PILGRIMAGE: A JOURNEY OF FAITH, MEMORY, AND HOPE

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live." (Deut. 4:9)

I share with deep gratitude the transformative experience I lived in the beginning of the second semester of 2025, during a pilgrimage to places that hold great significance in the history of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph: Chambéry, Le Puy, Lyon, and other locations where our founding Sisters and Father Jean Pierre Médaille once walked.

It was a time of deepening, listening, learning, questioning, and interior renewal — a unique opportunity to revisit the milestones of our charismatic journey. As we visited the places that witnessed the birth of our Congregation, we came to understand the importance of preserving this intangible heritage — a living source of our spirituality — passed on from generation to generation.

Along the paths of Le Puy-en-Velay, we walked to the kitchen of the first Sisters. In the simplicity of this sacred space, we felt the warmth of the Spirit that once filled their hearts. The “soup of communion” symbolized more than nourishment: it represented the mission present in each gesture, sustaining Father Médaille and the first Sisters — Françoise Eyraud, Claude Chastel, Marguerite Burdier, Anne Chalayer, Anne Vey, and Anne Brun.

These women, courageous and deeply rooted in faith, left behind a legacy marked by a clear mission: to serve the poor, orphans, the sick, and prisoners. They lived outside the walls of a convent, in simplicity and silence, contemplative in action. In this way, they wove the charism thread by thread, spreading it throughout the world.

We also remember with reverence our martyred Sisters of the French Revolution: Anne Marie Garnier, Jean Marie Aubert, Sainte Croix Vincent, Senovert, and Toussaint Doumoulin. Persecuted and imprisoned for their faith, they stood firm in their love for Christ, even in the face of suffering and death.

Walking through the places where these lives were offered — such as the kitchen of the first Sisters or the Martyrs’ Square in Le Puy — was a powerful experience. The Tree of Life was watered by the blood of our martyrs and 43 other brothers who gave their lives out of love and fidelity to God. Their testimony still nourishes the mission of the Congregation today, planting seeds of life and hope throughout the world — often through our daily, silent martyrs.

To relive this history and drink from the source challenges us to look to the past with gratitude and to the future with hope. In the face of new challenges, we are called to respond with the same courage and faith:

“COURAGEOUSLY EMBRACE WHAT GOD ASKS OF YOU.” (Maxim 66)

To rekindle and witness to our charism in both personal and communal prayer; to honor and call upon our martyred and pioneering Sisters; to look to the present with hope, as living signs of the Gospel; and to courageously recommit to the mission of unity, even amid trials — always trusting that God is our rock, our strength, and never abandons us.

I thank the Congregation and the Province for the opportunity to nurture our ongoing formation. Even after 375 years, it is essential to look back and recognize that, since 1650, countless lives have been transformed and united through the presence of the Sisters of St. Joseph and committed laypeople — always nourished by the mission of serving our "dear neighbor."

May St. Joseph continue to bless us and strengthen our bonds of communion and unity.

ROME: JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE

In addition to walking in the footsteps of Father Médaille and our founding Sisters, I was also graced with the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to Rome during the Jubilee Year of Hope.

These were days of deep emotion and faith: visiting churches, holy sites, and places connected to the lives of saints who have shaped the Church’s history — like St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose spirituality we live; St. Paul; St. Peter; St. Agnes; St. Cecilia, and many others who, through their unwavering faith and total surrender to Jesus Christ, gave their lives as martyrs of love.

Celebrating the Jubilee Year by passing through the Holy Door was a profound moment of grace. My faith was rekindled, and my heart renewed to continue living and bearing witness to the Gospel of Hope — with joy, fidelity, and in service to life.

Thank you, my God, for so many graces and opportunities. May I always respond to You with hope, joy, and faithfulness.

Sr. Ana Maria da Silva