Villa Colón – Montevideo (Uruguay). On 23 June 2020, intense rain floods the premises of “María Auxiliadora” in Villa Colón, the First House of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians founded in 1877 in America (Uruguay), causing flooding and significant structural damage.

A few hours of torrential rain and a meter and a half of water, which from the lowest part of the road, breaks through the gate of the First House “María Auxiliadora” at Villa Colón – Montevideo in Immaculate Conception Province – URU, flooding it.

The water reaches about 80 centimeters from the floor, causing serious damage both to the building and to the furniture.

It pours from doors and windows into the Chapel, tosses the benches as if they were twigs, and only touches the picture of Mary Help of Christians, Helper of the smiling Child, very significant for the FMA because Don Bosco had given to the first missionaries in 1877.

Finally, it reaches the corridor of ‘Memory’, crosses the stairs and submerges the historical part, the place of life, work, and home of the first FMA missionaries, which today is a place of Salesian spirituality.

It is 5 in the morning of 23 June 2020, when the Sisters of the Provincial House, with flash lights and cell phones, note the disaster and the great damage to the premises, submerged by water and mud, in Villa Colón – Montevideo (Uruguay) which houses the historical memory of the First House of the FMA and the historical site of the Missionary Spirituality Project – PEM.

Communicating with the Superior General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Yvonne Reungoat, the Provincial recounts the powerlessness and pain at seeing destroyed what is most precious: the memory of the Salesian places, sanctified by the first missionaries who with sacrifice and hard work implanted the Charism of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in America. And from Villa Colón they expanded across the American continent.

Video

The First House María Auxiliadora in Villa Colón is home to the Missionary Spirituality Project – PEM, a center of Missionary Spirituality for Uruguay and for other countries in America and the world.”

Mother Antonia Colombo, VIII Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, supported PEM, presenting it to the XXI General Chapter. The intention is to revive the missionary fire of the origins in the communities, rediscovering with appropriate paths, the gift of the missionaries in the South Cone of America. A team of sisters organized the areas and itineraries between Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. They re-discover the  years of life along the Rio de la Plata, in Northern and Southern Patagonia, in Punta Arenas, and in Dawson Island in Chile, Rio Grande, Rio Gallegos, etc.

Initially only religious participate in the itineraries, but progressively also young people and lay people unite with amazement and joy to discover the lands where the holiness of Laura Vicuna, Zefirino Namuncurà, Artemide Zatti flourished, witnesses to the daily, widespread, holiness lived by Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Salesians of Don Bosco, and lay people, by multitudes of pupils, oratorians, collaborators who share the Charism of Don Bosco and Mary Domenica Mazzarello.

Gallery FlickrFMA

The Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians launches a fundraiser of solidarity for this Sacred House because of its Salesian charismatic memory, in order to reconstruct the sacred places where formation meetings on Salesian spirituality for young people, lay people, and FMA are held.

Donations can be made by clicking here Donations Online

8 COMMENTS

  1. Quelle peine ce désastre qui a détruit ces souvenirs patiemment retrouvés et artistiquement exposés ! Ne vous découragez pas, on vous aidera et tout sera reconstruit !
    Avec nos prières et notre amitié fraternelle. sr. m.t.ferlay – Paris

  2. Queridas Irmãs de Vila Collón, estamos unidas a vocês neste momento de dor. Contem com nossas orações. Ir. Nilza Moraes, São Paulo, Brasil.

  3. very very sad. Let us entrust everything in the hand of God. May the Lord almighty protect you. Assure you of our daily prayers.

  4. Queridas hermanas cuenten con nuestra cercania. Una nueva historia para construir sobre fundamentos que ninguna innundación puede llevarse….

  5. Recebemos a triste noticia , Irmãs pode contar com as nossas fraternas e solidaria orações por este momento dificil
    Maria Mae Auxiliadora, passe a frente para que este patrimônio Histórico não tenha muito prejuízo .. conte com as nossas orações Irmãs da inspetoria laura Vicuna colégio Auxiliadora de Manaus Amazonas Brasil

  6. Queridas Irmãs do Uruguai,
    estamos em comunhão de preces com esta amada Inspetoria, berço do carisma na América, pelo ocorrido no dia 23 pp. Escutem Madre Mazzarello a lhes dizer, como às primeiras missionárias: “Coragem e santa alegria!”. A mãe Auxiliadora as sustente e não lhes deixe faltar o sorriso do SEU JESUS! Nosso abraço e carinho: Irmãs da Inspetoria Madre Mazzarello BBH

  7. Asi es, materialmente, todo tiene arreglo y con voluntad, esfuerzo y trabajo volverá a su brillo. Asi sea con Dios y nuestra Auxiliadora.
    Confiando y Esperando en el Señor, habrán colaboración y donaciones.
    ?❤️?

  8. Tanto dolore, sì…grande però è la Speranza!
    Vi accompagniamo con la nostra preghiera e vi affidiamo all’Ausiliatrice che vi abbraccia con tenerezza di Madre.
    Coraggio!

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