do face many obstacles in spreading God`s word to people but with the help of God, we would triumph. CHRIST LIVES TODAY, TOMORROW AND FOREVER! Our postulant Ingrid Damian and the young teacher Julia Granados facilitated the Holy week mission in the Bolsona area. They had the Way of the Cross on Good Friday but because this particular area was greatly influenced by the political issues that our country had just recently experienced, it generated division within the community and this caused difficulty in the mission. Due to social problems that every family faced, the people especially the adults were not so responsive to the call of the mission. On the other hand, the youth and the children responded without reservation especially with those who directly worked with us. This motivated us even more and by the end of the week, we felt indeed satisfied. The whole mission experience was done with much enthusiasm. Both the communities of Bolsona and the Eden had missionaries who celebrated with the people their own paschal vigil and everybody did it very well.

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The young people who participated in Cacao Abajo did not send photos because they lacked the camera, but they lived a reality that made them wonder a lot. They were in a farm with a few owners where people were kind of sleeping, living without dreams, or desires to progress. They were very simple people and nobody says anything, and the poor people continued to serve the few land owners. This situation made it difficult for the missionaries to have the mission in that place. The houses are very distant although the people were nice, but sad to say that even if they did not want to commit to work in the farm, they still did not have time for the Church. While the employers are very "Catholic" people, they exploit the poor people. The missionaries practically lived with these persons from Monday to Friday and then gathered them together on Saturday with the other mission areas.

Santa Cruz is a village of people with fervor, although as in Cacao Arriba, there are more women than men, at least in the Church.

On Holy Thursday, as everybody were already accustomed helped in preparing the altar for the Blessed Sacrament for the vigil and on the following day, there was the procession of the Holy Tomb.

We joined with Cacao Arriba and it was really nice to walk with many fervent people. On our way back, we got wet under the rain.

But it was okay because we had a good bath anyway.

In this picture, we are about to start the Great Easter Vigil Mass and the people were expressing their thanks. It was very beautiful! Fr. Samuel presided the mass.

The young men and women who had gone with us in the mission were very motivated.

They wanted to be official members of the Lay Missionaries of Perpetual Help. This was their first mission experience and they already felt as part of us and they worked even better than us. It has been a great experience. Some of them left important activities during that week. We could not write everything about what they have experienced. They have a great missionary spirit Thanks to our Lord. If you want to see more of them, you may find them in Facebook.

Hope you would enjoy them!

(Hna. Aracely Guzman, MPS—El Salvador)

Cacao Arriba became the venue for the Paschal Vigil. Everything was prepared there. The youth creatively presented the Way of the Cross and the 15th Station was presented on Saturday after the gospel was read in the Easter vigil mass. We saw how people here remembered Sister Melissa who was here with them some years ago. People requested the missionaries to visit their houses because there are many Protestants and they are really becoming divided. This reality causes fear in them except during the period of the mission. The youth also pled that we continually accompany them and for this, we do hope that the team may be able to do it. The vigil was very motivating and the people from the four mission areas brought some food for the fellowship meal. We have some pictures of that night.

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In Constitution 77, we read: " Our Founders, moved by profound experience of God and passion for Jesus, the Redeemer; with the protection of Mary our Perpetual Help, contemplated on the poverty and marginalization they had encountered in the cities, the great abandonment of towns and ranches, and the religious ignorance of people who lacked knowledge of Christian doctrine. This prompted them to dedicate their lives to the mission (LG 28) that will allow people to experience the abundant mercy of God (Mk 8, 1-3)."

Each one of us in the Congregation, is called to bring this same experience to the world. That is why it has been our tradition to offer the days of the Holy Week to communities which are far from their parish church. Our presence provides the people around, who for various reasons, cannot participate in their parish, the opportunity to meditate on the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This Holy Week 2012 was organized by the Secretariat of the Missionary Action in coordination with the Vocation Ministry. In addition to faith-sharing with the people which we all know by now, we shall also take the opportunity of meeting girls who may wish to join the Congregation via a missionary experience, albeit limited. The missionary experience we offer are supported and guided by professed Sisters of the Congregation, together with the local vocation promoters.

The communities which participated in forming this year´s Holy Week mission team coordinated by the Vocation Promotion and the Missionary Action Secretariat were: General Government 4 sisters Central House 4 sisters Postulancy 2 sisters and 4 postulants Novitiate 4 2nd year novices Mission House - San Antonio Buenavista 1 sister Casa Hogar Zacatenco 1 sister Casa Hogar Toluca 1 sister Colegio Alfonso de Ligorio 6 sisters Colegio Salina Cruz 1 sister Colegio Morelos 1 sister Colegio Vasco de Quiroga 3 sisters Colegio Tepeyac 1 sister Colegio Nezahualcoyotl 1 sister Colegio Martín de la Cruz 1 sister Colegio Juan Ramón 2 sisters Colegio Anfossi 1 sister

We had missions in seven 7 parishes wherein we were accompanied by 18 young aspirants. The participation of the second year novices also to complement their apostolic formation.

We give thanks to God and to Mary, the Missionary Virgin of Perpetual Help, for this opportunity to serve and to renew our missionary spirit; we commit ourselves to pray for all those who received our apostolic action, and to continually assist them in every way possible.

(Secretariat of the Missionary Action)

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MPS CONGREGATIONAL SPIRITUAL EXERCISES EASTER 2012 The infinite greatness and mercy of God are constantly manifested in every moment of our lives.

One of the aims of this new sexennium is to continually walk

together on the same path with our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, and Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help. To achieve this purpose, we must not only go through the same route, but we must also fill each other with love, to be consecrated to God and to live fraternally with those who seek peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.

With this in mind, the Secretariat of Religious Life proposed to develop a support material for the Monthly Recollections and to have Congregational Spiritual Exercises for the communities in Mexico and United States in 2012. The possibility of an Ignatian Spiritual Exercise had been raised. In September 2011, Jesuit preacher Father Javo, SJ, had agreed to see his schedule and had confirmed in January this year to direct the Spiritual Exercises for the two sessions: Easter and Summer.

The Spiritual Exercise for Easter was scheduled on April 9-14, 2012, to be held at the Casa Hogar Perpetuo Socorro of Toluca.

This community had been very supportive in every way from the preparation of the retreat to providing the needs of all the sisters.

On April 8th, we celebrated the "Easter of Resurrection". Majority of the participants of the Spiritual Exercise came in the afternoon, straight from their mission of Holy week, while the others arrived the following morning. Despite the fatigue from the long journey, most of them have shown and expressed great joy in seeing fellow sisters from different communities, creating an undeniably sisterly ambience and zest for the week-long spiritual experience. There were 64 sisters participating in this first batch and they were accommodated in four cottages. The retreat preacher had been provided with a place where he could rest, prepare his materials, and attend to sisters wanting confession or consultation during the retreat.

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The community auditorium was newly renovated and was properly decorated for the activity. Our Superior General Mother Cecilia Morales Tapia welcomed each of the retreatants and encouraged the assembly to fully live up these days of retreat by abandoning themselves to the action of the spirit so as to achieve an authentic personal encounter with the Lord, keeping our minds open to hear what God wants to tell to each one of us. She invited us to let go of all concerns so we may live this Easter week differently.

Mother Cecilia continued to express her hope that we may have a true experience of renewal and feel the joy of encountering Jesus who walks with us and loves us constantly.

Before Fr. Javo came in, the materials for the first part of the retreat were distributed. It was also announced that the theme for this year’s annual spiritual exercise is "Encounter with Jesus: Path to Growth and Transformation".

Casa Hogar provided an atmosphere of silence and reflection. The sisters were all in deep meditation as each one found a comfortable place for prayer.

The retreat concluded at noontime on Saturday, April 14th with a celebration of the Eucharist. A deep spiritual satisfaction can be reflected in every participant for the one-week ¨treat¨ of a real retreat experience. Prayers of thanksgiving were offered during the mass. After the Eucharist, the Animation Committee presented a small program while the Food Committee served us with a sumptuous typical Toluca meal of "Gorditas and Tlayudas". We truly enjoyed the company of one another.

That week was an experience of a meaningful and solemn congregational retreat in which the Lord allowed us to be renewed Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We wish to acknowledge our preacher Fr. Javo, the sisters of the community of the Casa Hogar Perpetuo Socorro of Toluca, and all the committees in charge of different services including the liturgy, animation, dishwashing, cleaning of the cottages and comfort rooms, time keeping and food preparation. We thank all the sisters and Fr. Javo for their hard work and for accompanying us on this journey.

(Secretariat of Religious Life)

Last 9th of April 2012, we had the first of a five-day-spiritual exercises on St. Ignatius with Fr. Francisco Javier (Javo) Conde, a Jesuit priest, as preacher.

We were invited to live the experience of encounter with the Lord. The retreat aimed• To deepen the relationship with God through meditation and prayer.

• To experience the closeness and the love of God, His mercy and faithfulness.

• To eliminate fear, and be moved by love as a guide to life itself.

• To search and find God's will in making decisions for our own lives.

• To live with greater depth a life of following Jesus.

Fr. Javo put all effort to develop the topics utilizing clear and appropriate language. Obviously, the participants were interested in the activities as all came to the hall on time.

The community of the Casa Hogar of Toluca, the venue for the retreat, gave us all their time and unconditional service Each day of the exercises was very special. The following phrases touched us a lot : * ¨I really feel the gaze and the love of God for me. * ¨I feel transformed¨ * ¨God has enlightened us anew to know ourselves better.¨ My autobiography, was a great help; remembering the love of my parents who did not refuse my entrance to the convent, the love of my grandma and aunt; and contemplating the invitation of Jesus, to my new conversion.

I asked from the Lord to grant us, sisters, the strength for evangelization and conversion, for preaching the love of God, of the Blessed Virgin and of the saints.

May God grant me the grace to be careful in my meditation and prayers. In contemplating my misery and limitations, I pray not to be discouraged but rather, offer them all to the Lord. May our Mother Mary help make me and the whole world more humane.

(Hna. Socorro Arreola, MPS)

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In the week of May 9 to 14, we held a course at Escuela de Animadores Misioneros (ESAM) in the headquarters of the Obras Misionales Pontificio Episcopales(OMPE) in Mexico City. This institute is intended to provide training for animators of the groups of missionary children and adolescents who work in the different dioceses of our country and in the Educational Institutions.

The Infancia Adolescencia Misionera (IAM) has been started in our Alphonsus Liguori School since school year 2010-2011 and has achieved excellent results. For this, we participated in the training program. There were four animators from the school: three teachers and a sister. We, Srs. Leticia Diaz from the community of Tampico, Elia Vasquez from Toluca Casa Hogar and Ma. Teresa Medina of the Secretariat of Missio-nary Action have also received the training.

The topics are very relevant, as we recall the missionary mandate given by Jesus Christ to the Church, in which our Congregation, through our founders participate in a particular way, as mentioned in our Constitutions: “Our Congre-

gation stirred up by the Holy Spirit to participate in the evangelizing mission of the Church is essentially missionary. " C.78

The ESAM also gives us the necessary elements to implement and build up I.A.M. in each of our apostolic works. The proposal is for the IAM to be implemented next school year in all our apostolic works. This means having a clear goal of the Pontifical Missionary Work (OMP) e.g.: "To help the educators in awakening and gradually developing in the children and adolescents a universal mission awareness, and to lead them to a spiritual communion and sharing of material resources with peers in other churches, especially with those most in need. Remembering that everyone has something to give and has something to receive, the motto adopted is "Children Helping Children. This is to promote missionary vocations as well . (Est. O.M.P. chap. II, art. 13).

We thank God and the Virgin Mary of Perpetual Help, the Missionary Virgin, for this opportunity for formation that has been provided to us through the OMPE. We put in their hands this project of training our recipients with a genuine missionary spirit that will make them committed evangelizers for the Church and the society.

(Secretariat of Missionary Action )

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AVE MARIA:

Greetings of love to all you! May God bless all your daily undertakings.

I want to share with all of you the visit of M. Cecilia Morales

Tapia together with her vicar M. Ma. Teresa Medina and M. Anavela Barrientos to our community of Colegio Juan Ramón Jimenez last April 20 to 22.

It was with much joy that we received the sisters. It was wonderful to get to know each other better and share experiences with them. This fraternal visit made us feel real sisters. Each one of us in the community had the chance to be interviewed by M. Cecilia. We had the chance to express our feelings -- personally and as a community. Sr. Anavela gave a sharing with each of the junior sisters.

Everyone participated in celebrating life through the Celebration of the Eucharist and the prayer of Lauds and Vespers. During the meal, there was sharing of experiences in the school and the community. There was an atmosphere of great joy. The Sisters of the Council were very grateful and happy for the trust and affection that each one of the sisters accorded them.

During the days of the visitation, a mini-sport Olympics participated by all children, was held. The Visitors witnessed some of the competitions.

On this occasion however, M. Angelina Andrade of Casa Hogar, bade us goodbye in order to go back to our Father's house. We and other sisters from different communities gathered in prayer.

There was a real spirit of solidarity during the wake of M. Angelina.

After the burial, our Superior General M. Cecilia resumed her interviews with the other sisters.

In conclusion, allow me to express our appreciation for the visit of the sisters. We hope that they, like us, had a nice experience.

We were all very happy for their confidence and affection. Moments such as these, will surely strengthen and help us in our journey as members of the MPS Congregation.

Thank you and God bless.

(Hna. Nilda Lizeth García, MPS)

María Angelina Andrade García originally from Chautla, Puebla, felt God's call to be religious from her youth.

Guided by her confessor, she undertook the journey to Mexico, District Federal, where she met the Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Villa of Guadalupe. She was received and welcomed by the Superior General of the MPS Congregation and for a short while, she had proved herself to be a great missionary as she preached the Gospel in the various states of the Mexican Republic among the parents, youth and children, and even abroad such as in Guatemala, Central America.

She was very much appreciated wherever she was sent. In the spirit of obedience, she put her gifts at the service of those who are most in need of knowledge so that the Kingdom of God may be extended even in the most neglected places. She was committed, responsible, very human and sympathetic person. She corrected with prudence and love, lived with authentic self-offering, righteousness and fidelity with sincerity. She was a woman of faith and constancy in all.

During the celebration of her Silver Anniversary in religious life held in Villa Guadalupe and which was presided by the late Rev. Fr. Laurentino Migueles, CSsR, M. Angelina expressed her gratitude to the Lord for the life given to her as a consecrated woman. With much confidence and deep faith, she extended her invitation in advance of joining her to thank God for the gift of life and vocation for her Golden Anniversary of Religious Life (1947-1997) in the Basilica of Guadalupe on the 30th of August 1997.

Thank you, God, our Father for the life of this religious!

Maria Angelina Andrade Garcia, until the 21st of April at 3 in the morning of the year 2012 in Mexico D.F. gave her last breath and went back to the Father's house. May she rest in peace.

The Community of Perpetuo Socorro Casa Hogar in Zacatenco, D. F., wished to thank all the sisters of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and the relatives of our dear M. Angelina Andrade Garcia plus the close friends who have accompanied us during the wake and funeral. May God reward you for your generosity.

It is inevitable to feel the pain and sorrow whenever we are separated from our loved ones; but the words of Jesus invite us to transform our grief into joy, and that the death is only a vital step to enter eternal life.

(Sr . Juana Lidia Romero Miranda, MPS)

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On April 27 to 29, 2012, the Congrega-

tion of the Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help represented by Superior General M. Cecilia Morales Tapia and General Councilor Sr. Maria Victoria Vivar Flores joined the other major superiors of the different religious congregations in Mexico for the XLVII (Conferencia de Superiores Mayores de Religiosos de México)CIRM Assembly in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon in reflecting and discerning on this year´s theme: "Religious life, Listening to God's Word, Promoting Peace."

With this theme, the assembly aims to discern the call of God in the reality of country as it faces election and to give an intercongregational option for peace. The methodology used to accomplish the goal was: See-Judge- Act.

The Assembly was also conducted in the context of a Universal Church which is prepared to perform the Synod on the New Evangelization and to live the Year of Faith which will begin in October. For this, the participants attentively listened to the voice of some victims of violence who awakened in them compassion and passion and invited the religious to work and promote a project of peace that will make the Kingdom of God more visible in our world today.

In the course of the testimonies, reflections and sharing, Religious Life as represented in the said Assembly recognizing both its fragility and at the same time discovering its potential acknowledged the need to encourage in all communities, works and ministries a vocation in the service of peace with justice and dignity in preference of the poor and marginalized.

In line with our congregational theme for this sexennium, is this not indeed a significant light from the Holy Spirit that we may be more human in Christ Redeemer as we take up the challenge of strengthening our service and commitment to peace like Mary our Mother? *

Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss.¨ (Ps. 85:11)

(Secretariat of de Communication and Diffusion)

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A

pastoral vocation journey was conducted at the Creche

Convent on April 29th of this year. Among those who participated were seven Filipino youths invited by Sr. Celsa.

The activity started at 2:00 pm with a welcome song from the MPS sisters followed by brief introductions. The community was very delighted with the presence of Mo. Alejandrina, and two other sisters from India - Sr. Pushpa and Sr. Jacintha.

Sr. Celsa facilitated the activity for the searchers as she talked about the MPS Congregation through a slideshow presentation that made the participants aware of the purpose and meaning of responding to the calling for vocation.

Sr. Pushpa shared her vocation story to the searchers and also explained the need for more missionaries in the world today where dehumanization is rampant. She finished with a challenge for the searchers to reflect on our mission to God and to our neighbours.

At the end of the event, the participants were inspired and inspirited by the whole experience. The MPS sisters concluded the activity with the song “I have my mission" and a vocation prayer.

(Sr. Celia L. Villaflor, MPS)

The whole Congregation joins our community in India in offering prayers for sisters: Pushpa Ekka,(Orissa); Louie Jesintha Jacob (Tamil Nadu), Susila Ekka y Ranjita Rose Ekka (Orissa); Vandana Thomas and Sr. Sunitha Kumari (Karnataka) (our first Indian MPS Sisters who will make their final vows on the 25th of August 2012.)

We thank the Lord for this great gift He gives to our Congregation, to India and to the world. We also pray for the perseverance of these sisters. May their testimony of fidelity and zeal in their vocation inspire and encourage more young people in India and the whole of Asia to respond gracefully to God´s call.

(Sr. Myrna Lois G. Salas, MPS)

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The Assembly for the constitution of Mexico (North Delegation) was held with great enthusiasm, on the 29th up to the 30th April 2012. After reflection, sharing and discussions, the election was conducted. The elected Delegate and Council members were as follows: M. Veronica Zendejas Echeverría (Delegate Superior), Sr. Cecilia Esquivel Reyes (Vicar and First Counselor), Sr. Ma Elena Martínez Burgos (2nd Councilor) and Sr. Leticia Diaz Paredes (3rd Councilor) who, with God's grace, claim to serve our beloved Congregation, specifically the Delegation of Mexico-North for the triennium 2012 to 2015.

This is a new journey experience for us, Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We know that it is only by with God's help and that of our dear Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help with the prayers of each and every member of this delegation that we will be able to move forward.

With the two-day Assembly leaving us in peace, joy and good disposition, we feel that we are called to be continually moved and guided by the Holy Spirit in all our works and projects that as a congregation, we follow this new direction henceforth becoming a leaven of love and redemption in the midst of this society torn by hatred and culture of death.

MAY GOD BLESS OUR CONGREGATIONAL JOURNEY!!!

(Sr. Leticia Díaz Paredes, MPS)

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Sister Nunila Santiago Salvador was born on 22 October 1947 in the Granadilla Congregation of Ozuluama, Veracruz, México. She is a daughter of Zeferino Santiago and Eulalia Salvador. Out of 9 siblings, one is a QEPD priest and two are religious sisters. She entered the postulancy in Tlalpizahuac, State of Mexico wherein she also did her his novitiate from 15 August 1970 to 15 August 1972. She did her final profession on the 9th of August 1979.

Her academic degree was until the secondary but in the process, she attended religious courses and some other available courses.

She finished her mission here on earth with courage on May 6, 2012, 11: 00 p.m. Her heredity is her testimony which she bequeathed to our community-: She made me feel good when she shared her experiences of the day and of the night because she expressed it with much freedom and she always appreciated any favor that she received. Her smiling face reflected what she had lived and seen before her death (many flowers) - M. Raquel.

Her reflections in the recollection were very deep. I was taken aback to learn that she also played the guitar. - Sr. Anilú.

She was a woman of constant prayer in the chapel and she always strived to create a community despite her illness. – Sr. Ma. Hilda.

Very active woman who always helped and made me experience much peace, through her life of prayer. She motivated me to move on with her advices. - Novice Erika.

That God may reward her and I appreciated her being always attentive to what could be done in the community. - Sr. Rocío.

Her patience in her illness was noteworthy and whenever we had the opportunity to join her, she was very efficient in the apostolate or missions. - Sr. Adelita.

Always present in prayer and was very good sister who did not cause discomfort to anybody. – M. Lupe J. She was a sister, of prayer, joy, peace, and was patient despite her illness, she always shared about her family, her life as M.P.S. with great satisfaction of her missionary adventures, in our community gatherings and apostolic work wherein she collaborated according to her possibilities. She also perceived the things with optimism, was concerned for the sisters of the community and always tried to be in solidarity. May the Lord God reward her with every good thing until the end and may she enjoying His glory as she intercedes for each one of us and our Congregation of M.P.S. – Sr. Lidia.

We love you, M. Nunila!

(Vasco de Quiroga Community, San Luis Potosí. S.L.P.)

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Every 10th of May (in Mexico and in many other countries), or on the second Sunday of May (in Philippines, Vene-

zuela and in other countries as well), every child young or old, makes this a real extraordinary day for her/his mother whether she still lives or has already passed away. Almost a hundred percent of humankind aware of this feast or celebration, remember mother in their own, unique way... be it grand or simple-- expressed deep within their hearts. Why? Simply because it is truly a special day. It is Mother´s Day! St. Therese of Lisieux once said: ¨The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God… is the heart of a Mother. ¨ A person who finds it hard to define love will understand it better if she/he is reminded of the sacrifice of a mother. A poet named Mawreen Hawkins expressed a mother´s sentiment: ¨Before you were conceived, I WANTED YOU. Before you were born, I LOVED YOU. Before you were here an hour, I WOULD DIE FOR YOU. This is the miracle of life.¨ Every Mother´s day, we celebrate this miracle. We celebrate our being so loved and continually loved. Even for those whose mothers have already passed away, we can all be sure that they are with the Lord in heaven for they truly lived a life of love and self-giving. They are interceding for their beloved children. We recall Jesus so moved with compassion when He saw a widow weeping over her only son´s death (Lk. 7:11-15). Without a shadow of doubt, we know how much Jesus loved and would always love His own Mother, Mary. It must have been more painful for Him to see His Mother suffer at the sight of her dear Son being scourged, tortured and nailed on the Cross, than the pain inflicted in His body. He loved Mary so much that before He died He saw to it that she would not be left alone. That is why, we can all be confident that we have a very powerful intercessor in Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help. With Mary at the center, we also place beside her image the picture of our own beloved earthly mother in whom the Lord has entrusted us so that one day we, too, would be able to realize our mission in life.

As members of a congregation, founded and dedicated to our Mother of Perpetual Help, we pay special tribute to mothers all over the world especially those who, like Mary, offered their lives for the good of their children, showing by example that there is a powerful and loving God. They pray for us -- and continue to pray for us even after they pass away, so that we may persevere joyfully in the love and fidelity of the Lord.

Let us keep in mind that our fall and pains in life hurt our mother even more.

We call to mind a story we used to tell in our Catechism class about the love of Mary as a Mother: A young man fell in love with a woman from a neighboring village. His love for her was genuine and he sought her hand in marriage. She, however, felt no such affection for him and exploited his feelings to her own advantage. She made it a game, ever demanding more and more proof of his love.

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At last, she demanded the unthinkable. "If you really love me," she said, "I need to know there is no rival. Prove it to me. Take your mother's life and bring her heart to me as a trophy of my victory over your love for her." The young man was thoroughly confounded and grief-stricken. Unable to withstand his "loss" any longer, in a frenzied fit he killed his mother and took the heart out of her body.

He ran as fast as he could to present this trophy to the girl he loved. But in the woods he stumbled and fell, and the heart rolled out of his hand. As he feebly rose to his feet he frantically searched the undergrowth for her heart. Finally, he spotted it and picked it up and as he dusted off his knees he heard a voice coming from the heart saying, "Son, are you hurt? ...Son, are you hurt?"

That is the heart of every mother. Our own mother might have already lost the beauty of their youth; but in our eyes, she would always be lovely because she got the loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God…she got the heart of a Mother. Mama, Mamacita, Mommy, Amma, Inay, Nanay, Happy Mother´s Day! You are so loved!

(Secretariat of Communication and Diffusion)

Cherished Readers: we wish to share with you the good news that MPS Venezuela is already a Delegation!

At the height of the Easter Season, with the joy and hope offered by the Risen One, our sisters, M. Cecilia Morales Tapia, Superior General and M. Teresa Medina, Vicar General arrived in Venezuela on May 2nd of the present year. Starting from our community in Nuevo Horizonte in the City of Maracaibo, they subsequently headed to Barquisimeto in our community of El Manzano.

The sisters of both communities namely: Sr. Maria Auxiliadora G. Escalona and Sr. Maria Elena M. Sastre of Nuevo Horizonte and Sr. Lydia del Carmen Escalona G. and Sr. Nohemí Justo of Barquisimeto, together with Sr. Ana Cecilia Escalona G. of the community of India who was in the country for visa processing, were present in this historic meeting convoked and led by the visitators M. Cecilia and Teresa. The meeting took place on Sunday, May 6, after the 8:00 am Mass at St. Stephen's Parish at 8:00 am.

During the meeting, experiences in the communities were discussed. The Visitators gave congregational materials such as the copy of the new Constitutions, the Chapter message and other circular letters. Based on the article numbers which speak of Provinces in the Constitutions, delegation was defined and discussed. The last part of the long session was the election of the Delegation council, which was done quickly because of the small number of people involved.

Four sisters were divided into two communities.

The Council of the Delegation are as follows: Delegate Superior: Sr. María Auxiliadora Escalona Giménez.

Vicar and 1st Councilor: Sr. Nohemí Justo.

2nd Councilor: Sr. Lydia del Carmen Escalona Giménez.

On 9th of the same month, a Wednesday, the group moved to the community of Nuevo Horizonte, about 5 hours from Barquisimeto, to participate in the Eucharist at 5:00 pm, presided by Fr. Eleuterio Cuevas, Vicar for Religious of the Archdiocese of Maracaibo. The celebration was offered by the newly erected Delegation and the first year anniversary of the death of the mother of Sr. María Elena M. Sastre. In the Mass, the Sisters of the Delegation council took their oaths.

Fr. Cuevas encouraged everyone to walk trusting in God and to work hard so as to animate and expand the life of the Congregation in Venezuela.

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Two days later, our sisters from the General Government set out for their way back home to Mexico City.

We thank them for being the instruments of the Spirit in this work and for having come to encourage us with their gracious presence.

May God's grace always dwell in them. We give thanks to God, our Father, for the step that we are taking as a Congregation as we welcome His mercy. May our ever sweet Mother of Perpetual Help continually take us by the hand on this journey of discovery and community growth. We commend ourselves to your prayers.

Thank you very much.

(Sr. Nohemí Justo, MPS)

In the Diocese of Macau, the observance of “Our Lady of Fatima” feast starts on

the 4th of May with a Novena lasting for nine days until the 12 th of May. The theme was for the peace in the world and for the renewal of the Christian Community. The Novena with the Rosary and a Mass to Our Lady of Fatima in the Sto. Domingo Church is prayed in two languages: Chinese (morning) and Portuguese (afternoon).

The church was filled with devotees in a prayerful atmosphere.

On the 12th of May, ninth day of Novena, there was adoration from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. The first hour was for the English speaking community, followed by the Chinese speaking community and the last hour was led by the Portuguese speaking community.

The Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was held in the morning and afternoon masses on the feast day, the 13th of May. Benediction and Consecration to our Lady and a high Mass in Portuguese followed. Bishop Jose Lai, the bishop in the Diocese of Macau was the celebrant with co-celebrating priests. The Church was full of attendees and you can see a huge number of people outside the church ready to attend the procession.

Processions are our expression of being pilgrims here on earth. In the procession we manifest ourselves as people who are on the way and passing through with a desire to reach the sanctuary, leaving our temporary home for a short while and willing to accept hardships and sufferings to get in touch with God in His Holy place.

During the procession, the Holy Rosary was recited from Sto. Domingo Church to Penha Hill Church. You can hear people praying the Rosary with one voice and one heart. It was followed by the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament to all the participants and the City of Macau. Our Community attended this celebration (Creche and Mong-Ha). It was indeed overwhelming to see different people of different religions participating in the procession praying to Our Lady of Fatima with confidence and steadfastness until reaching Penha Hill Church which was a long way off.

As we went home, we prayed that peace may reign in the world and that a renewed community may be enhanced especially in Macau.

We thank you so much, our Blessed Mother for guiding us to your Son, Jesus Christ. May our commitment to follow the values of His message make us good followers of His as we live in justice and truth.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

(Sr. Celsa L. Villaflor, MPS – Macao)

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“ The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.…!” (Ps. 126, 3)

On the 13th and 14th of May 2102, we convened at the Central House, the Assembly of the Mexico-South Delegation with the aim of forming the delegation and elect the Delegate Superior and her Council. The communities that belong to this delegation are: College Salina Cruz in Oaxaca; Colegio Morelos, Ixtepec, Oaxaca; Home Mission Coyul, Oaxaca; Association Tepeyac, Quecholac, Puebla; Casa Hogar perpetual relief Toluca; Home Mission San Antonio Buenavista, Toluca; College Martin de la Cruz, Xochimilco, and College Anfonssi, Iztapalapa, Mexico, D. F. Our Superior General M. Cecilia Morales Tapia, MPS, welcomed the sisters of the South Mexico Delegation, exhorting everybody to enjoy coming together as a community moved by the Spirit. She reminded that we are women invited to start a pilgrimage, in a different, creative way and in accordance to the signs of the time: open to innovation and in search for new or better ways of presenting love itself.

After a while, M. Cecilia announced the main objectives of the assembly as follows: • To constitute the delegation based on the analysis of reality, illuminated by the message of the XIth General Chapter; • To elect the delegate superior who would urge the delegation to achieve the strategic objectives proposed in the chapter message, in coordination and communion with the Superior General and her Council.

Likewise, she mentioned the methodology to be used during the assembly. i.e.: See, Judge and Act. Based on the MPS Constitutions, Plan of General Government and the Message of the XIth General Chapter.

The delegation shall draw up its own plan. All the sisters worked with enthusiasm and harmony in considering the reality of their delegation.

They gave proposals to the new Delegation Council for the development of the Plan.

On the 14th of May, the second day of the assembly, the election of the Delegate Superior and her council was held with the following results: Superior of the Delegacion: M. Hiliana del Socorro García Martínez.

Vicar: Sr. Ma. Rosa Lugo Iniesta.

1st Councilor: Sr. Ma. Vita Argüelles Ramírez.

2nd Councilor: Sr. Ma. Guadalupe Blas Montoya.

All the sisters headed by the Superior General M. Cecilia Morales congratulated the Council of the delegation and urged them to build the Kingdom of God in the fraternal and human spirit so as to seal the bonds in this MexicoSouth Delegation.

Congratulations and all the best, Sisters of Mexico South Delegation!

In Jesus, Redeemer and Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, (Srs. Senaida Anavela Barrientos Caseros y Norma Patricia Pérez Esparza, Consejo General)

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AVE MARÍA, Sisters!!!

In the month of April, we’ve had various activities with the students of different levels with the help of all the teachers. There were the Choral poetry, Retreats and reflections during Lenten season, Holy week preparations, and Children`s Reading and Writing Contest where three of the student participants gave pride to our school when they won first place.

These activities inspired the students as well as the teachers both morally and spiritually. The Lenten recollections have helped in reinforcing the religious and spiritual meaning of the Paschal Triduum by encouraging them and giving them the desire to experience God`s presence in the person of Jesus Christ.

April concluded with the celebration of the Children’s Day. With the collaboration of teachers and parents, the Children’s Day had been a very wonderful event, that began with a Holy Mass presided by Fr. Alejandro. In his homily, he encouraged the children to love, and be grateful for the life God the Father had given us. He also reminded them to show their gratitude for the love of their parents by striving harder and doing their best in their studies.

We started May, the month of Mary, with the offering of flowers. We thanked our Mother Mary and asked her to continue to intercede for all the needs in our school including all the intentions of the whole working staff. Everyone from the pre-school to the sixth-grade level had participated with much creativity and enthusiasm in the daily Rosary.

On Mother’s Day, the teachers and students organized a tribute to their mothers. Students from different levels participated in the program prepared to entertain all the mothers present. There were dances, skits, drama, and of course, not to miss the “mañanitas” which as a whole had created an atmosphere of joy and happiness. We also had the honor to have with us the Tres Torres Trio who led us into singing songs dedicated to the stars of the celebration.

For the Teacher Appreciation Day observed on the 15th of May, we invited the teachers themselves to the celebration of the Eucharist presided by with Fr. Alejandro. We especially asked the Lord to bless them, who work with much commitment for the good of our children. Fr. Alejandro reminded the teachers of the importance of staying cheerful and helpful and at the same time of being creative in the activities they facilitate for the children. He emphasized that creativity will motivate the students; inspire them to be real future of our country.

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After the mass, we had simple fellowship where we enjoyed a variety of Chinese dishes and desserts.

The students continued to show appreciation to their teachers as they prepared a special activity on Friday, May 18th, acknowledging them for their works and efforts. Together with their parents, they prepared a”mañanita” and offered sincere prayers for each one of their beloved teachers. The celebration was completed with a delicious snack.

(Novice Erika Amelia Reyes Campos)

On May 26 and 27 (Saturday and Sunday), theEx-

traordinary Council meeting was held in Mexico at our Casa Hogar in Zacatenco. Prior to the meeting, a material had been sent to all communities to be worked on in preparation for the course on the Four Stages of Permanent Formation. This topic is included in the General Plan of Formation of the Congregation.

Thanks and congratulations to the communities who worked and submitted responses to the Secretariat of formation. These contributions served as bases for the facilitators of the workshop.

The meeting with ¨Permanent Formation¨ as its theme, was led by Fr. Flavio Bustos (Augustinians of the Assumption) with his team of facilitators. In the course of the evolution of the stages of life, according to the theories of the different psychologists namely Jung, Freud, Piaget, Erickson, etc., we became aware of our tendencies and attitudes possibly caused by situations in childhood which were not worked out or not overcome.

As Fr. Flavio concluded the process of the course, he invited us to free ourselves from everything that hinders our happiness in this state of life. He emphasized the importance of continually working on our human processes without neglecting our spiritual life which strengthens us as women consecrated to the Lord.

It is beautiful to know ourselves better even it hurts at times. It is essential to recognize the things that affect us in our personal story so that we can work them out and overcome them even if we have to avail of necessary help. It is never too late to be free and more humane; to be filled with God, and live happily in the service of God among brothers and sisters.

(Secretariat of Vocations and Formation)

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To all the Sisters of the beloved Congregation of Missionaries of our Lady of Perpetual Help: Dearest Sisters, Through this ¨Estrella Misionera¨ issue, let me express my fraternal and affectionate greeting to you. May the Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother of Perpetual Help your congregation with blessings and enthuse your consecration and missionary work.

"I am filled with joy to share with you my experience and to be part of this course on Redemptorist Spirituality.

The priests who have participated in this course are those who have been ordained for 5 to 10 years and from the sub-conference of Latin America and the Caribbean. The countries represented are: Ecuador (Fr. Alonso, Patrick and Hector), Peru (Frs. Walter Malca and Ronald), Venezuela (Frs. José Vicente, Jonathan and Gonzalo), Colombia (Frs. Eleazar and Armando); Central América (Frs.Dimas Arce Estrada and Salvador Anzora Portillo), Puerto Rico (Fr. Luis Adorno), Dominican Republic (Fr. Ramón), México (Frs. Francisco Rafael and Roberto Morales). The facilitators were: Frs. Javier, Francisco, Guadalupe and Gonzalo Rascon (Provincial of México).

The objective of our course was to strengthen, deepen and sustain the apostolic life, rooted from the Redemptorist Spirituality in order for us to respond appropriately as evangelizers of the poor. We also visited some of our communities in Mexico. A very special visit was on Sunday, 27th of May 2012 to our MPS sisters at their Casa Hogar in Zacatenco, where several sisters were gathered for a course on permanent formation. We recognize that they are few of today´s great women and missionaries; who have worked for years and have left their mark in Redemptorist missions in different countries. We are united by the same apostolic zeal, love and service to the most abandoned.

Thank you, Sisters for your welcome, love and support. May God continue to bless your congregation, your lives, and your missionary offering. May He grant you many and holy vocations. (your friend and brother)

Fr. Salvador Anzora Portillo, C.Ss.R. (third from the left)

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“

"

Whoever desires to reach a very high degree of holiness must become a great devotee of the Virgin Mary."

St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori Throughout the month of May, our communities venerated the Mother of heaven; our Central House was no exception: "Come and let us offer flowers to Mary," was sung at the end of each mystery of the Holy Rosary.

All the sisters, most particularly the elderly, offered their lives, daily efforts, dreams and both small and large acts of love at Mary`s feet with prayers. Each day during the month, each one of us offered a flower to Mary by praying the Rosary. In this way, we made a daily bouquet of flowers for our dearest Heavenly Mother in whose hands, we place the intentions of our hearts especially the needs of the poor, the peasant, the sick, the workers, the children, the suffering, our families, friends and benefactors.

In culminating the month of Mary, the community of the general government, led the praying of the rosary by offering each mystery for the different countries where our congregation exists. There were five altars for the five mysteries and each altar held two images of the Mary, as patroness in the two countries that were being especially prayed for.

The day`s climax was the coronation of the Blessed Virgin and Sr. Amparo San Juan had the privilege of doing this.

Last 2nd and 3rd of June, we, educators in the faith in different schools in Mexico, held our second meeting at the Central House.

Although the attendance (10 sisters) was smaller compared to the first meeting, all ten sisters who came, showed good disposition, openness and commitment to improve this essential part of our work in schools.

The sisters shared the progress made in their work, after highlighting the first meeting as they implemented the practice of prayer with primary school pupils achieving highly satisfactory results. With middle and high school students, the practice of Lectio Divina had been implemented so as to help the young people have a more intimate relationship with God through the meditation of His word.

We reaffirm the commitment to construct our own texts and include issues that are proper to our religious family.

“The Blessed Virgin does not just run but flies to the rescue of those who pray even one Hail Mary.”

St. John Mary Vianney (Sr. Ma. Carmen Estrada, MPS)

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It became known to the Educators in the Faith, for the IAM correspondents, as some superiors did not have the opportunity to share the motivation that they received directly from Fr. Aldo Estrella, National Secretary of the IAM. We believe that it is extremely important to begin to implement it from the 2012-2013 school year in order to continually form in our students a missionary spirituality at the service of evangelization.

In addition, we discussed some practical suggestions that were presented to the directresses of the school.

We concluded with a commitment to continue in the search for topics and format for our own texts and the design of a common scheme of Lesson Plan.

The two days was capped with a Eucharistic Celebration presided by Fr. Hector Jimenez, C.Ss.R. (Secretariat of Missionary Action)

21 May 2012 – 4 June 2012

I arrived in Caracas, Venezuela on the 21st of May for a 14-day visit. Sr. Ana Cecilia Escalona of MPS has met me at the airport and from there we took a flight to Maracaibo where I was warmly welcomed by Srs. MarĂ­a Auxiliadora Escalona and Maria Elena Sastre.

On the 23rd, I had the privilege to concelebrate the Holy Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chiquinquira. The following day, I was introduced as chief guest for the festivities of Maria Auxiliadora School. It was also the feast day of Sr. Maria Auxiliadora, who is the principal of the school, and so it was indeed a great day for all the MPS sisters, teachers and students, as well as for myself as I experienced so much kindness from everyone who has touched me in a very unique way.

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On the 25th, Sr. Maria Auxiliadora and Sr. Ana Cecilia accompanied me to the city of Maracaibo. In the evening, we visited the Divine Mercy Foundation where I presided the Holy Eucharist with the members of the said foundation. They expressed their joy and gratitude that we have met one another.

The following morning, we went to another state called Barquisimeto where we were welcomed by Srs. Lydia and Nohemi who are exceptionally kind-hearted in every way. In Barquisimeto, I stayed with the family of Mr. Jesus and his wife Miriam, both incredibly wonderful people with their great hospitality and generous hearts.

On the 27th, we visited and participated in the Holy Mass at the Divina Pastora Cathedral. It was an inspiring moment to pray together with the faithful from different places. I really experienced their deep faith and devotion to our Mother Mary.

In the next two days, I got the chance to visit Quibor Tintorero and also, participate in the procession and mass at Our Lady of Coromoto Church where there were lots of priests, religious and faithful coming from various cities. On the 31st, Sr. Ana Cecilia and I went to the Indian Embassy.

In the remaining four days of my stay, I was able to visit the sanctuary of Blessed Maria de San Jose in Maracay and see more of the city of Caracas before going back to Barquisimeto. Oh, it was truly a lovely experience for me... and I will forever keep in my heart this opportunity the Lord has given me to have come and visit His people in Venezuela.

(Rt.. Rev. Victor Lyngdoh, D.D. Bishop of Nongstoin, Meghalaya India)

TLALPIZAHUAC, STATE OF MEXICO

On the days 7, 8 and 9 of June, we had the opportunity to visit the Sisters of the community of Nezahualcoyotl School, in Tlalpizahuac, State of Mexico.

Of the 5 sisters forming the community, one was not present. In each of the sisters, we noticed a religious spirit that built us up. We encouraged them to continue to grow in their commitment as M.P.S.The dynamics of the visit was carried out in a manner similar to those previously done in other communities. Superior General M. Cecilia Morales Tapia had interviews with each of the sisters. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to greet the children and the staff of the school especially in the preschool and elementary levels. The children were extremely happy and accommodating in the activities I had with them in the classrooms. I also noticed the spirit of work and selfimprovement.

We were also invited to participate in a celebration which the teachers organized for Sr. Directress Magdalena Islas on the occasion of her birthday.

Thank God and our Mother of Perpetual Help for the opportunity to experience our sisterly communion and to value the evangelizing efforts our sisters in this part of Mexico are generously carrying out.

(Secretariat of Missionary Action)

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I landed at Mexico International Airport on June 4, 2012. Unfortunately, I had to pass through some security checking which delayed my exit. But having been welcomed afterwards by three MPS Sisters: Rev. M. Cecilia, Sr. Marivic and Sr. Maritza, I immediately felt at home and even more upon meeting the rest of the community at the MPS Central House.

On the next day, M. Cecilia and Sr. Marivic brought me to the place where our Lady of Guadalupe actually appeared to Blessed Juan Diego. There I saw the first and second chapels built in her honor up the hill of Tepeyac. We stayed there for a few moments of prayer and silence. As we prayed the Holy Rosary, I felt my body relaxed and I experienced peace and joy in my heart and mind. After enjoying the beautiful view of the hill, we went to the Basilica (the actual Church where the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is venerated). I was so blessed to have the chance of concelebrating the 12:00 noon Holy Mass in the Basilica of Our Lady. It was a moment of gratitude to God and Mother Mary for all the favors I have been receiving.

On June 6th, after a short visit to the Indian Embassy, Sr. Anita and I went around the city and saw different churches as well. Mexico is undeniably a beautiful city. That was proven even more as I went to the Anthropologic Museum in Chapultepec the following day with Srs. Anita and Marivic. It was interesting to know the variety of cultures in this country and that every culture is beautiful and has lots of lesson for our life. That evening, we visited the Redemptorist Community in Holy Redeemer Parish. I appreciate how warm and brotherly the community members have received us. Special thanks to Fr. Arturo, Fr. Mauro and most especially Fr. Carlos who even sang for us.

With Srs. Teresa, Anita and Marivic, I had the chance to see the famous pyramids of Teotihuacan where there were lots of tourists, and like myself, were fascinated by the two major pyramids called the Sun and the Moon. I happily climbed both pyramids and offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God for all the beauty and kindness He is showing me.

On my fifth day in Mexico, Srs. Patricia, Anita and Marivic took me to Xochimilco. It was a moment of relaxation for me especially when we went for a boat ride in the river. And on the two following days, Sr. Anita showed me the lovely people and places in her state Vera Cruz. It was another wonderful experience for me, this time outside the city of Mexico.

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On June 12th, together with M. Cecilia and her council, I had the privilege to witness the Lord´s fidelity and the graceful response to God´s call and love as we joined in the celebration of the 25th anniversary in religious life of Sr. Carmela Peralta. I was also very happy to meet the postulants and novices.

And on the day before my departure, despite her busy schedule, M. Cecilia, along with Sr. Anita took me to the city of Toluca and gave me the opportunity to see its beautiful views.

I truly thank God for the gift of the MPS Sisters in my life. I am deeply grateful to M. Cecilia Morales Tapia and her council members who I wish to mention, namely, Srs. Teresa, Marivic, Maritza, Patricia and Anavela, the econome Sr. Carmen and of course, Sr. Anita and all the sisters for the great help, care and concern for me. Even though I can’t speak Spanish, we communicated with the language of God’s Love. I will always remember the Congregation of the Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in my prayers, and as I leave to fly back to India, I give them my priestly blessing.

Long live the MPS Sisters!

(Rt. Rev. Victor Lyngdoh, D.D., Bishop of Nongstoin, Meghalaya, India)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. “ (Jn. 12, 24)

The

thought that comes to my mind and heart as I recall the life of Mr. Rafael Jimenez Valencia, father of our Sr. Lucia de Jesus Jimenez Naranjo, M.P.S. was someone who during his earthly life, while still strong had intensely struggled to bring up his children together with his wife. Above all, I truly admire his generosity. He used to come and visit his daughter and had never arrived empty handed for he always had food, medicines or boxes of polyester for the whole community. Such hands which I would say were those of a loving and hardworking person who knew how to collaborate with God so that His will may be fulfilled.

In the midst of this great loss for the Jimenez Naranjo family, we all pray that they may be filled with absolute peace, strength and to thank our Lord for all the blessings that they received in the person of Mr. Rafael. And of course, this call to be thankful to God also includes all of us for he has not only been generous in sharing goods but most of all in offering one of his beloved daughters to the service of God, of the Church and our Congregation. His life had already turned to be fruitful wheat and is now taken to enjoy eternal life.

MAY HE REST IN THE PEACE OF GOD FOR ALL ETERNITY!

(Sr. Leticia Díaz Paredes, MPS)

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Ave María, Sisters!

On June 17th, Superior General R.M. Cecilia Morales Tapia and General Councilor Sr. Maria Victoria Vivar Flores came to visit our community. It was a Sunday and they arrived at 7 in the morning! Actually, we were expecting them with love and anticipation. We had made their bedrooms ready for their stay.

They joined us for the 9 am Holy Mass in our parish. Knowing that they travelled during the whole night, they must not have enough sleep and must already be hungry. But M. Cecilia and Sr. Marivic were still very much participative during the mass. They joined us in our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist.

After the fellowship breakfast meal, we were told that M. Cecilia would have a chat with each one of us.

On the following day, Sr. Marivic accompanied us to our school, Colegio Alfonso Ligorio. There she assisted in the school canteen, mingled with the students, and met with faculty and other school staff.

M. Cecilia and Sr. Marivic also attended 3 days of our Novena to our Mother of Perpetual Help, where they gave a message to all those who are present.

We thank you, dear sisters for coming and staying with us, and for attending to our personal and community needs. We look forward to your next visit. May Jesus, the Redeemer and Mary of Perpetual Help continue to give you strength, light and courage.

(Hna. Julieta Arellano Valle, MPS)

With great joy, I am writing this to you to share my experience

as I participated in the Novena in honor of our Mother of Perpetual Help in the parish especially dedicated to and named in her honor. This Church is located in the city and port of Tampico, Tamaulipas, located in the University Avenue, Col. Monteverde, belonging to the deanery of St. Peter and St. Paul, Diocese of the Immaculate Conception of Tampico. I haves fond memories in this place, especially in the spiritual area of my childhood, because it was in this chapel where I had my first communion and the place where I also served as member of the choir every Sunday, well where I practically grew up both physically and spiritually.

During the novena, I was privileged by the Lord to share with my own people about the Icon of our Mother of Perpetual, its history and the significance of the devotion. I could see in the people their hunger to know more about our Mother. The days of the novena were moments of graces when I did really feel the presence of God despite the discouraging reality that the city situations normally present. It was also a time to remember that the Perpetual Help of our Mother is always with us and we, as favored children of hers will never let go of her hand. I have always experienced her love throughout my life I offered my life to the Lord. Even through the accidents, I am very sure that she protected me under her mantle. One significant experience I will never forget during my second accident was when a lady who seemed to have always been with me, and then telling me that she still had a long way to go. I know that in all these experiences, not too easy to put in words but Mary has manifested herself as the Mother of Perpetual Help.

Therefore, today I want to tell Mary, ¨thank you so much my Mother. You have allowed me to let introduce you to my own people, but above all, thank you for your love, protection, and constant help. My mother in my life and my death, be my help.

(Sr. Leticia Díaz Paredes, MPS)

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¨Mother of Perpetual Help, in the union of your hand and that of the Child Jesus, a box of tinsel is formed that speaks of your

warmth as a mother. The union of your hand and that of the Child, in the nest of love, I want to live and die. Gabriel and Michael showed your Child the cross and the enemy waits on me. Hold me strong and my life is tied with only the thread of wisdom.

Mary, with your right arm grab me and with your left arm, bring me close to your chest, that I may listen to the beat of your heart for me; bring me closer to the divine breath that I may smell the fragrance of love that invades my being, that you exhale your spirit of life.

Hold me strong, I want to feel your presence, your warmth. Do not abandon me.

Cover me with your mantle, I want to feel that I am your daughter and you are my Mother. Your blue mantle, reflection, and richness, the abundant redemption is poured out. The missionary presence that invites to love; your eyes look at me with sweetness, with tenderness.

Mother of Perpetual Help, dwell in my heart with abundant redemption. Raise my prayer as incense toward you; my hands offer you flowers and my lips my humble prayers.

I am Carmela Cruz Peralta Buendía, originating from Chimalhuacán, México State. In 1984, I received God's call and replied promptly to begin my studies in the formation at the Inter. Christ Redeemer has been and is the center of my life. Holy Mary of Perpetual Help is the transformative woman who invites me to be a woman of prayer and of deep faith (C58, 71). The example of our founders, encourage me to live the mission by bringing the good news of the Gospel to the poor and most abandoned.

With these twenty-five years, I want to continue responding to the call of Christ Redeemer, as MPS. The consecrated life guides me to love; it makes me feel loved by Christ and it unites me in an alliance of friendship with Him. Therefore, I renew my total surrender to Jesus and I want to love Him with all the heart, with all my being.

Thank you, Lord for such great love.

(Hna. Carmela Peralta Cruz Buendía, MPS)

During the month of June 2012, the Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual

Help received a visit from a member of the Society for African Missions (SMA), Fr. Carlos Domingo Bazzara from Niger, Africa.

Argentine by birth, Fr. Carlos hailed from the province of Córdoba. Some of the MPS sisters who were assigned there had the opportunity to work with him in his evangelization in this part of South America.

He has now been living and evangelizing in Africa for ten years. The first six years of which was in Ivory Coast before he moved to Niger four years ago. He dedicates himself to Mission Ad Gentes, introducing the Catholic religion and giving catechism. Along with another SMA priest, he ministers to the people of Niamey, capital of Niger, where only 5% of the populations are Catholics and the rest are mostly Moslems .

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In his statement, Fr. Carlos Domingo Bazzara shared, "Together with the first evangelization, both in the Ivory Coast and Niger, we had to build communities. With literacy in language programs, some young people had then become catechists who were to accompany the first stages of these fragile communities. Some SMA missionaries had gone before me, and I was reaping what they sowed and in other communities, I had to be the first to arrive and that was very hard for me." " For the kerygma to be credible, it had to be accompanied by human promotion that is mainly concretized in programs of Prevention and Treatment for malnourished children (with very high percentage) and scholarships - sent by Cordovan families for children who have access to education".

Having a long drought and scarcity of water in Niger presented a very serious concern for the villagers. Through the initiation of Mission Ad Gentes and generosity of some people, 25 wells have been built in two years for the benefit of the communities.

Fr. Carlos has had a beautiful and challenging missionary experience in this continent of hope: Africa. Looking up to the founder of the Society of African Missions (SMA), Marion Brecillac, whom he regards as the "missionary with all his heart", Fr. Carlos with much conviction makes a commitment of being a “missionary forever".

His trip to Mexico was both a visit and a mission at the same time. During his stay, he went to the Casa Hogar Perpetuo Socorro of Toluca and some sights of Puebla in the State of Mexico. He also attended the Novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help where he preached and shared his missionary experience with the communities of Novitiate, Xochimilco and Central House. Furthermore, he visited the ¨Guadalupana¨, as he lifted up and entrusted his missionary (SMA), the needs of the world in general, and his new parish in Niger to Mary, our Mother.

In October 2012, Fr. Carlos returned to Niger to his new parish after enjoying a well deserved holiday with his family in Cordoba, Argentina.

We wish many blessings for him and the SMA, for his family and his entire missionary endeavor. Carry on, Father, you can do it!

BRIEF HISTORY There are two major cultural areas determined by different religious influences, which are distributed in North Africa and the SubSaharan area in the African continent. In addition, in Africa the impact of two foreign religions to the Mainland is essential: Christianity and Islam.

African rituals are varied. The major ones seek to give worship to ancestors, to get rid of witchcraft, or to emphasize the sovereignty of the kings and rulers.

North Africa populations still remain nomadic or semi-nomadic as in the Tuaregs or the Berbers, who came in contact with Islam since early times and spread it in their surroundings. On the other hand, in the SubSaharan area, the ethnic religions remain and have created other syncretism, with ancestral elements and influences other than their own customs.

Islamic penetration is old and very homogeneous in the North: Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, countries in which Islam existed aside from its official religion. However, it is more recent in the Sub-Saharan area. Islam extends very widely in Sudan, Mauritania, Somalia, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Nuger and Mali. It is the majority religion in Chad, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin; or faced to Christianity in Eritrea and Ethiopia, Liberia or Ghana.

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But Islam is a religion that maintains its expansion in Africa. Currently it is growing on the East coast of the continent, as in Tanzania and Mozambique, and in countries already cited as the strip of the bordering to the South of the Sahara (Chad, Niger and Mali) and its surrounding area (Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast).

With regard to the total data, it should be taken into account that the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria, has more than 50 million Muslims. Even if it is less than half of the population of the country, it's a number only surpassed in Africa by Muslims in Egypt, which is close to 60 million.

Christianity in Africa had two moments of expansion. The former led to the consolidation of the orthodoxy in Ethiopia, the second occurred with the penetration of the European colonial powers, who used the missionaries of all churches to control African Aboriginal society.

The area of greatest impact of colonial Christianity, part of the territories bordering southern Islam and covers the Central and southern Africa.

Another very prominent in Southern Central Africa time is the impact of syncretic Afro-Christians, and independent churches that ascribe the fourth part of the faithful in many countries such as Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa. They are used in some cases via consolidation that had roots in a strange culture, including rites and customs of the Aboriginal cults.

One characteristic of African religion is the maintenance of pre-European cults in very diverse areas, including Islamized or Christianized ones since ancient times such as Sudan or Ethiopia.

Aboriginal cults are important both in countries of West Africa (Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin), as in the Eastern and southern Africa (Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Madagascar), and in the past decades after independence, not often did they suffer from the strong pressure from missionaries and of non-African religions that was formerly common, with certain exceptions including those of Muslim countries. In addition, except in the Muslim countries of the North, multi-religiosity is usual, the coexistence of diverse religions in one country. In some cases with a very approximate number of followers, there are, as usual, religious conflicts and clashes are usually caused by tribal differences and, in addition, antagonistic groups may have the same religion as a result of the action of missionaries and colonial powers.

(Secretariat of Religious Life)

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"THE COURAGE AND RISK" "The world is in the hands of those who have the courage to dream... and risk living out their dreams". These words of the Brazilian writer P. Coelho makes me think about life and death of SMA founder Bishop Bresillac. Reading the last pages about his life is like taking a plunge into the records of our martyrs. His sacrificial death continually manifests to me his life and missionary passion.

Marion Bresillac did not only have the courage to respond to the "Voice that called him", but his mission also risked him the gift of life.

Being passionate is to give all our heart and to remain faithful to the One who orients our life. Marion Bresillac’s passion and fidelity came from a heart that is stripped of every worldly thing and only revealed the logic of the Kingdom of God. You cannot pour blood without spilling the "ego". Faith is a gift and an achievement that requires a daily fight. It is a sacrifice of abandonment and renunciation as "washing of someone else’s feet". It is to become poor, small and contemplative.

In the SMA meeting in Parakou (Benin), we presented a report to our colleagues which spoke of the search of a poor Church. The report said: "The Church speaks from his poverty... Niger is a country which demands a great effort to shed oneself and our activity is often reduced to a mere presence... And this is a chance, a gift of God and a chance for all the SMA. "Here we are becoming small…"

The death of Mons Bresillac, read in the light of his missionary life, seems to me that it pushes us to live a permanent missionary conversion (personal and community) specifically to risk and grow in self-oblation for the Mission of God. The Mission in Niger is a nomadic God's mission, which calls us to a mission of nomadic, not allowing us to settle. Our founder said: "the love of poverty, better still, this practical love of poverty, is not anything other than the first step towards the renunciation of one's own very self." (M. Bresillac, SVC 207) I am called to live according to my possibilities, as someone who wants to weed the field of the mission in a more contemplative Church, which is concerned to minimize structures; a Church that has the courage to risk and embody the historic dream of the Nazarene on the basis of our limits and vulnerability. We are called to be a Church that is aware of its smallness, but has the courage to risk and embody the dream that the spirit has blown in her soul… a Church that is not paternalistic, but is prepared to walk next to the people and the laity, and that then - as Msgr. Casaldáliga said: "from the singing of his people, you know the pace of progress.¨ All this means an unavoidable return to a more prophetic Church, with a more African face. May I never fear of being small and to use poor means. Risking this dream, I think that it is all worth it!

(Fr.. Carlos Bazzara, SMA -Niger-)

Let us present to you our aspirants in India: 5 from the State of Orissa (joined las July 2011) 5 from the State of Jharkhand 3 from the State of Karnathaka 2 from the State of Meghalaya We are still expecting another one from Bangalore this July. Kindly remember them in your prayers. Pray for us, too as we also always keep you in our prayers. Greetings and best regards to all!

(Sr. Myrna Lois G. Salas, MPS)

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On June 15, year 2012, we celebrated the Eucharist in our community of Juan

Ramón Jimenez as Thanksgiving for the end of my career, Bachelor of Religious Sciences. I thank God and the Congregation for the opportunity that was given me to complete this formation which I took four years ago.

"God gives us the gifts but in return expects a great effort from our part" as Leonardo Da Vinci said. That is what I've experienced. It was a combination of study and apostolate. Whatever I received in the classroom, I always put into practice in the classroom with children, teachers and parents.

The Eucharist was for me an important way to culminate and celebrate with the community this achievement I received. Thanks to all who helped me to make this dream a reality. I am very happy to share this joy with those who have always encouraged me… to M. General Cecilia Morales Tapia and her General Council as well to M. Cecilia Reyes Esquivel, Superior of our community.

They have accompanied and are continually accompanying me. I thank them for their constant prayers and accompaniment

always.

This simple fellowship makes us MPS to continue to be ¨more human¨, and at the same time nourishes our spirit and helps us grow in our following of Jesus. I also thank Fr. Maxi Charideri and Fr. Désiré Afana, CICM for their sincerity, support and friendship. Now, it is my turn to put at the service of the people of God this gift I received as the Fr. Maxi reminded me in his homily during the mass.

After the Eucharistic Celebration, we continued to celebrate by enjoying a sumptuous dinner that was lovingly prepared by our community. In my heart, I will always give thanks to God and to our Mother of Perpetual Help.

(Sr. Edith Martínez, MPS)

“In everything, God has a purpose. In everything, God has a reason”.

Looking back at the time when the place of exposure has been randomly cast, I remember saying this to myself as I picked up the paper that would read where I was to be sent to. “Lord let it be your will. Let me not interfere with your plan,” I want to follow the Blessed Mother’s example when she said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you say.” With a soft prayer, I unfolded the paper on my hand. I smiled with acceptance as I read the place of my assignment written in bold letters - “Baclaran”…. Whatever the purpose may be, God will reveal it to me in due time.

On the 24th of January, my day started at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran. Accompanied by Sr. Annaliza Dayrit, I stood before the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help for blessing as I begin my first day of assignment. In this holy place, millions of pilgrims speak their words of thanksgiving, petitions, supplications, and adoration to God through the intercession of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

The place brought me to a unique experience. It was an experience of desert in the city. A desert where amidst the rushing crowd, the throng of devout Christians, of solemnity and chaos, there’s that voice that needs to be heard and be responded, “Whom shall I send?”

As I recall my experience with the crowd so concentrated in their prayer, the petitions of the sick, the needy and the jobless, the call for social and environmental awareness, the innocence and joyfulness of youth and children, the plight of the OFWs, my mind and my heart go beyond what my eyes can see.

This place of experience has been engraved as a desert in my heart, a beautiful place where God is present, seen and heard, where one’s soul can earnestly treasure that intimate communion with Him. Here, in this busy and crowded place, God listens attentively and attends to His people. Every corner in the Shrine, every person I met, every situation I encountered, spoke of God.

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The icon speaks so much to us too. The image of the Blessed Mother holding Jesus so closely in her heart expresses that as we come closer to her, we are therefore drawn closely to God. Truly, Baclaran is a place of faith, of hope, of love and a place of renewal. My 3week stay was a source of strength and inspiration and spiritual growth as I continue my journey in my vocation. It ended so soon, yet the happy memory and the spirit renewed through this experience will forever be cherished in my heart as I say … “Lord, here I am, send me”.

(Novice Ida A. Tutor MPS– Philippines)

“Feels like Home!” This is how we describe the MPS Students’ Dormitory, just as

the tag line used in our promotion materials…This is also what I felt in my 3-week stay in the dormitory last January 24 to February 14, 2012 during our exposure as part of our preparation program for first profession. For this, I am very grateful to God for the grace of peace and joy amidst the new surroundings, different community and the new tasks & challenges that I encountered.

There are many things that I cherish about my experience at the dorm. One is that it gave me the chance to grow in the practice of responsibility, discipline and time management…to balance prayer, work, rest and recreation. I appreciate the different tasks and activities which include cleaning the dorm, attending to the doorbell, answering the phone, making layouts in the computer, praying with the dormitorians, etc. All these, and more, no matter how great or small, have all been worthwhile.

Indeed, I understood more deeply the importance of openness, availability and flexibility. That while it is good to be organized and having a plan, it is best to be open to possibilities, with a firm trust that there is grace in everything.

I also enjoyed the encounters with the dormitorians. Though it was mostly just an exchange of smiles, `hi & hello’…nevertheless, it brought back fun memories of college years, when I was also living in a dorm managed by nuns.

One more beautiful thing that I treasure most about my experience at the dorm is the time spent with the sisters. I appreciate the simple conversations and laughter we’ve shared together. More than that, the little acts of kindness and love they have shown me as they adopted me in their community. I remember a line from the book, `The Love that Is Mission’, “Religious life is more than just a way of life…It is a ministry of love to be lived to the full!” This inspires me all the more to continue to grow in this path that God has called me to.

I believe that is what’s truly essential…to be always open in receiving and sharing God’s love. And as long as we have `that love’ inside our hearts with trust in Mother Mary’s maternal care, we will always feel at-home wherever our missionary journey takes us.

( Novice Ma. Barbara Vivar Flores—MPS Phils.)

(Note: message of gratitude from the two novices follows on the next page)

Truly, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for the many blessings that we continue to receive from the Lord. As our theme says…”I have loved you with an everlasting love”, from the book of the prophet Jeremiah. We believe that it is because of God’s great love that we are here. And like Jeremiah, there are times when we doubt our capacities, but it is His grace that sustains us. We joyfully thank Him for this gift of vocation. We also thank the Lord for the gift of persons, God’s instruments of His love for us. We thank the Lord for the gift of our Congregation, our MPS family, our Superior General M. Cecilia Morales Tapia and her Council.

We thank our families, especially our parents…our first teachers about God and about faith. As I have shared during some of our formation classes, it has not been difficult for me to believe in God as a loving parent for He has blessed me with such loving parents here on earth. Thank you also to our siblings…to my sisters and my brother. For Sr. Marivic, although she is not here now, I believe that in prayer and in spirit, she is rejoicing with us.

We thank our friends and benefactors who continuously support us. And everyday the Lord continues to send us people. We thank Him for the people we’ve met during our mission in Batangas…

Thank you for your presence and support. We thank all our sisters here headed by our Delegate Superior Sr. Alejandra…thank you for your trust and support. We thank in a special way, our formators…Sr.Bella Sarsoza, Sr.Noemi Colendres, and our present Novice Directress, Sr. Annie Estraza. Thank you for your guidance and patience. We thank our celebrant priests…Fr. Bonifacio Flordeliza, C.Ss.R., our Spiritual Director; Rev. Leomar Aranillo, C.Ss.R.; Fr. Don Cambe; Fr. Gerry Mascariña and Fr. Michael Keenan, C.Ss.R. Thank you for giving your time to be with us and for being part of our vocation journey. We also thank all the people who have helped in preparing for this occasion. We thank Him, too for the gift of our Founders, our Charism and our mission in the Church. Last, but not the least, we thank Him for giving us Mama Mary, who is our mother too… the Light that always guides us toward Her Son, Jesus.

Again, in behalf of Sr. Ida, `thank you’. Please remember us in your prayers. And let us all together pray for more vocations in the Church. God bless!

(Sr. Ma. Barbara Vivar Flores, MPS)

O

ne of the major invitations of our founders for us is the pursuit to Interior life: "We bear in mind that to be able to fulfill our mission, we should live the interior life, the charity and the obedience necessary for all apostolate”. (R.M. María Teresa Rivera Carrillo)

"Without the interior life, there will never be any reliable process, only few merits" (Fr. Agustín Nistal G.) From the first year of novitiate, we were working on the Interior life. Taking the book as a reference material: "Words of Interior Life" by Enzo Bianchi.

I want to share my experience on the theme of Holiness and Inner Beauty. Many times, I believed that holiness is not committing even a single sin in thought, words and deed. For this, I fall into a big mistake, because Holiness is not only the gift granted to the "holy altars" (chosen ones), but to each person created by God. Holiness consists in trusting in the mercy of God; it is to be in full union with our Creator; it is a gift to every Christian; it is the special grace that we receive as a divine gift.

With holiness, we respond to this great gift that was given us: the love of God... to have a holy conduct is nothing but to always respond with good behaviors without choosing special moments but rather throughout the day, making every a special one.

This idea has confronted me much and made me to question myself: ¨How was my attitude for today? ¨ Then, I realize that it has something to do with how much I trust in the Lord.

Interior life is a personal experience; it is the food of the soul; it is an art of knowing that there is always something to discover, i.e. the treasure that we can never hide. For this reason, holiness and beauty always go hand in hand, because they share in the event of communion... and the best example of communion is being presented to us by Holy Trinity in which we discover the ¨perijosis¨ of love in their union.

Holiness is the prophecy of salvation and is the essential characteristic of the Christian... Let us make every day a great opportunity to be holy, because we are called to a vocation of holiness.

With thanks and happiness,

(Novice Alejandra Flores Galván)

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When everything is gray and dark , when I don´t find yet the path And there is only loneliness in my world You appear in my life, as a beacon to guide me, You light up all my inner being You become the wind beneath my wings, You are the way, the light and the truth.

Chorus: Messenger of peace, messenger of love, You give hope to my heart, These people of yours are faithful, We give you back the faith which we carry in the soul, and we share your light.

Messenger of peace, messenger of faith, Your Word is the water that quenches my thirst A friend who is faithful, We give back the faith which we carry in the soul, Messenger of love.

With you, fear does not exist, neither sadness nor mourning, Your gaze is full of hope You will sow joy, you will touch every, with your love you take away the pain.

You become the wind beneath my wings, You are the way, the light and the truth.

(Chorus) We want your blessing; flood us with your love For a better world.

No more violence, no more hatred and war Only love.

(Chorus) Messenger of love (3x) (Original in Spanish—¨Mensajero de Paz¨)

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A CELEBRATION WAS HELD ON JUNE 26, 2012 AT OUR CASA HOGAR IN TOLUCA. OUR SUPERIOR GENERAL TOGETHER WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL JOINED US AS WE GAVE THANKS TO GOD FOR OUR 25 YEARS IN RELIGIOUS LIFE IN THIS CONGREGATION. THE HOLY MASS WAS PRESIDED BY FR. JESUS ZAVALETA, VICAR OF RELIGIOUS OF TOLUCA. THE GIRLS IN OUR CASA HOGAR WITH THE HELP OF MISS SILVIA SERVED AS CHOIR IN THE MASS. THEY SANG LIKE ANGELS. ON THE OTHER HAND, M. AMELIA DEDICATED HERSELF DURING HER FREE TIME WITHIN THE WHOLE SCHOOL YEAR IN MAKING BEAUTIFUL MEDALLIONS WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE NAMES OF THE CELEBRANTS. THIS BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK OF HERS GRACED THE DINING HALL AMONG OTHER BEAUTIFUL DECORATIONS. WELL, AS EXPECTED, A REAL HEARTY MEAL FOLLOWED AFTER THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION. ACTUALLY, WE BELIEVE THAT THE CENTER OF THIS CELEBRATION IS SUPPOSEDLY MARY, OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP WHO ALWAYS TELLS US: "DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU". AS SHE IS THE MISSIONARY PAR EXCELLENCE, WE DEDICATE THIS JUBILEE IN HER HONOR AND IN HER NAME, WE THANK THE LORD FOR THE 25 YEARS OF MISSION EXPERIENCE, COMMUNITY LIFE, AND ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS REDEEMER IN EVERY MOMENT OF OUR LIFE. IT WAS A VERY BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION BECAUSE WITH THE PRESENCE OF M. CECILIA MORALES, HER COUNCILORS PATRICIA PEREZ, MARITZA MORILLO, MARIVIC FLORES, AND ANAVELA BARRIENTOS, WE EXPERIENCED THE FRATERNAL WARMTH OF THE ENTIRE CONGREGATION. AND EVEN FOR EACH ONE OF YOU, OUR DEAR SISTERS , WHEREVER YOU MAY BE, AS YOU FAITHFULLY RESPOND TO THE SPECIFIC MISSION OR ASSIGNMENT ENTRUSTED TO YOU, WE ALSO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND WE ALSO PRAY FOR YOU. LET US CONTINUE TO OFFER OUR WORK NOT AS INDIVIDUALS BUT AS A CONGREGATION FOR THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE CHURCH. THANKS BE TO GOD THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN TOLUCA, THREE OF US BELONG TO THE SAME GROUP, ALTHOUGH WE ALSO UNITE OURSELVES IN SPIRIT WITH OUR SISTERS LYDIA MARQUEZ TELLO AND CARMEN PERALTA. COME 1ST OF AUGUST AND GOD WILLING, THE FIVE OF US WILL CELEBRATE TOGETHER OUR SILVER ANNIVERSARY IN OUR MOTHER HOUSE. WE ALSO THANK ALL OUR FORMATORS: M. CRISPINA, M. MONICA RODRIGUEZ, M. MERCEDES MARTINEZ, M. JUANA LYDIA ROMERO AND ALSO TO M. LILIA ZUAZO FOR WHOM WE OFFER SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR GOOD HEALTH AND RECOVERY. REST IN PEACE ALSO TO OUR M. ESTELITA LIKEWISE, WE QUESTION THE SITUATION NOW OF OUR COUNTRY, IN THIS TIME OF THE ELECTIONS. WE ARE INVITED BY THE GOSPEL TO LOOK AT OURSELVES AS WE STAND IN FRONT OF JESUS, WHO IS THE TRUTH AND JUSTICE... AND TO SEE OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE CONFUSED BY THEIR OWN VALUES, AND THAT OF THE MEDIA (TELEVISION, RADIO, NEWSPAPER, COMMENTS, THE ADS, ETC). ALL THE PROPAGANDAS PROMISED US THAT "MEXICO IS GOING TO CHANGE" WITH SUCH OR THAT PERSON, BUT LOOKING AT JESUS, AS WE READ HIS WORD, AND RECALLING HOW HE WAS BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN, OR AS HE CARRIED THE CROSS AT THE CALVARY WHERE ALL PAINS OF CORRUPTION, HUNGER AND INJUSTICES WERE SUPPOSEDLY PLACED ON HIS SHOULDERS,…IT MAKES US TO REFLECT THAT FOR THESE 25 YEARS THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING, MORE THAN ANY FAVORS, MORE THAN ALL THESE PARTYING, FOOD OR GRAND FESTIVITIES, WE ARE EVEN MORE INVITED BY THE GOSPEL TO A TRUE CHANGE OF HEART SO WE MAY MAKE THE PROPHET CHRIST PRESENT, HE, WHO IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. (Srs. Piedad Elia Vazquez Ibañez, Ma. Vita Argullez Ramirez and Ma. Guadalupe Mejia G., MPS)

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The MPS sisters in all in places where the Congregation exists culminated the novena in honor of our Mother with joy and hope. We started the novena on the 18th of June in celebration of the feast of the missionary Virgin (27 June 2012).

Mary, as we all know, is the Mother and Patroness of many congregations particularly those who belong to the Redemptorist family who are present in many countries. She is venerated in a very special way... in a kind of devotion which we inherited from the Church. This has become so much a part of our missionary work as we MAKE HER KNOWN in our missionary presence.

How did we, the MPS of various communities in the Federal District of Mexico City and in the State of Mexico, celebrate this very important feast? We did it in two significant events: (1.) A pilgrimage which commencing from Guadalupe Street corner Peralvillo at 9: 00 a.m. with guests from Perpetuo Socorro Zacatenco Casa Hogar, Perpetuo Socorro Casa Hogar of Toluca, Colegio Juan Ramón Jiménez (which included students, teachers and parents), the communities of Postulancy, Novitiate and Central House, the MPS Lay Missionaries, and the Redemptorists - Mexico Provincial Superior of Fr. Gonzalo Rascon Ramirez and General Government of the MPS. During the pilgrimage, we experienced a strong prayerful and joyful ambiance as we prayed the Holy Rosary asking the Lord through the intercession of our Patroness, for peace in Mexico and in the whole world.

More petitions were added as we moved on recalling the other needs many people experience these days.

(2) A celebration of the Eucharist at around 11:00 a.m. at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe presided by Fr. Gonzalo, C.Ss.R. . He stressed in his homily, the importance of the Mother of Perpetual Help in the journey of the Redemptorist family. He also said that by imitating Mary, we allow ourselves to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer.

With her unconditional ¨Yes¨, Mary, the Virgin Mother, Spouse of the new alliance, was converted into the Icon of the Christian mystery. It is a call for each Christian to be transformed by the grace, in the image and likeness of the Word, taking Mary as a mirror of the soul. « The Marian dimension of the life of a disciple of Christ is expressed in a special way precisely through this filial entrusting of His mother which began with the testament of the Redeemer on Golgotha. Entrusted with Mary in a filial manner, the Christian, like the Apostle John, welcomes the Mother of Christ into his own home and into his life. He "took her to his own home."

So thus the Christian seek to be taken into that "maternal charity" with which the Redeemer's Mother "cares for the brethren of her Son, "in whose birth and development she cooperates" in the measure of the gift proper to each one through the power of Christ's Spirit. Thus , her motherhood is also felt by us, who accepts her us our mother. » (Redemptoris Mater 45, 4.)

As MPS, we want to re-establish the Marian spirituality to view the Icon of Perpetual Help, i.e. the urge to make from this image, as a mirror that presents the dynamics of Mary who is included into the circle of love and communion with the Trinity. Mary expresses the historical actuality of this mystery. Each Christian is therefore called to take Mary as his/her model.

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THRONE OF THE WORD INCARNATE. This primarily presents to us the abasement, the experience of living as the poor of Yahweh, in the availability and poverty of spirit, in humility as a servant, in the obedient listening to His Word. And when she allows her clean heart to be purified by the grace of the Beloved and inflamed with love, she becomes His throne from which He wills to be presented as the Savior of the world and as King of the entire universe.

THE BUSH OF BURNING LOVE. The heart of the believer, cleansed and joined with the Trinitarian life, burns with the divine presence that dwells in it and attached to it. To be transformed into a burning bush is to allow oneself to be burned in the self-giving, in the emptying of oneself of selfishness, in opening oneself to service, joy, praise and worship of the Lord. It is to be transfigured, to be ignited and become a place of Presence for the light for the world, the fire of love that burns in every heart.

THE CLOAK OF PROTECTION. This is to make life the extension of the gifts received; transforming them into welcoming attitude, in fraternity, and into care for the weakest and unprotected. It is to make the world a safe home for all and where the only herd is that of the Father, unified in Christ by the Spirit. It is to be the crowning work of the Trinity as a loving response from His creatures, His humble servants, as they do great wonders for the One whose name is holy.

Finally, we concluded this beautiful day with a pleasant fellowship as a missionary family by sharing a lovely lunch. It is worth mentioning that Central House served as the venue to thank Christ the Redeemer, for the great gift of Mary in our life and mission as our Mother of Perpetual Help.

HAPPY FEAST OF THE VIRGIN OF PERPETUAL HELP! (Secretariat t of Religious Life)

Considering the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, this question comes to mind: Where in this picture does the impression of peace, serenity and stability emanate? One aspect among many others that takes our attention at first sight is absolutely the central position of the hands of Mother and Child underlined in the diagonal arm of the Virgin which follows and ends at the one which holds the right angle. Also, if we perceive that this should be an intentional structure, now we are not capable of individually making it clear.

To find out, we must remember that it is a classical antiquity, whether in Christianity, the human figure was represented spontaneously, following some "royalties" which as a rule we find various parts of the face that were precise in numerical relation with the various human body parts.

As P. Sendler expressed, the ancient world was fascinated by the beauty of the human body, and this beauty manifested the involvement with the divine reality. For classical Greek, the ideal beauty was determined by the Pythagorean doctrine that everything is regulated according to the number. However, for the Christian, in which the world is marred by sin and called to be transfigured by grace, this classical conception of a cosmos harmonized by the numbers was very far and was a radically different conception of man created in the image and likeness of God as the living temple of God, in which the head corresponds to the celestial sphere and the cube body ground.

SENDLER, E., L’icona, immagine dell' invisibile. Elementi di teologia, estetica e tecnica, Milano, Ed. San Paolo, 1985, p. 103.

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Iconographic Structure of the IPH By: Professor Giovanna Muzj, Rome, 2005.

So, for various reasons, the Byzantines chose a single base unit, the "module", represented by the length of the nose. "Because they constitute a simple and clear module that won and set a closed tradition‌"The module is placed starting from the nose, between the eyebrows multiplying three times since over the face, the relationship to the body, which may vary according to periods of 1:7 to 1, 9.5, determines and expresses the difference of styles.

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The designed part of the face in a circle in which the center is the root of the nose and a beam the length of the nose; Stepping along the ray, or the module, draw a second circle that includes the person's head(the beard excluded) there is often a third circle, the halo.

The vertical nose forms a right angle with the horizontal line of the eyes, their point of intersection is the root of the nose,center of the head. Precisely because it is a privileged point, the root of the nose that is designed with particular care in Byzantine iconography: we are practically in front of a central column flanked with two arches.

The composition of the face is a little more complex when ¾ front and not, as is the case of I PH. In this case, once drawn the circle of the module and from the nose, draw a second circle which has the same center point of intersection of the first line with the nose, this also becomes the center of the head. Fr. Egon Sendler explains well the reason for this procedure: "The representation of faces in frontal view posed no great difficulties for the artist of the Middle Ages.Those of the faces seen in three quarters forheads bowed, seemed to be more difficult:the painter,in fact, did not conceive the subject as a free body moving in space or more as its projection on a two-dimensional plane which represented various aspects of the subject. These aspects were possible only from different points of view."

If now we go through this sequence of operations in the IPH, we realize that the icon fits perfectly into the Byzantine tradition; we must not forget it was accepted as much of the Christian art of Medieval Latin.

Let's make some discoveries while looking at the IPH: The horizontal line drawn from the center (B) to the root of the nose passes into the eye-level of the two angels and constitutes the upper side of the square formed by the base and the two perpendicular sides. And verify that the composition as a whole consists of a large square base and a top rectangle represented in a 1:3 ratio, long and can be divided into four parts balanced.

The central vertical line(A), which, as we said, is the center of the circle of the head of the Virgin and is the center of the icon-icon to the base, through the"knot" in the hands of Mary and Jesus at the center along the hand of Mary.

Finally, if we add the diagonal of the square, they are reunited on this vertical exactly at the midpoint of the "knot" consisting of advocates hands of Mother and Child: an incubated height between the thumb and index mother, under the fingers of the left hand of the Child.

The line of the nose of the Child, modulus of the circle of his head, lies on the diagonal of your head through the center A and ends in a point that is a quarter of the total bounty to the eye suggests an equilateral triangle at the apex high and whose basis is the invisible plane on which the Lord Jesus sits.

La línea de la nariz del Niño, módulo del círculo de su cabeza, se encuentra en la diagonal de su cabeza que pasa por el centro A y termina en un punto que está a un cuarto de la largueza total y sugiere al ojo un triángulo equilátero en cuyo vértice está en alto y cuyo base constituye el plano invisible en el cual se sienta en Señor Jesús.

These elements are such that the icon of Perpetual Help was developed with a clear objective. The "inseparable knot 'forming the hands of Jesus placed upon Mary, His spouse, the child is the center from which the theological message of the IPH revolves around. Jesus is the Son of God descended from heaven in the circle of Trinitarian love. Mary is the apex of the cosmos summed up by the Word incarnate. She is the deified creature, the new Eve, who, from the Incarnation of the Word to the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ, lived associated with the redemptive work of her Son. The resurrected Jesus opened the gates of Paradise to all mankind, Mary His Mother, is the first of the new humanity deified by the Spirit.

The Son of God, descending from the heavens, assumes all our human fragile condition and elevates it. He espoused our humanity and by participation, we are transformed into becoming true children of God. (Shared by: Sr. Maria Verónica Zendejas Echeverría, MPS)

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Ten Rules for High Performance Teamwork By: John J. Murphy

Are there lessons about teamwork that we can learn from geese? Decide for yourself…

As geese flap their wings, they create an uplift for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone.

If we share a common direction and a sense of community, we can get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are travelling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone… and quickly returns back to formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go…and we will be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position.

If we take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership, as with the geese… we become interdependent with one another.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. If we “honk”, we need to make sure it is positive and encouraging.

When a goose gets sick or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it.

They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock. We, too, should stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong.

Let us all try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it!

That’s the power of PULLING TOGETHER!

—-- Editorial Staff ——-

Year XXVII No. 95

June 2012

Moved by the Spirit, to be more Human in Christ Redeemer, like Mary General Directress M. Cecilia Morales Tapia, MPS Editor- in-Chief Secretariat of Communication and Diffusion Sr. María Victoria Vivar Flores , MPS Directive Council Animation and Authority M. Cecilia Morales Tapia, MPS Secretariat of Religious Life Sr. Maritza Josefina Morillo Herrera, MPS Secretariat of Vocation and Formation Sr. Senaida Anavela Barrientos Caseros, MPS Secretariat of Missionary Action Sr. Ma. Teresa Medina Sánchez, MPS General Secretary Sr. Norma Patricia Pérez Esparza, MPS

General Econome Sr. Ma. Carmen Estrada Hurtado, MPS

Mailing address:

MISSIONARIES OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP Azabache 38, Col. Estrella Delegación Gustavo A. Madero 07810 México D.F. Tel /Fax: 01 55 55 77 07 98 perpetuo@prodigy.net.mx www.perpetuosocorro.com.mx

On behalf of the whole staff of ESTRELLA MISIONERA, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for all the sisters who contributed and helped in making this issue possible. Hand in hand, we build bridges of communication that enrich our knowledge of the history, spirituality and mission of our Congregation and at the same time strengthens our sisterly relationship.

¨ It is only after knowing and communicating that makes loving possible ... ¨

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