Coacalco (Mexico). From 1 to 28 July 2025, the Temporary Professed of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from the Provinces of the CIMAC Inter-Provincial Conference gathered at the Villa Spem House of Spirituality, in Coacalco of the Mexican Province Our Lady of Guadalupe (MME), to live the precious experience of the Second Novitiate, a significant stage in the preparation for perpetual vows.
It is a time to stop and reread one’s vocational journey in the light of the Word of God and the Salesian Charism, to confront again the essential elements of the identity of the FMA and “return to their first love,” maturing with greater awareness the definitive answer one wishes to offer to the Lord.
“Set me as a seal upon your heart” (Song of Songs 8:6) is the motto that accompanied this experience, inspired by the invitation to make God the indelible and permanent center of consecrated life.
As the Guidelines for the formative stage of Temporary Profession indicate, in an atmosphere of prayer and reflection, the FMA left their usual activities to examine their lives in the light of the Holy Spirit and be willing to give their response of fidelity to God in the Institute.
The objectives of this Second Novitiate were:
- Reread in an attitude of discernment the vocational journey to discover in the signs the living God who works in history.
- Deepen the experience of the Spousal Covenant with Christ and the community dimension of the FMA vocation.
- Renew the passion for young people to be, at the school of Mary, a sign and mediation of the love of Christ the Good Shepherd.
Through the contents, the young Sisters made a journey of internalization and unification of life around the fundamental option for Jesus Christ and for young people, starting from the charismatic spirituality: Theological and ecclesial dimension of the Evangelical Councils; Profession as a free response of love; deepening the Beatitudes and the ecclesial character of the religious Profession; Preventive System: spirituality and method; Discernment and accompaniment in the vocational experience of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello; Prayer in the experience of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello; From community life to fraternal life.
In an atmosphere of fraternity, prayer, and joy, the Temporary Professed experienced this time as a true opportunity to reaffirm their vocation and renew their commitment to the Salesian mission. One of the most significant moments was the pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe where, at the feet of the Virgin, they entrusted their intentions, thanked for the journey traveled, and entrusted their future as consecrated women.
Entrusted to the Lord and under the maternal gaze of Mary Help of Christians and the Morenita del Tepeyac, they then returned to their communities, strengthened in love and with the ardent desire to always be a living sign of the presence of God among young people.
