On the Second day of the Assembly, Sr. Sharon Villafranca Sumagaysay was appointed as the Delegate for the Delegation Saint Lorenzo Ruiz of Asia. Sisters Eden Sales and Clarynse Subijano were elected as councilors. We give thanks for their generosity in accepting this service and we pray for strength and courage for them and carrying forward their responsibilities.

Time of encounter, serious dialogue corageous questions and humble answers: we continue journey as Delegation looking forward to the goal of our vocation, that is, to contemplate, love and serve the God in His wounded body, the Church. We make option for new style of relationships, for serving the most vulnerable, for interculturality, for caring for the common home and for economy that is sustainable and solidary, among others. May the Lord help us to make this dream become true.

4. Closing Message of the 4th Delegation Assembly_Reg.nº58_2026

2. Opening message of the 4th Delegation Assembly_Reg.nº57_2026

THIRD DAY ASSMBLY_FEBRUARY 16, 2026

SECOND DAY ASSEMBLY_February 15, 2026

FIRST DAY – DELEGATION ASSEMBLY _ ASIA_February 14, 2026

At a good pace and with in-depth sharing of the sisters with the facilitator, they were able to give final form to what was discerned in the hall. In the near future, these agreements and determinations will be made known to all the sisters in the circumscription.

The last hour of the afternoon was dedicated to topics considered important to communicate, clarify, discuss, or resolve. It was a time well spent and so necessary to continue walking together and toward a common goal. The participants appreciated the opportunity to share
what was burning in their hearts and minds.

This was followed by a session of information on other contributions and communications from sisters and communities who had submitted their pre-chapter works. The General Animator then addressed other questions and concerns from the audience, and together with the Provincial Animator, they responded to the requests.

Finally, the closing message of this chapter, held under the theme “Custodians of life, reborn in communion” was delivered. Sister Maria Teresa García strongly emphasized her gratitude and appreciation for the sisters and lay people, the facilitator, and collaborators who participated in this congregational event. She highlighted the atmosphere of sincerity, dialogue, and communion experienced during the days of the chapter, as well as the commitment of all participants to discern and design options to respond to the signs of  times and continue the mission of being custodians of life and generators of communion. She especially thanked the work of the Provincial Government, the commissions, the facilitator, Sister Covadonga Orejas, the Franciscan nuns who hosted this event in their home, and the priests who accompanied the process. She also recognized the work of the outgoing team and encouraged the new team to continue with dedication in the next four years. Her message concluded with a call to her listeners to return to their communities as heralds of the Good News, firm in their unity of charity, entrusting this new phase to Mary and the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit has burst into this room”, she has confessed. The official closing ceremony has filled the atmosphere with the aroma of gratitude and the warmth of hope.

Next came words of gratitude from Sister Teresa Vives, along with the hope that all the hard work and dreams would not remain as mere words.

After a brief break, Chapter Secretary Sister Anuarite Kulondwa read the minutes of the last Chapter session. And last but not least, as they say: a group photo, presentation of some gifts to the participants and their communities, a moment of prayer and thanksgiving to the Lord, and a fraternal dinner.

The preacher recalled the Gospel call to an authority lived in a sense of service, not power. In light of Blessed Palau’s testimony, he invited us to embrace fragility as a space where grace works, remembering that true leadership is not born of domination but of dedication and active charity. Together with the entire assembly gathered around the altar, he entrusted the service of the new Provincial Government and the hopeful journey of this part of the Congregation. The assembly, in a climate of listening and shared responsibility, allowed the question of how to assume leadership that recreates fraternal relationships and fosters unity, avoiding power dynamics that fragment.

During the session, the options discussed—related to community life, formation processes, the updating of the charism, a solidarity-based and sustainable economy, among others—were presented as challenges that require responsibility, mature and conscious obedience, the fruit of love for the Church and neighbor. It was emphasized that the community is called to be a space of care, where each sister can flourish in her missionary vocation.

We have worked hard, but there are still things to reflect on, discuss, and objectives to discern and agree upon. Tomorrow, when everyone rests, there are still questions and topics to discuss, taking advantage of the workday ahead. These days resonate a clear call: to live the Chapter’s options with humility, openness, and commitment, trusting that, even in weakness, God’s strength is manifested and guides the history of the Institute.

Nevertheless, this day was different because of the purpose of electing the new Provincial Team of Animation and Government. We prepared for this moment with time of personal reflection in silence and communitarian prayer, maintaining our hearts open to the Spirit and having in mind the needs of the Church and of our Province. We proceeded to elect first the Provincial Animator, later the four councilors:

• Sr. Teresa Vives Pertusa – Provincial Animator
• Sr. Maria Asuncion Caminero – 1st Councilor
• Sr. Marta Faron – 2nd Councilor
• Sr. Veronica Blanes – 3rd Councilor
• Sr. Maria Carmen Moya – 4th Councilor

In spite of the gravity of this moment, the sisters did not forget to celebrate it with great joy, giving thanks to the newly elected team. We also gave thanks to the “old” team for the service and care for the Province for the past 4 years.

The evening found us praying in community and gathering strengths for what is yet to come during these intense days of the Provincial Chapter. We shared this moment of prayer and dinner with the sisters from our CMT community in Madrid. What a lovely way to celebrate life of our Province!

After this spiritual moment, we began a calm and reflective reading of the work completed the previous day. The redacting committee carefully prepared tables that compiled all the contributions made regarding the various options presented. These tables were the starting point for continuing the discernment, moving toward consensus, and taking steps toward the agreements that will mark the course of the new phase.

The work was organized into extended communities: two communities united to select objectives, agree on the “why,” the “what for” the “responsible parties,” and some “hows.” From there, the work continued, completing and refining the formulations with contributions from other groups. During this day, the redacting committee assumed a key role, making a great effort to further specify the objectives. Their work was especially valuable today.

The morning concluded with a key moment: the vote on the resolutions. An act that was much more than a formality: it was an expression of the consensus built from diversity, of the communion forged during the days of shared work, and of the shared desire to move forward with firm and hopeful steps.

After lunch, another very significant moment took place: the lay people who participated in the Chapter left their communities, thus bringing to a close an intense experience of coexistence, discernment, and communion. Moments that remain engraved in the heart: the gift-giving, the mutual thanks, and the family photo. Because we shared so much. Because we experienced so much.

Because in these days we have experienced, once again, that the charism becomes flesh when it is lived in community, when we listen with humility, and when we dream with others and for others.

We dedicated the afternoon to work (among the sisters alone) on the Fifth Chapter Option: the new style of community. First with a time of personal reflection, then with sharing in the discernment communities. Guided by the contributions of the communities of the Province and the reports of the provincial animator, secretary, treasurer, and delegate, we were able to develop objectives in each community that speak to the centrality of the mission in our life and the design of communities that are agents in the work of announcing and restoring the beauty of the Church.

After sharing in the Chapter assembly, we headed to the chapel to breathe more calmly in the air of the Spirit, collecting and meditating in our hearts all that had happened in the Chapter up to this point, and beginning to prepare for what awaits us the following day.

The morning Eucharist, presided over in a festive and meaningful tone, was the starting point for an intense day of Chapter work. Within this liturgical framework, the Chapter members also sought to remember those who, from Novelda, have walked faithfully in this shared vocation. The Sisters born in this land, together with the titular Sisters and leaders who have lived in that community, offered us a moving moment by singing the hymn to Saint Mary Magdalene with depth and delicacy, just before breakfast. It was a simple gesture, yet full of beauty.

The day’s work revolved around the first four chapter options:
1. A new style of relationships,
2. Attention to vulnerabilities,
3. Formation,
4. A safe environment.

Each of these options was presented, reflected upon, prayed about, and discussed in depth, following the dynamics of personal listening, community resonance, and sharing. More than abstract proposals, these options were approached from a life perspective, in light of the Palautian charism and with a clear desire for concreteness.

The work on each of these options was accompanied by a rich and fruitful subsequent community dialogue. The depth of the interventions, the mutual listening, the ability to disagree respectfully and to build together from different realities and sensibilities was, without a doubt, one of the great gifts of the day. Questions were raised, proposals were outlined, and desires were ignited.

The day concluded with a final prayer shared and lived from that “I am happy” that resonated deep within the hearts of each person.
Tomorrow, with our hearts open and our feet firmly planted in reality, we will continue walking. Because we are reborn in communion, not as a slogan, but as an experience that transforms us.

The presentation of the reports took up the entire morning and a good part of the afternoon, framed in a dynamic that combined the presentation of content, personal reflection, community dialogue, and group synthesis. The methodology allowed us not only to receive information, but also to embrace it through discernment.

The first block of reports was dedicated to the area of Identity, with special emphasis on the communications team. It was evident how the team was able to project an institutional communication proposal that is not only informative, but profoundly evangelizing and charismatic. The focus on the Educational Foundation was appreciated. The presentation was also an opportunity to raise questions that directly address the heart of our mission: how do we communicate based on the Palautian charism in the digital environment? How do we ensure institutional continuity and identity beyond the individual?

Next, we heard the report from the Formation area, which offered a clear overview of the path followed regarding the formation of the communities. The need to advance the deployment of shared formation for sisters and lay people was highlighted.

The third section was the Pastoral area, which presented all of its actions, undoubtedly significant and transformative. Stolen Childhood, Fratelli Tutti, and Casa Mira have made visible how these projects not only embody the Palautian mission, but also place the Congregation at the heart of the peripheries. Pastoral ministry has thus shown its most committed face, capable of challenging and provoking processes of personal and institutional conversion. The shared experiences have been an expression of an outgoing, courageous, and deeply incarnated pastoral ministry. The presentations on the pastoral field have also generated horizons and questions.

The day continued with two reports: one on the residences and one on the schools of the now-consolidated CMT Educational Foundation. The residences have demonstrated their efforts to offer spaces for living and support. The Educational Foundation, for its part, has presented the reality of the centers and the staff in an effort to combine charism and professionalism. This entire process was accompanied by spaces for personal reflection, community dialogue in successive rounds, and a final sharing session. This dynamic ensured that each presentation did not remain merely an informative event, but rather became an opportunity for shared discernment. Throughout the day, the capitulants took notes, allowed themselves to be influenced by the testimonies, and identified key questions that were collected and answered in an open space for dialogue at the end of the afternoon. The day concluded with a collective review of the capitular options, which will be the starting point for the next day’s work. Today was a day of presentation, reflection, and questions that brought us back to the core of the mission. A day of gratitude for what we have experienced and inspiration for what is to come. A day where we are reborn in communion.

The chapter work continued its process with a firm focus on discernment and deep reflection. Today, the titular sisters of the corresponding areas presented reports on support services, highlighting current strengths, alerts to be addressed, future horizons, and key questions that will guide decisions on the next steps.

Sisters Elzbieta Strach and Maricarmen Arroyo offered a detailed overview of the secretarial and economic areas, highlighting current challenges and opportunities. The Chapter’s reflection process has been enriched by the “discernment communities.” This space for reflection and active listening has allowed each sister to delve deeper into her own concerns and perspectives, all of whom are hearers of the Word, through attentive and respectful listening. At the same time, it has also generated a space for open dialogue, where fundamental questions for the Province’s journey arise. The sisters have responded extensively to the questions that emerged from the discussions.

Sister Gloria Esther Alonso, Provincial Delegate of the Delegation of “San Lorenzo Ruiz” – Asia, enriched the assembly with her perspective, sharing her experience and insight into the processes she supports in the Asian Delegation.

At the end of the day, the lay members appointed by the EPAG joined the chapter to—we hope—contribute to collective reflection by sharing their valuable insights and helping to focus on the future of the Province from a shared and enriching perspective.