In November of last year, a visit by two Daughters of Jesus, Maura, and Martina, to the Father Guillermo Arsenault Formation Centre in the central zone of Honduras became an opportunity to thank the Congregation for its presence in the life of the Centre for 50 years now.
“Welcome to the PGA Formation Centre”
Named after Father Guillermo Arsenault, a Quebec priest who died in 1986, this small formation centre is located in the Zamorano Valley, 27 km from Danlí, Honduras. It provides the setting in which the Fraternity of St. Francis of Assisi can live out its charism of cooperating to repair wounded lives, so that each person can find a path to hope. The Fraternity offers accompaniment and support to children and families whose human development is lacerated by their precarious living conditions.
These people seek emergency support or help to recover and/or revitalise their integral health, as well as accompaniment and support to heal their human wounds. They are also helped to discover the presence of God in lives torn apart by multiple manifestations of violence, extreme poverty and social injustice.
In addition, the centre offers a place for religious and lay people where they can rest from the burdens they carry on their backs, strengthen their faith in silence and prayer and revive themselves for their mission.
The centre becomes a place of celebration
We saw a beautiful example of this “revival” in early November 2022 when two Honduran Daughters of Jesus, Maura Rodriguez Ordoñez and Martina del Carmen López visited us. Both of them were preparing for a new stage of mission, the former in San Marcos de Colón, in the south of Honduras, and the latter in the neighbouring country of Colombia.
Their stay in Zamoranito from 3 to 6 November was, for them, part of a process of human and spiritual preparation for the mission ahead. For us, they left a beautiful mark of joy and gratitude in our small Fraternity of St. Francis of Assisi and Formation Centre. During these three days the sisters were a living witness to :
- their beautiful charism of Christic- filiation which seeks to live out the dream of God for humanity,
- simplicity, fraternity, and joy.
Martina and Maura, Daughters of Jesus,
with Rita and Lolita, the first two consecrated members
of the Fraternity of St Francis of Assisi,
and Adelina, a non-consecrated member,
and Administrator of the PGA Formation Centre
In thanksgiving
Maura and Martina allowed us to experience a beautiful Eucharistic Celebration of Thanksgiving with them and with Father Elmer Domínguez, parish priest of Santa Teresita Parish, to which Zamoranito belongs. During the celebration, the Fraternity gave great thanks for each of the Sisters of the Community of the Daughters of Jesus of Kermaria :
- those we know personally and those we do not,
- regardless of the country in which they are located and their mission
- those whose names are written in the heart of Jesus.
Contemplating Maura and Martina, we gave infinite thanks to the Daughters of Jesus for having been so present in Zamoranito from the 1970s until November 2022.
The members of the Fraternity of St Francis of Assisi
Zamoranito, Honduras
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