On the afternoon of May 28, 2025, an Online Meeting of the Care Communities of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Brazilian Province took place. The event brought together all the communities of elderly Sisters for moments of sharing, spirituality, strengthening fraternal bonds, and presentations. With a spirit of gratitude and hope, the meeting highlighted the vitality and testimony of faith of our dear Sisters.
Sister Rita Tessaro, provincial counselor, joyfully welcomed the communities. Sister Maria da Consolação Rocha Coelho, provincial, opened the meeting by thanking everyone for their presence and highlighting the importance of the moment for the life of the communities. She remembered Sister Manoelita, who recently passed away and was a member of the São José do Patrocínio community in Vacaria, and celebrated the miraculous recovery of Sister Geni Eira after a serious illness. “It is a time of gratitude, even in the face of physical pain. We grow in spirit, in our charism of unity,” she stated, inviting everyone to live the jubilee year as “pilgrims of hope,” in tune with the call of Pope Francis.
The meeting was led by Sister Délcia Decker, who explained the new dynamic of the meetings that have been reorganized to ensure more time and quality in the presentations. In this first meeting of the year, the communities from Curitiba, Caxias do Sul, Garibaldi, and Itu will present. The others—São José (SP), Vacaria (RS), Nazaré (Caxias do Sul), Patrocínio (SP), and São Luís de Porto Alegre—will share in the next meeting, scheduled for August 20.
NAZARÉ COMMUNITY OF CAXIAS DO SUL: MARIAN SPIRITUALITY AND AFFECTIONATE MEMORY
The Nazaré Community in Caxias do Sul began their presentation by celebrating the Marian month with songs dedicated to Our Lady. The hymn in honor of Our Lady of Caravaggio, patroness of the diocese, was sung with emotion, along with other songs in tribute to Mary and mothers. The experience of Marian spirituality strengthened the community bonds and affectionate memory.
OUR LADY OF PATRONAGE COMMUNITY OF ITU: PATCHWORK QUILT AS A SYMBOL OF SHARED LIFE
The Our Lady of Patrocínio Community in Itu moved the participants with a presentation inspired by the poem "I Am Made of Scraps" by Cora Coralina. Each Sister made a symbolic patch with drawings representing significant moments of her life. The quilt constructed collectively became an expression of memory, gratitude, and communion. Sister Rosa, reflecting on the poetry, commented: “Our community should be more than a patchwork quilt: it should be a cradle of God's love.”
BETHANY COMMUNITY OF GARIBALDI: MUSIC, MOVEMENT, AND JOY
The Bethany Community in Garibaldi began their sharing with a song to St. Joseph, the patron saint of the Congregation. Then, they presented activities that integrate physiotherapy and music in the daily lives of the Sisters. The house's physiotherapist, Sister Cleonice da Cruz Yoshizawa, highlighted how the use of music, combined with body care, contributes to physical and emotional well-being. Popular songs and choreographies sparked joy, affectionate memory, and reinforced cultural identity. The Sisters expressed that these activities strengthen self-esteem and promote harmonious living.
The Our Lady of Lourdes Community in Curitiba made a presentation full of symbolism and beauty. The Sisters sang the hymn to Our Lady of Lourdes while holding colorful ribbons that surrounded the image of Our Lady. This gesture united spirituality, art, and emotion, representing the Sisters' devotion to this Marian title and the identity of the community.
WALKING TOGETHER: BETWEEN MEMORY AND FUTURE
The meeting, full of testimonies and artistic expressions, music, and prayer, reaffirmed the strength of the care communities as spaces of life, spirituality, and sharing. At the end, they remembered the memory of Mother Theodora, on the centenary of her death, as a source of inspiration to live with joy and dedication to the charism of unity.
The online experience confirmed the importance of keeping connections alive between communities, even from a distance, and renewed the commitment to continue stitching together this great patchwork quilt made of faith, care, and hope.
Sister Eliana Aparecida dos Santos
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