Sisters of Providence are often on the move to encourage young people in their faith journeys – from religious retreats to preparation for Confirmation.
The Sisters also have a dedicated system to support women who are interested in exploring a call to religious life, and travel to assist a robust and growing network of Providence Associates.
Here are three examples from this spring:
Connecting Before Confirmation in Diocese of Yakima
Five Sisters – Marisol Avila, SP, Hong Nga Nguyen, SP, Ana Dolores Orellana, SP, Josefina (Josie) Ramac, SP, and Fe Sumalde, SP – convened in Wenatchee, Washington for an event to support young people preparing for their Confirmation into the Catholic Church. Parishes from the nearby communities of Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, and Royal City combined to send 250 young people to the retreat. The Diocese of Yakima Bishop, Most Rev. Joseph J. Tyson, was also in attendance.
Srs. Hong Nga and Josie led a warmly received session on the theme of vocations during the retreat.
A Destination with Great Meaning in El Salvador
In late April, El Salvador-based Sisters Vilma Franco, SP, and Marcia Gatica, SP, led a group of 16 young people on a vocational outreach to Cuidad Barrios, El Salvador. All participants are part of the Providence Beca Scholarship program.
The location is a meaningful one: St. Óscar Romero was born in Cuidad Barrios in 1917. The group visited a statue dedicated to the heroic defender of human rights in the town’s plaza.
The event was organized by the San Oscar Arnulfo Romero Parish in Ciudad Barrios, with eight additional religious communities and the local diocesan seminary sharing testimonies during the gathering.
In Support of Providence Associates in the Philippines
For Sr. Julie Macasieb, SP, a trip to her native Philippines was spent serving alongside the 17 Filipino Providence Associates, who are located in three distinct regions of the island nation: the mountainous peninsula of Bataan, the coastal and river-rich Dagupan City, and the urban Punta Santa Ana neighborhood of the capital city Manila.
Providence Associates are compassionate laypeople who desire to share the mission and spirituality of Providence. They are drawn by the same spirit and charism as the Sisters of Providence, and serve from 19 U.S. states in addition to these three Filipino districts, plus an Associate who lives in Tanzania.
“I’m grateful for the chance to be with the Providence Associates in their ministries,” said Sr. Julie, who is the liaison to the Associates in the Philippines.