Toledo, Spain | Information: RTVD | The Past May 31stthe monastery of the Augustinian Recollect Nuns of Vitigudino a moment of special joy: Sister Maria Zhanga native of China, consecrated herself to God in the contemplative life, following the Augustinian Recollect charism. following the Augustinian Recollect charism. The celebration was presided over by Msgr. José Luis Retana Bishop of Salamanca and Ciudad Rodrigo, and was lived as a serene hymn of fidelity and hope. a serene hymn of fidelity and hope in a Church in a Church that continues to bear fruit in silence.
A story of fidelity that spans the centuries
Founded 850 years ago, the Sisters of St. James have been silent witnesses to the history of the silent witnesses of history, consecrated to the Lordconsecrated to the Lord from the hidden life and at the service of the Church. With five convents in the world – among them in India and Equatorial Guinea – their charism of contemplative life and discreet service continues to live on in a rapidly changing society.
As expressed by Sister Lucia GironLucía Girón, prioress of the convent of Toledo, in an interview granted to the Augustinian Recollects:
“The Lord has preserved us many years, and that means we are doing something good.” (→ Read full interview here).
A mission that knows no borders
Despite being cloistered nuns, the Sisters of St. James have traveled the world.. As Sister Lucia told RTVD (see interview here), their contemplative life has not distanced them from the missionary dynamism.
“I thought I was never going to leave the convent, but I have traveled the world. I’ve been to India eight times, to Latin America, to Rome…”
Currently, about a hundred religious form the family of the Commendatrixes, coming from Spain and from countries such as India, Guinea and Latin America, where they have founded new communities at the service of the Church.
850 years of prayer, education and service
The celebration in Toledo was a living testimony of gratitude.
“We want to thank God because to still be here, 850 years later, is not our merit, but His,” the sisters said during the Eucharist.
Presided over by the Archbishop and concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Ángel Fernández Collado and Bishop Ángel Rubio, the Mass was a hymn to fidelity and silent mission. a hymn to the fidelity and the silent mission that defines the Commendatory Sisters.
Testimony of hope
In times when consecrated life faces challenges, the perseverance of the Commendatrixes of Santiago is a sign that silent fidelity that silent fidelity remains a potent form of evangelization…..
“If you are happy in what you do, it sustains you,” says Sister Lucia with the wisdom of 66 years of consecrated life.
From the Augustinian Recollect family, we join in thanksgiving for this anniversary, asking the Lord to continue to bless the hidden but fruitful life of these women who, in the words of St. Augustine in Sermon 104, “have chosen the better part”..