By Sister Mirta Cucchetti (translated into English by Sister Yvonne Nosal)
“All the works of God proceed slowly and in pain but then their roots are sturdier and their flowering lovelier.” (Mary Theresa de Jesus Gerhardinger)
GRACIAS (Spanish) THANK YOU (English) YUSPAGARA (Aymara) AGUIJE (Guaraní) OBRIGADA (Portuguese)
Praise the Lord!!!
The feeling that rises in my heart as I write this brief history is one of gratitude to the Lord for all that has taken place.
Certainly there have been difficult, sinuous and rocky pathways but also – and mainly – level, flowering, and joyful roadways that have been touched by the blessings of God and the presence of the Virgin Mary and my family. For those who have had the good fortune to live in a practicing Catholic family, I consider that life is easier to live more fully, and so, for that, I am very grateful to God.
Getting to know Mother Theresa influenced my life and that of my family, as we always finished praying the rosary together around the table, before the image of Our Lady of Lujan and reciting Mother Theresa’s prayer.
How could I not recall with gratitude the years I spent at our beloved school in San Javier, Argentina, where I began as a teacher? For almost twenty years, along with the pastoral work in the parish, I appreciated many beautiful experiences of learning and sharing. I also had the opportunity to accompany young women in their living of the charism of Mother Theresa, three of whom are School Sisters of Notre Dame today.
The Lord will not be outdone in generosity, as I experienced at our mission in La Paz, Bolivia, where I had the opportunity to live in a community with Sisters of the Canadian Province, in a different country, with different languages, customs and realities…but all within a community environment of love and mutual support.
I recall as a great blessing the project to provide water and electricity to ten rural communities in the parish. What was most valuable was the objective of having the participation of the indigenous people, some of whom were catechists, along with the contracted engineer. This empowered the people to carry out the project, having continuity as well as a voice and vote in what was happening in their communities and promoting their own development. I would particularly like to mention Sister Yvonne Nosal for the simultaneous translations, the support of Sisters Marty and Alfie Kimpel, and the now deceased Sister Dorothy Goetz, nurse and organizer of the project. Every effort and risk on the winding roads and up to 4,00 meters of altitude was rewarded when seeing the excited faces of the children and adults as they witnessed the first jet spray of water from the taps and then the turning on of the lights in the school.
God continued to call each day and so, after two special years in Bolivia, I spent 12 years in Peru, which was also a blessing. In addition to the pastoral work, I was involved in the challenging mission of accompanying aspirants and postulates, as well as doing vocation animation ministry. Truly, it is a gift from God to be able to enter into the mystery of the life of others. Participating in the Course for Formation and working with the SSND Formation team marked my life. We know that one cannot measure success in this ministry by the number of women who enter the congregation; however, we give thanks to God for the life of our four professed Peruvian Sisters and for the other women who continue their journey living the Gospel in the "world." May Mother Theresa continue to accompany them.
The movement of the Spirit then took me to our mission in Pedro Juan Caballero in Paraguay, where after three years of enriching experiences and a process of discernment regarding the leadership of the laity, we left that area. We remain with one SSND community in Asuncion, Paraguay.
At the present time, I am serving in Santo Amaro de Imperatriz in Brazil. Influenced by the loving impulse of Mother Theresa, I was encouraged to accept, along with another Sister, the coordination of SAV (Vocation Animation Service) for our Latin American and Caribbean province. I am carrying out this challenging ministry as well as the pastoral activities in the parish where our community is finding, in the words of Mother Theresa in her Letter 780, that “when the need is greater, the help of God is very near.” And so, we TRUST and DARE!
From grace you have received, from grace you must give. (Matthew 10, 8)
