Mexico City, Mexico. The Cordimarian Missionary Sisters celebrate this year their first centenary of foundation, enhancing it with the motto “Time of grace, grateful memory and joyful commitment”, recognizing the reality that surrounds them and encourages them to make solidarity and hope come alive.
We share the brief narrative that our sister Dania Alejandra Velázquez Cano MCM has written, recapitulating the preparation, journey and celebration of such a distinguished memory:
Last March 19, feast of St. Joseph and, by God’s providence, the day of the foundation of our Congregation so that he himself would watch over the growth of our Work and form it in simplicity, joy and fidelity, we celebrated the Eucharist in the Insigne Nacional Basilica de Guadalupe. Right at the feet of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who has sheltered us in her Heart since the beginning of our congregational history. In front of Her, with our hearts full of joy and gratitude for the mercy of God, we implore Her intercession to continue searching for new ways to respond to the current challenges and the need for missionary vocations.
The celebration was presided over by Father Enrique Mascorro, Provincial Superior of Mexico. Four Claretian brothers concelebrated and, representing all the Congregation, sisters from five communities: from Taxco, Guerrero; from Cuernavaca, Morelos; from Mexico City and the General Government, which resides in Toluca, State of Mexico, as well as from the Claretian and Cordimarian Family. Each community celebrated in person and also all were united through virtual networks.
Path of preparation
For this First Centenary the Cordimarians Sisters prepared the way since 2019, with reflection material and activities that propitiated to drink from the origin of our charism, from the life of our founders, their spiritual and missionary legacy. We dedicated the first year to reflect on the figure of the Father (God the Father and our Founder, as well as our co-patron Saint Joseph); the second year on the figure of the Mother (God as Mother, our Foundress and the Heart of Mary); and this third year, 2021, on the daughters (God the Son, the missionaries and the journey in the mission).
On the way we had the impression that the pandemic would truncate this preparation and celebration; however, technology allowed us to move forward, revitalizing our missionary vocation, taking up in each community the material prepared, meditating on the Word of God and responding to the challenges that this pandemic brought to our missions with gratuity and joy.
Recounting a history
On March 19, 1921, under the inspiration of catechist Carmen Serrano y Rugama and Father Julián Collell y Guix, CMF, the Congregation of Cordimarian Missionary Sisters was founded in Mexico City, with Archbishop José Mora y del Río as Archbishop, who issued the decree of canonical erection.
This missionary vocation, with a spirituality rooted in that of St. Anthony Mary Claret, has left its mark and small seeds of the Gospel in the Church, burning in love wherever we have gone during these one hundred years in various countries and towns of Latin America, from Mexico where we were founded, to Venezuela where we spent several years. Currently, we are present in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States, evangelizing mainly in catechetical, educational and social ministry; and open to the Ruah, the Spirit of God, wherever He calls us to make known the Good News of the one who “loved us first”.
Dania Alejandra Velázquez Cano MCM
