video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Gg7h4RiGg
The Monastery of the Order of the Visitation of Saint Mary in Manizales celebrates its 100th anniversary this Friday (October 25). This religious community in the capital of Caldas is made up of 20 sisters and is characterized by living in seclusion, in prayer and in humility, and is located on Avenida Paralela with Calle 54 (in front of the Eugenia Ravasco School).
For this reason, in view of its centenary, the Archdiocese of Manizales invites citizens to celebrate its anniversary with a Eucharist in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Manizales presided over by the apostolic nuncio, Monsignor Paolo Rudelli, starting at 4:00 p.m.
“This celebration is extraordinary, since, given their cloistered life, the sisters do not usually leave their Monastery. We invite all the faithful of the Archdiocese of Manizales to participate in person in this most solemn and holy celebration,” they said in a statement.
For those who cannot attend, there will be a live broadcast through the YouTube Channel of the Archdiocese of Manizales.
Life in a monastery
According to the Archdiocese, in the Catholic Church, there are different religious orders that practice cloistered monastic life, each with its own spirituality, rule and way of life. Cloistered nuns do not have direct contact with the outside world, except in exceptional cases. They communicate with visitors through a gate; however, this does not mean that they are alien to reality or that they are indifferent to the suffering of others. On the contrary, their vocation is to intercede for the world before God and offer their sacrifices and joys.
They also indicated that the celebration will have a special itinerary and will be accompanied by nuns from the first monastery of the Order, established in Annecy (France); sisters of this community in Korea and nuns from monasteries in Marinilla, Pennsylvania, Medellín and Pasto, among others.
For the Mother Superior of the Monastery, María José Vargas Daza, “this Centenary means seeing the mercy and goodness of God with us. It is seeing an entire city that welcomes us and in which we have always felt welcomed.”
Arrival in Manizales
Through a statement, the Archdiocese of Manizales explained that the Monastery arrived in the city on October 25, 1924, coming from the Monastery of Bogotá, after a five-day trip on horseback along difficult roads, eight sisters of the Order of the Visitation of Saint Mary.
Initially they settled in a country house located in what is now People Contact, where they began to build their first monastery. However, in 1939, the municipal government sent a decree ordering the widening of the streets of the city, which would require them to give up 1.5 meters of the construction.
In light of this, they learned of the sale of a lot owned by Merceditas Mejía de Uribe and told the situation to María Mejía de Restrepo, who together with her daughter, Inés Restrepo Mejía, and Margarita Arbeláez Gómez bought the property and donated it for the establishment of the Monastery, where they are currently located and whose construction was completed in the 1970s.
Programming
Wednesday, October 23
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament the rest of the day
5:00 p.m. Solemn blessing and mass
Location: La Visitación Monastery.
Thursday, October 24
7:00 a.m. Mass
7:30 p.m. Holy Hour
8:30 p.m. Musical concert in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the Santa María Choir, the Vocal Lab and pianist Julián Castro Palacios.
Location: La Visitación Monastery.
Friday, October 25
Mass presided by Paolo Rudelli, apostolic nuncio of Pope Francis in Colombia.
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Cathedral Basilica of Manizales.