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Pilgrimage of the Delegation of the Sisters of Christ of Chile to Chillán
This school, which today bears the name "Instituto Santa María"
As part of the 50th anniversary year of the Congregation of the Sisters of Christ Union Mysterium Christi, we made this pilgrimage to the city of Chillan on February 5, 2026, to remember history and thank God for the missionary legacy left by the French Sisters of Providence of Corenc, who arrived in Chillan in 1903. They later founded a school that was destroyed in the 1939 earthquakede. We do not know the exact name of this school... but then the sisters of the Congregation of Jesus rebuilt it. This school, which today bears the name "Instituto Santa María", mentions the presence of our sisters in the area.
Today, we want to remember and make the link between this period and today.
Testimonials:
Our pilgrimage to Chillán went very well, it was well organized. On the way, we have always prayed the rosary thanks to the animations. All the families welcomed us with great affection and love. Mirella, our driver, drove carefully and was attentive to the elderly. I am happy with the unity between the sisters and the associates. I was also very impacted by the visit to the school and the cemetery. I was happy that we found the tomb where the remains of the Sisters of Providence of Corenc, Grenoble, are. Sister Anne Marie
I would like other associates to also be able to live this kind of experience that unites us more closely with the Sisters of Christ.
"As an associate at sessions, meetings, retreats, I had always shared in the presence of some of the sisters. This time it was a pilgrimage to Chillán where I was able to meet all the sisters of the Chilean Delegation. It was a wonderful experience where we all traveled together, shared throughout the day. I was able to meet relatives of Sister Delfina and Sister María de los Ángeles, who welcomed us with great affection.
I felt part of this family of the Sisters of Christ. I learned about the beginning of the sisters here in Chile, we visited the first school they had, which is now run by another congregation. Another highlight was going to the cemetery and locating the tomb where the first sisters who died in Chile are located; All this has been for me a family experience that recreates and presents the past with nostalgia, but full of affection and love. I would like other associates to also be able to live this kind of experience that unites us more closely with the Sisters of Christ. María Alicia, associate at Longaví
Headstone of the first sisters to arrive in Chile, 1908 - 1939
"My experience of the Pilgrimage to Chillán was a surprise for me, from the moment I got on the mini-bus, to meet all the sisters of the Congregation. It was a great joy to know that part of this Congregation began in Chillán, visiting the places where they were, the school, where they lived, the cemetery where they were buried.
We also visited the families of Sisters María de los Ángeles and Delfina, who welcomed us with great joy, especially when we arrived and offered us a delicious breakfast and lunch. For which I am very grateful. I had the privilege of being invited to this pilgrimage, I would like to thank God and the sisters for taking me into account. My vision for the future is to share more with all the sisters and get to know each other better, perhaps at a retreat. Lucila Tobar Pizarro, associate at Longaví
