Engraved in the hearts of those who participated on January 27, 2026 will be the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of STJ. This day will be remembered as the great legacy of what was once the dream of Enrique de Ossó and that today is beating in every classroom, community, work, mission and corner where there is the presence of a formation under the Teresian spirituality.
The Teresian Province of Our Lady of Hope had the joy of sharing this Eucharist in a day lived in a key of gratitude, communion and renewal with the educational and evangelizing commitment, which extended to the four countries of our Province: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Contributing their strength to sustain the same dream: "to know and love Jesus and to make him known and loved".
The commemoration was lived simultaneously in the four countries, with the active participation of eight schools, communities of Sisters, students, teachers, graduates and lay people, confirming that the Teresian charism is still alive, creative and on the move. The Eucharist was the center of this celebration and was accompanied by gestures and expressions of each reality, which strengthened communion and diversity.
In the schools, the celebration was integrated into school and pastoral life with the participation of children and young people from primary and secondary schools. The offerings of bread and wine, mustard seeds and the 150 years commemorative logo, symbol of the warp that weaves us as one family, expressed the shared identity and the educational mission.
One of the most symbolic moments of the day, was highlighted in the Chapel of the House of Coexistence and Retreats STJ, where Sister Paola Sanguinetti, of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and belonging to the Teresian Province Maria Peregrina, made the First Renewal of her vows of obedience, poverty and chastity. A simple and at the same time profoundly memorable gesture, which became an eloquent sign of the validity of the Teresian vocational charism 150 years after its foundation. Called to live in union with Jesus and to participate as a community in his evangelizing mission.
While in Bogota this vocational thread was knotted, the celebration spread like a great provincial fabric. The educational communities of the Teresian School of Aguachica - Reina del Carmelo, Teresian of Bogota, Teresian La Candelaria and Teresian of Envigado lived the date with Eucharist, toasts and prayer dynamics with their teachers and students. There were plays, songs and artistic displays. On the other hand, the Sisters of La Candelaria and Envigado joined in prayer at the Envigado house to celebrate this feast.
In Venezuela, the warp was tightened with strength and hope. In Guacara, more than 2,000 people - graduates, families, lay people and students - participated in the commemorative vigil. The day was as intense as it was fruitful: the Sisters of the community took turns from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to accompany those who came to celebrate. In the schools of El Paraíso and Guacara, processions with streets of honor for the students, flags of the Society and of the nation, together with the images of St. Enrique de Ossó and St. Teresa of Jesus, relics and the Constitutions, made visible a faith that walks and expresses itself in culture. In El Paraíso, Provincial Flor Hernández enlivened the Eucharist with her singing, emphasizing that the mission is also announced through harmony.
In Ecuador, the community of Sucumbíos convoked the Teresian family to a fraternal meeting that culminated in the Eucharist and a simple sharing, a sign of a close and incarnated Church in the territory. In Bolivia, in San Julián, the celebration brought together the community and teachers of the Fe y Alegría San Enrique de Ossó school, confirming that the Teresian charism dialogues in community with other educational presences and social dynamics.
The celebration was marked by a profound prayerful experience that gave meaning and horizon to the commemoration. All of this recalled the spirit that has animated the Society since its origins: "Some embers of divine fire are waiting for a powerful breath to fan them... who will renew these coals? The answer was visible in every school and in every fruitful gesture, in every educator who renews his or her commitment, convinced that "love is always bubbling and thinking about what it will do".
As a finishing touch to this commemoration, a shared certainty resounds throughout the Teresian Province of Our Lady of Hope: "Happy 150 years of life, mission and shared hope! Like Teresa, we are called to 'walk in truth', to know ourselves, to grow interiorly and to put our talents at the service of others."
All for Jesus!
Access the photo gallery through this link: Teresianas de Ossó STJ Communication | Flickr
