After the complicated journey, which this time lasted 38 hours from my front door in Stadl, Austria, to my front door in La Paz, my respect for the nuns who dared to leave for Bolivia in 1974 has grown even more.
During the celebration in Rurrenabaque, the commitment of the five sisters, Sr. Antonia Halene, Sr. Agnes König, Sr. Johanna Baum, Sr. Roswitha Stengele and Sr. Irma Bauer, was impressively emphasized on all sides. In 1974, these five sisters had the courage to leave for Bolivia. Other sisters joined them later.
Father Johnny Flores, CSsR, explained in his homily how pastoral, social, and medical work began in the deanery with the sisters’ arrival. Representatives of various parishes and groups, as well as the mayor and employees of the political community, also expressed their thanks and presented gifts.
Even during the Triduum, in the days preceding the celebration, it was clear how much the Sisters and their ministry were appreciated. It was also noted that the Sisters are an indispensable part of the deanery. They are at the center and close.
This celebration was also characterized by the following visuals.
It is a great gift to be able to celebrate this feast. To feel the warmth and enthusiasm of the festive function, to experience the solidarity between all: the priests, the religious, and the lay people of the deanery, the appreciation of the nuns, which was expressed in the various contributions, and, finally, the joy of faith in praying and singing together.
We look back on a precious story that continues. The courage of our congregation and the determination of the five sisters to leave for Bolivia in 1974 allowed many things to grow like seeds, both in the hearts of the people and in our community. Just as we encounter a great variety of fruits and flowers here, our sisters were able to put down roots and find a home to share life and faith with each other. We can build on the trust of that time to courageously shape the future and continue our journey with and for the Bolivian people.
Sr. Ruth Maria Stamborski, MSSR,
Provincial Superior of the Germany-Austria Province
