Sisters Adorers, Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity, celebrated the closing of the jubilee year by the provinces of Calcutta and Bombay for the 75 years of presence of the congregation in India.
On the occasion of this Diamond Jubilee, a Eucharist was celebrated in the community and school that the Adorers have in Puri (India) in which 12 priests concelebrated, and songs were sung in different Indian dialects, as well as English and Spanish. Numerous friends of the congregation, teachers from schools, as well as priests, nuns and ex-provincials from the provinces of Calcutta and Bombay were present to mark this auspicious occasion.
In the school auditorium, an event of thanks and felicitation was held for these years of Adorers presence in India. Sr. Teresa Valenzuela, Superior General, was present at the celebrations that took place in the city of Puri (India), which was the first town in which the religious established a community upon their arrival in the country in 1947.
During the celebration, Sr. Teresa Valenzuela thanked God “for the gift of so many sisters who have offered and generated their life from fidelity to their vocation to adore and liberate”, “a small seed that they planted in 1947 in Puri has grown and spread to different Indian states. And it has spread to other lands like Nepal and Philippines.”
In this celebration for the Diamond jubilee of the Adorers presence in India, the Superior General highlighted the example of the pioneering sisters who “came from Spain as missionaries to India”, who “bravely ventured into the unknown: a new people, a new culture, a new language, they came loaded with a strong spirit and determination, without fearing sacrifices, only sustained by their love for Jesus in the Eucharist, they managed to overcome all obstacles and difficulties.
For this reason, she stressed that this celebration of 75 years of our presence in India is also a moment for the entire congregation to come together “to celebrate the immense love and mercy of God that has sustained us as a congregation on this earth.”
The superior general has been on her pastoral visit in Calcutta since October 17 and will remain meeting with the sisters until 20th of December. Afterwards, she will spend a few days in Bombay, in the provincial house. Sr. Fara Galati, general consultant accompanies her. Later she will visit Nepal, which is part of the province of Calcutta, also Vietnam and Cambodia. They will return to Rome on 4th January 2023.