The Rosary and the River: Monsignor Ramón Zubieta’s Journey to Puerto Maldonado
In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, where rivers carve paths through dense jungle and indigenous communities live in quiet resilience, a missionary’s footsteps once echoed with purpose and prayer. That missionary was Monsignor Ramón Zubieta y Les, a Dominican priest whose journey to Puerto Maldonado, Peru, would become a cornerstone of evangelization and social transformation in Latin America.
As I sit with the story of Monsignor Ramón Zubieta y Les, I find myself deeply moved—not just by the facts of his life, but by the spirit that animated his mission. His journey to Puerto Maldonado wasn’t just a geographical expedition; it was a pilgrimage of faith, courage, and love. And somehow, even across time and distance, I feel invited to walk that path with him.
In 1902, he arrived in Puerto Maldonado, a remote and wild place, where the river was the only road and the jungle the only shelter. He came not with power, but with prayer—his Rosary in hand, his heart open to the unknown.
I imagine him navigating those rivers, not knowing what lay ahead, yet trusting that God was already there. That image stays with me. It reminds me that mission isn’t about certainty—it’s about presence. It’s about showing up, even when the path is unclear, even when the terrain is unforgiving.
What touches me most is his vision for women in mission. He believed that women had a vital role in evangelization. That conviction was radical for its time—and still resonates today. As a member of this congregation, I feel the weight and the beauty of that legacy. We are here because he believed in us. He believed that the Gospel needed all voices, all hands, and all hearts.
His life challenges me. It asks: Am I willing to cross my own rivers? Am I willing to carry the Rosary not just as a devotion, but as a compass? Am I willing to be a missionary—not just in geography, but in heart?
As we honor his memory, I carry these questions with me. And I pray that, like him, I may walk with courage, serve with compassion, and trust that the river will always lead me where I am most needed.
Nguyen Thi Phuong (Eres)
1st Year Novice in Asian Continental Novitiate.
