Gran Celebración
Sisters Mark 70 Years of Service in Chile
Sisters from throughout our international congregation — including American Sisters Mary Martha Zammatore (left) Rosalia Giba (center) — gathered in Chile in 2017 to celebrate our 70 years there.
The first group of our sisters to minister in Chile in the 1940s.
Sisters Rosalia (left) and Mary Martha (right) with a family who hosted them during their visit.
sisters Rosalia Giba and Mary Martha Zammatore boast of blessings, celebration and music during their trip to represent the U.S. Province in Chile, where last month they joined sisters from throughout the congregation in joyous celebration of 70 years of our sisters’ presence there.
Even enroute to South America, the sisters felt God’s presence in the kind and generous airport workers and customs officials who helped them find their way and through the checkpoints efficiently. This included Juan Carlos at the Santiago Airport, who upon requesting a Rosary and prayer, ushered the sisters’ luggage right through customs.
On their way to Viña del Mar, their escorts – Sister Nancy Aguilera and Adrián Délano Briceño, director of Colegio Santa Clara – drove them by the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lo Vasquez, an important place of pilgrimage, where they were right on time to join in Mass. At Viña del Mar they were greeted by all the sisters, including Sisters Kveta Vinklarkova and Margherita Faugno from Rome and Sister Ximena Canales, a second-year novice who is in Viña for her pastoral experience before first vows.
All the sisters who are able continue to minister in schools that have grown immensely during our presence there. Escuela Hugo Errazuriz in Viña del Mar is home to almost 700 children, while 500 to 600 students are enrolled at Colegio Santa Clara in Placilla, where our sisters have served for 20 years.
The students prepared special programs for the anniversary celebration. Current pupils danced and played music, and a quartet of former students who were part of the Siempre Mas Alto choir – now in their 40s – returned to perform.
The children danced and performed an anniversary song during a special celebration at Viña del Mar on November 11. Then, during a grand celebration on November 12 at an indoor sports complex in Placilla, the sisters were paired with high school students who carried flags from countries in which our sisters serve. The program included a video of the pioneer sisters in Chile and a performance by dancers in the traditional dress of the Quechua Indians.
Sisters Rosalia and Mary Martha flew to Antofagasta on November 20, where both served in long-term ministries. Since there are no longer sisters serving there, our sisters stayed with two host families, who enjoyed helping them become immersed in the culture once again. The experience included evening Rosary and Mass each day at the local parish and visiting and praying with the elderly, sick and bedridden.
“This was truly a beautiful experience,” Sister Rosie says. “I am very thankful for the opportunity, and I see lots of hope for our community there.”