More than 500 members of the Conceptionist Community have accompanied the Congregation of Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Education on a joyful pilgrimage to the Virgin of Montserrat (Barcelona). In this Monastery, also on a pilgrimage trip, the Founder of the Congregation, Saint Carmen Sallés, felt the call of God and lived for the first time her future religious vocation. The Pilgrimage, which took place for three days, from March 16 to 18, featured the blessing of a sculpture of the saint, located on the San Miquel road, near the Monastery. The celebration was officiated by the Abbot of the Monastery.

More than 500 members of the Conceptionist Community have accompanied the Congregation of Conceptionist Missionary Religious of Teaching on a joyful pilgrimage to the Virgin of Monstserrat (Barcelona). In this Monastery, also on a pilgrimage trip, the Foundress of the Congregation, Santa Carmen Salles, felt the call of God and experienced his future religious vocation for the first time. The Pilgrimage, which took place for three days, from March 16 to 18, was led by the blessing of a sculpture of the saint, located on the San Miquel road, near the Monastery. The celebration was officiated by the Abbot of the Monastery.

The days have also been enlivened by many other events organized in two different programs, one for schoolchildren and the other for adults. All attendees have been able to enjoy cultural visits and have shared moments of coexistence that helped strengthen the ties between the members of the Conceptionist Family. From this medium we thank the organization for the good organization of the days, and, in the same way, we thank all the attendees, the community of monks of the Montserrat Monastery, and of course, the authors of the sculpture, the brothers Jorge and Jose Ángel Aznarez.

[video:https://youtu.be/hKTkZeL1oz8 width:900px]

January 26, 2022

IMAGE PRESENTATION

M. Mª Isabel Moraza
Superior general

Today with joy, as a Conceptionist family, we have climbed Montserrat, high, very high; the road is steep; of great beauty. In these mountains, a monastery was built that houses a Marian sanctuary, where the brunette keeps secrets of so many hearts.
And here, this afternoon we arrived at the 'stele of the Catalan saints'. They have been ascending to heaven, and in their memory, we walk the path, curious or believers, asking that they transmit to us their faith and their ardor on the path of life.
Among them, a woman, Carmen de Jesús Sallés y Barangueras, founder of the congregation of Religious Conceptionists Missionaries of Teaching, born in Vic on April 9, 1848, who died in Madrid on July 25, 1911 and whom Pope Benedict XVI canonized on October 21, 2012. We are here for her. With gratitude and trust.
In 2004, when she was blessed, we approached her by erecting a monolith, commemorating her life and our gratitude.
Today we return, and place on the solid rock of the monolith, a bronze image, which shows her as she was, a believing woman, lucid and generous, brave and serene. Beautiful and delicate image.
M. Carmen: “We can look at you without getting tired, and from looking so much we will hear some of your words, those that we keep in our hearts, those that you directed to God, those that we sisters hear and above all, those that the girls received.”
What does this image contain? What does it keep and what does it reveal?
Santa Carmen de Jesús Sallés and Barangueras,
all of God,
free to surrender.
The habit, the gesture, the interior position show, reveal a consecrated woman, all of God, her work before being the work of an artist whom we can well congratulate. Can a woman be 'all of God'?
Artists can tell us how it is sculpted little by little, step by step, gesture by gesture. This is what the Lord did in M. Carmen's life, in pieces, with the joy of one who receives God and experiences his love that calls, that fills, that sends; with struggle against one's own temptations, against the discouragements that life entails; with hope when receiving one's own history as a history of salvation, until the culmination, until it becomes holy, all of God.
There is peace in the image, calm in the gesture, closeness in the presence. Just an image. How well it reflects the God who contains it.
And whoever accepts 'forgetting herself', progressively conquers 'the freedom to surrender'.
The image clearly reflects Sta Carmen's dedication to the education of children. What concerns, what projects, what problems would you have to discern, examine or resolve? Without a doubt more than one, and yet, this image shows us M. Carmen, dedicated, dedicated, focused on the task. As if there is nothing else to do; as if nothing were of greater relevance than the girl who hopes to learn a lesson, a piece of advice, a correction... to go away looking like the Immaculate Conception. A lot of work in a short time. That is why he needs to find M. Carmen 'free to surrender'.
This is how she wants us: 'do what you do, do it well and do it for God.' 'When you are with the children, don't worry about anything else.'
That freedom to surrender comes from the purity that is being carved in the heart, it is reflected in the peace of the countenance, in the gaze that penetrates, searching for Jesus in the heart of this girl, and without stopping until he finds him.
We are very grateful to the artists for this image. Without a doubt it helps us to live as consecrated people, 'sons and daughters of God' and increasingly free to give ourselves to the vocation and mission we receive.
We entrust to his intercession every pilgrim who arrives here and feels joy or fatigue, kindness or discouragement. She will tell the heart 'forward, always forward, God will provide'.
We thank Father Abad, the community that you represent and those who collaborate here for a greater good, for having facilitated this act for us, and for the pride of sharing the holiness of M. Carmen whom we love very much.
Thank you very much to all of you gathered here, as a Conceptionist family.
M. Mª Isabel Moraza rcm
Superior General
January 26, 2022