A NEW FOUNDATION
In our Province of Ramón Zubieta y Les, the desire to establish another foundation in the Amazon was brewing throughout the Provincial Assemblies. To this end, a search began in 2024 in Ecuador and Bolivia.
The search was intense throughout that year, which materialized in early 2025 with a foundation in the Bolivian Amazon, in the Department of Pando and in the town of Porvenir.
The Sisters designated for this Mission were: Ana María Ortiz (Peruvian), Yerty Marianela Aguirre (Chilean), and María Dolores Priede (Spanish). They began this journey together on April 10 of this year.
We have been overwhelmed by the warm welcome we received from the local people, by their many displays of closeness and affection, along with their desire to walk together in daily life, sharing faith and hope.
We have discovered many challenges and needs over the past few months, not only in the town of Porvenir where we live, but also in the various communities and villages scattered throughout the Amazon and its rivers. We stay there for a minimum of eight days during our visits.
Our encounters with the people and their diverse cultures require us to listen, contemplate reality, learn, and share their religious beliefs, lifestyles, food, and needs.
The presence of the Kingdom becomes visible to us when we contemplate so much beauty and the hidden mystery found in the Amazon. It is evident in the people’s desire to know God better and to be accompanied in their faith, struggles, and hopes. It is evident in their generous way of sharing the little they have. It is evident in their welcome, affection, and love they show us.
Missionary itinerancy is one of the demands of our charism. Age, gray hair, physical or health limitations should not matter to us, because we are not alone. God walks with us and sustains us in our weaknesses.
Hna. María Dolores Priede M.
BOLIVIA