One of the Visitation’s newest Monasteries, canonically erected in 2009 in Soata, Boyaca, Colombia, sends joyful news about their progress and this past year’s major events.
Under the Superiorship of Mother Maria Gema Giraldo Galeano, this budding community of nine Sisters includes three Sisters in formation: one temporary professed, one novice and one postulant.
The Monastery is still under construction and the Sisters are grateful to all their benefactors.
Their Bishop made a canonical visitation recently and encouraged the new foundation, carefully examining all the plans and showing great paternal affection, expressing his admiration for the contemplative life. Familiar with our Founder, St Francis de Sales, the Bishop exhorted the Sisters to be souls of prayer, sisterly love, silence and humility.
A special pilgrimage in the Diocese took place with the image of Our Lady of Mercy of Tabor, patroness of their Diocese, which also reached the precincts of the Visitation Monastery where the Sisters honored her with a Mass, Rosary and all night vigil. This is a local devotion due to the piety of a local farmer Isodoro Bolivar and a chapel was erected in the vicinity in 1889 dedicated to the Virgin.
Thus far, this year of 2012 was highlighted in this new community with a Novena to the Sacred Heart and a re-dedication of the nation of Colombia to the Sacred Heart.
Keep this new community in prayer as they continue to serve Colombia in the Visitandine tradition.