“Every new beginning brings with it the particular grace that God gives to those who welcome it with open heart, mind and will.” (Post-Chapter Circular, 321)
On 12 May 2026, the General Mission Procure Office was officially inaugurated by Sr. Ana Maria Alcalde, Superior General, at the Generalate in Rome. Sr. Subhashini Raja Raj was appointed by the General Council as the responsible person for the Mission Procure at the Institute level. This initiative emerged from the call of the General Chapter 2021 and the Bursars’ Session 2024 to establish financial sustainability for the mission of the Institute.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the General Council, members of the Local Community, and the Contemplative Sisters. We thank Sr. Subha for her courageous “YES” to this new mission. May God continue to bless her and grant her wisdom and knowledge as she carries forward this mission for the common good and the BIG FAMILY of PBN.

In the Christian faith, the empty tomb is never merely a statement of absence. It does not mean that God has withdrawn, but that another way of being present has opened up or been revealed. From the earliest centuries, the Fathers of the Church saw that the Resurrection eludes direct proof, presenting itself instead as an experience to be embraced. Gregory of Nyssa dares to use this striking image: ‘This tomb, which received death, has become the womb of life; it has given birth to the One who is Life’ (Discourse on the Resurrection of Christ). What seemed closed becomes a pathway; what appeared barren becomes fruitful.
This intuition has found a contemporary echo in François Nault, when he speaks not only of an empty tomb, but of an open tomb. In “L’ouvert de la révélation” (2004), he emphasises that the Paschal void is not nothingness, but ‘an empty presence that makes something possible’. The tomb is a breach, an in-between space where God no longer imposes Godself, but calls for our consent. The Resurrection does not immediately fill the void; it opens, it shifts, it sets things in motion.
To embrace this void requires a freely chosen inner detachment. Saint Augustine understood this: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (Confessions, I,1). Pierre Bienvenu Noailles (PBN) experienced this Paschal dynamic in his conversion and formation. In prayer, he asked God to “make him understand the full extent of his nothingness”, so that he might rely “only on Him who must be his light and his strength” (Prayer upon rising). The Charism of the Holy Family, “to seek God alone in all things”, takes on its full meaning here: making space, accepting emptiness, renouncing false securities to let God act. Even today, the community is encouraged to live this inner poverty: fidelity to prayer, silence, discernment, humility in relationships and responsibilities.
But the Paschal emptiness does not signify a lack of movement. The stone rolled away on Easter morning is not there to free the Risen One, but to allow the disciples to enter and see things differently. The Resurrection is a force in motion that transforms fear into boldness. In Issy, amidst limited resources and uncertainty, Noailles dared to undertake a work without human guarantees. This is where mission is born, in trust in Providence rather than in the total control of projects. Today, the Charism keeps alive this same boldness: to press on even when resources are limited, to believe that God acts in what seems small or fragile.
Finally, the empty tomb calls  forth witnesses. At Sainte Eulalie, amongst the poor, the Resurrection becomes presence, healing, dignity restored. Saint Irenaeus of Lyon reminds us: “The glory of God is man fully alive” (Against Heresies, IV,20,7). Noailles spoke of the Holy Family as “the flower that grows among ruins and tombs” (General Rules, 1844). Even today, the community is called to be this Paschal sign: where life is wounded, to believe that emptiness is never the end, but the space where God brings forth something new.
Happy Easter to all !
Fr.  Pascal Djeumegued,
Priest Associate
Diocese of Rimouski (Canada)
 

Las palabras del Capítulo General de 2021 resuenan  en cada uno de nuestros    corazones: “Pasemos a la otra orilla”. Eco que nos ha impulsado a hacer realidad esta  llamada, llevando    nuestra presencia  Sagrada Familia a una tierra diferente. Un nuevo capítulo de la Sagrada Familia surgió en  Kenia gracias al sueño y a la visión de las Líderes Continentales Africanas, con la aprobación del Equipo de  Liderazgo General, cuyo constante apoyo, colaboración y         entusiasmo hizo posible difundir el Carisma de PBN en la tierra de Nandi Hills. Las Hermanas Micheline Kenda, Líder de Unidad de Ruanda y Uganda, Matilda Lazarus, de Malawi, y Jesmin Fernando, Consejera General, visitaron la zona en diferentes ocasiones para estudiar sus posibilidades. Durante el  Consejo General Ampliado de 2024, se aprobó la propuesta, abriendo un nuevo horizonte para una nueva comunidad.
Una semilla de la Sagrada   Familia se sembró en las colinas de Nandi el 1 de septiembre de 2025 con cuatro hermanas: Selvathy Malachias de Jaffna, Sri Lanka; Saira Anjum, de Pakistán; Angela Molapo, de Lesoto; y Agnès Ongwisa, del Congo. Nuestra presencia es un “Génesis”: una nueva creación de solidaridad internacional. Juntas, nos adentramos en la luz de esta misión, deseosas de servir a la comunidad local y, al mismo tiempo, modelar la belleza de la hermandad global.
Antes del amanecer en Kenia, hubo noches largas y difíciles. Nuestra comunidad emergió de una agotadora peregrinación por Ruanda y Uganda. Cada prueba de la vida pionera y cada falta de instalaciones se convirtieron en preparación, forjando un corazón resiliente y multicultural. Guiadas por la Providencia, finalmente echamos raíces en las colinas de Nandi, donde ahora nace el sol para un nuevo capítulo de servicio a la Sagrada Familia.
Nuestra misión encontró su hogar en la Diócesis de Kapsabet, en la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Paz, bajo la guía del P. Michael Langat. Enclavada en el abrazo color esmeralda de las colinas de Nandi, esta tierra es tanto un destino geográfico como un santuario espiritual. Aquí, la paz de nuestra patrona se encuentra con la vibrante energía del pueblo Nandi. Tras nuestra larga migración, nos dimos cuenta de que estábamos ubicadas exactamente donde se necesitaba a la Sagrada Familia.
El inicio de nuestra misión estuvo marcado por los   desafíos del pionerismo, pero estos se disiparon cuando conseguimos un hogar. La hospitalidad de la Iglesia local y de la gente de las colinas de Nandi nos hizo sentir que habíamos llegado a la tierra prometida. Nuestros primeros días se vieron fortalecidos por la incansable presencia de la Hna. Jesmin, quien trabajó infatigablemente durante un mes para asegurar y equipar nuestra residencia. Con su aliento y el apoyo de la parroquia, nuestro asentamiento se convirtió en una sagrada siembra de raíces. Ahora, con el P. Michael Langat, iniciamos con alegría nuestra labor pastoral, transformando las dificultades de las pioneras en un ministerio de presencia y paz.
Para adentrarnos en el corazón de las colinas de Nandi, primero nos introdujimos en su idioma, dedicándonos al kiswahili. Nuestro ministerio se basa en la presencia, como miembros del coro, catequistas y acompañantes de los jóvenes en las Pequeñas Comunidades Cristianas (PMC) y los Movimientos Juveniles Misioneros (MJM). Compartimos la vida a través de las Pequeñas Comunidades Cristianas, funerales y  actividades parroquiales. Ahora nos centramos en la iglesia doméstica. En la aldea de Kisowyo, visitamos hogares, especialmente familias separadas y fracturadas, donde existe un profundo anhelo de reconciliación y donde el Carisma de la Sagrada Familia florece verdaderamente.
Tras cuatro meses de preparación y oración, nuestra misión está en pleno apogeo. Enseñamos inglés, religión y catecismo, y vamos formando a los estudiantes para que la Santa Misa sea el corazón de su jornada escolar.
Al cruzar el umbral del 2026, avanzamos con la tranquila confianza de que la Sagrada Familia camina a nuestro    lado. Nos apoyamos firmemente en la intercesión de nuestro Fundador, pidiendo sabiduría para discernir y conocimiento para inspirar. Aunque el camino que nos espera pueda presentar dificultades, estamos decididos a afrontar cada desafío con valentía, para que nuestro Carisma no sea solo un concepto, sino una realidad viva y palpable en cada alma que encontremos. En este paisaje sagrado, nuestro camino apenas comienza;  como el sol naciente sobre las colinas, llevamos una luz que ninguna sombra puede apagar, comprometidas para servir dondequiera que el Espíritu nos guíe.
Hna Selvathy Malachias
Nandi Hills, Kenia

Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion
Dear brothers and sisters,
Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life.
Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about.  For this reason, the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled.
Listening
This year, I would first like to consider the importance of making room for the word through listening. The willingness to listen is the first way we demonstrate our desire to enter into relationship with someone. 
In revealing himself to Moses in the burning bush, God himself teaches us that listening is one of his defining characteristics: “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry” (Ex 3:7). Hearing the cry of the oppressed is the beginning of a story of liberation in which the Lord calls Moses, sending him to open a path of salvation for his children who have been reduced to slavery.
Our God is one who seeks to involve us. Even today he shares with us what is in his heart.  Because of this, listening to the word in the liturgy teaches us to listen to the truth of reality. In the midst of the many voices present in our personal lives and in society, Sacred Scripture helps us to recognize and respond to the cry of those who are anguished and suffering. In order to foster this inner openness to listening, we must allow God to teach us how to listen as he does. We must recognize that “the condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church.” 
Fasting
If Lent is a time for listening, fasting is a concrete way to prepare ourselves to receive the word of God. Abstaining from food is an ancient ascetic practice that is essential on the path of conversion. Precisely because it involves the body, fasting makes it easier to recognize what we “hunger” for and what we deem necessary for our sustenance. Moreover, it helps us to identify and order our “appetites,” keeping our hunger and thirst for justice alive and freeing us from complacency. Thus, it teaches us to pray and act responsibly towards our neighbor.
With spiritual insight, Saint Augustine helps us to understand the tension between the present moment and the future fulfilment that characterizes this custody of the heart. He observes that: “In the course of earthly life, it is incumbent upon men and women to hunger and thirst for justice, but to be satisfied belongs to the next life. Angels are satisfied with this bread, this food.  The human race, on the other hand, hungers for it; we are all drawn to it in our desire. This reaching out in desire expands the soul and increases its capacity.”  Understood in this way, fasting not only permits us to govern our desire, purifying it and making it freer, but also to expand it, so that it is directed towards God and doing good.
However, in order to practice fasting in accordance with its evangelical character and avoid the temptation that leads to pride, it must be lived in faith and humility. It must be grounded in communion with the Lord, because “those who are unable to nourish themselves with the word of God do not fast properly.” As a visible sign of our inner commitment to turn away from sin and evil with the help of grace, fasting must also include other forms of self-denial aimed at helping us to acquire a more sober lifestyle, since “austerity alone makes the Christian life strong and authentic.” 
In this regard, I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.
Together
Finally, Lent emphasizes the communal aspect of listening to the word and fasting. The Bible itself underlines this dimension in multiple ways. For example, the Book of Nehemiah recounts how the people gathered to listen to the public reading of the Law, preparing to profess their faith and worship through fasting, so as to renew the covenant with God (cf. 9:1-3).
Likewise, our parishes, families, ecclesial groups and religious communities are called to undertake a shared journey during Lent, in which listening to the word of God, as well as to the cry of the poor and of the earth, becomes part of our community life, and fasting a foundation for sincere repentance.  In this context, conversion refers not only to one’s conscience, but also to the quality of our relationships and dialogue. It means allowing ourselves to be challenged by reality and recognizing what truly guides our desires — both within our ecclesial communities and as regards humanity’s thirst for justice and reconciliation.
Dear friends, let us ask for the grace of a Lent that leads us to greater attentiveness to God and to the least among us. Let us ask for the strength that comes from the type of fasting that also extends to our use of language, so that hurtful words may diminish and give way to a greater space for the voice of others. Let us strive to make our communities places where the cry of those who suffer finds welcome, and listening opens paths towards liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love.
I impart my heartfelt blessing upon all of you and your Lenten journey.
From the Vatican, 5 February 2026, Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
LEO PP. XIV
 

As we mark the 204th Anniversary of the Miraculous Benediction, we are invited to contemplate the mystery of God’s presence among us. This commemoration is not merely a remembrance of a past event that happened 204 years ago in Bordeaux, but a living testimony that God continues to act amongst us, guiding us with God’s providence and love.
The theme “God Alone is Our Hope” resonates deeply with us, members of the Pierre Bienvenu Noailles family. Hope, in the theological sense, is not a fragile optimism nor a denial of suffering. It is the confident expectation rooted in God’s fidelity.  Milady Peychaud testified after the Miraculous Benediction of 1822 that she saw nothing, but heard someone say to her “I am he who is.” The same as God’s self-revelation to Moses at the burning bush, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The same God is journeying with us as our hope, as we proclaim to the world that “Communion is possible.” We walk by faith and hear the same words repeatedly, God saying to each one of us, “I am who I am, hope in me and you shall live.”
The Church has just concluded the Jubilee Year of Hope. Pope Leo xiv during his homily on the Feast of the Epiphany 2026 said that the Jubilee Year is closed but the spiritual searching continues. In a world often shaken by uncertainty, conflict, and despair, the 204th anniversary of the Miraculous Benediction calls us to re-anchor our lives in the One who never fails. The Miraculous Benediction stands as a sign that God’s grace is sufficient. Even when human strength falters, ‘God Alone remains our hope’. In 1822, our founding members’ faith was reaffirmed by God, the “I am” and they faced challenges of their time with renewed hope.  We too, are challenged to live with radical trust and hope, surrendering our fears and aspirations to the Lord who alone secures our future.
Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr in her book; Behold Your Life: A Pilgrimage Through Your Memories, challenges us to see our lives as sacred terrain, where each memory is a stepping-stone towards deeper communion with God. Sr Macrina points out that we are pilgrims on the journey with God and for God. She says “A pilgrimage is a ritual journey with a hallowed purpose. Every step along the way has meaning…” As we contemplate the blessings we received on the 3rd February 1822, we are assured that we are pilgrims whose faith is deeply rooted in the promise that God Alone is enough.
We read in the Constitutions of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux (Art 42) that we are guided by God through the Holy Spirit “to the fullness of our vocation…God helps us to discover his will and to accept it wholeheartedly.” God reveals Godself to us every day and we are forever grateful, ‘God Alone remains our hope.’ May this 204th Anniversary renew our courage to walk by faith, to serve with love, and to proclaim with our lives that God alone is our hope. May we be beacons of hope to those we serve and bearers of Good News to the world.
Happy 204th Anniversary to us all!!!
Sr. Clementine MAMPHETELI SEKANTSI
South Africa

On 1 January 2026, we begin the civil year or Gregorian calendar; our Catholic Church proposes that we celebrate the Solemnity of MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
It is comforting for believers that the New Year that God gives us begins with this beloved feast of Mary, our Mother. It is a good protection, a sure way to begin the New Year, to continue the journey of life.
Here is a brief summary of the topic:
In Luke 16:23, we are reminded: ‘Mary… kept all these things in her heart…’ as a good Mother does,  despite her young age.
Jesus Christ gave us his Mother from the Cross: ‘Son, behold your mother; mother, behold your son’ (John 19:26-27), establishing this filial relationship with Mary, which is carried down to our day.
The Church at the Council of Ephesus (431 years into the Christian era) recognised Mary as the THEOTOKOS (Mother of God).
‘Do not let your heart be sad… Am I not here, I who am your Mother?’ said the Virgin of Guadalupe to the afflicted Juan Diego on 12 December 1531.
In the Family, our beloved founder PBN recommended that we approach Mary with confidence, ‘as Our Lady of All Graces’. Among other reasons for seeing Mary as Mother of God and our mother, we know how to recognise with the eyes of faith that Mary, our Mother, walks with and among her people.
On the first day of the year, we have many expectations, projects, dreams to fulfil… in faith and hope we wish above all to accept the gift of the new year and enter into it. We hope that Holy Mary, Mother of God, who stands at the threshold of this ‘temporary door,’ will welcome us into the days to come. May she also inspire us to commit ourselves, like her, to caring for and protecting life everywhere in all its forms, caring for our planet Earth where it is most in danger, in a society where life has no value unless it consumes or excels in ‘producing like machines,’
The Mother of God continues to be for our times that woman who unconditionally loves us, cares for us, protects us, helps us to grow, to give our lives for the Kingdom of God as she herself did, teaching her beloved son Jesus Christ to do the same; she also cares for the members of the Christian Family and is concerned for a society where young families do not want to have children, let alone care for them, because these responsibilities delay their personal projects and they feel they lack the freedom to achieve their dreams.
She calls us to be an inclusive family, to see our differences as a great treasure that makes us strong against any adversity in life; to unite to form a force that is committed to life on our planet and to its well-being in all circumstances.
She also calls us to make it possible to turn the world into one big family of God, committing ourselves to treat each other as brothers and sisters where justice, love, forgiveness and peace reign among us. By changing our hearts, accompanied by Mary, Mother of God, we can make our world more humane and fraternal for this New Year. Let us live in gratitude for this new time that is given us. Let us be transformed by the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
On this day, Pope Leo calls us to celebrate the World Day of Peace (XXIX), at the beginning of the year… The message proclaimed cannot be ignored by Christian believers who must work tirelessly for peace, which is threatened in families and on our planet.
To you who are reading this message: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you, let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord show you his face and grant you peace’ (Numbers 6:22-27).
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026, with Mary, Mother of God!
Sr. Rubeni PEJERREY
Peru

As we come to the end of the calendar year, during this Christmas season, the Church invites us to contemplate the Holy Family as a model and inspiration for all Christians throughout the world, but for us, members of the Family of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, it is an even more significant moment.
Our Founder invited each one of us to ‘go to Nazareth and contemplate,’ but this call must continue to resonate in each of our hearts every day,  not simply to move us with the images that we can contemplate at this time in the nativity scenes that fill our homes, or to let ourselves be dazzled by the lights that flood the streets of our cities. Our Charism invites us to go further, to turn our hearts to Nazareth and discover and be inspired by the ordinary life of Jesus’ family, a family which lived and breathed  God Alone in all things, at all times.
In this spirit, during this Christmas season, this family time, it may be a good opportunity to pause, to look back, to see how our life has unfolded in this year that is coming to an end, to discover what we have experienced, the events that have marked our path, those that have inspired us to go out of ourselves, and how God has been present in every moment, in joy and in pain. And in this reflection, we can also be aware of how the values and attitudes of the family of Nazareth have inspired us on our journey and are the driving force that impels us to seek in our relationships and in our ways of doing things that spirit of God Alone in all things, like Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
So let us move forward with renewed vigour, walking alongside Jesus, Mary and Joseph, discovering the authenticity of their lives, drawing inspiration from the attitudes and values of the family of Nazareth, to continue being witnesses to the presence of God in our world.
Luis Jesús García-Lomas
Lay Associate, Spain
 

May this Christmas, with the Jubilee as its backdrop, be a time of renewal, grace and joyful pilgrimage towards the One who is Emmanuel: God with us.
Christmas is an invitation to look “with God’s eyes” to discover and rediscover “that He has chosen the way of littleness, descending into our midst” (The Pope to Christians in Istanbul – November 28 2025).
This child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger is the foundation of our hope, for in Him all God’s promises are fulfilled. He is God’s yes to humanity. In Him, we are told once again that God walks with us, that God is not indifferent to our global reality, and that we can count on God as we continue to take steps towards transformation, bringing to birth, not without labour pains, a new humanity, reconciled with itself and with all creation.
God invites us to be actors, not spectators, and to ‘take charge of reality’ with all the challenges and opportunities it offers us in our daily lives, wherever we may be.
No matter how commercialised Christmas may be, with all the lights, messages, gatherings… aren’t they a sign that this Child in the manger brings a message of ‘peace to the humanity that God loves’? Christmas reminds us of God’s plan for us: a plan that makes us sons and daughters, sisters and brothers (a Family), a plan of harmony and peace, a family called above all to care for and integrate those who are excluded. It is up to each and every one of us to ensure that this Christmas spirit lives on with us every day of the New Year.
Merry Christmas! Happy Feast of the Holy Family!

This year, our hearts are touched by a single word that resonates throughout the Church: HOPE. As we journey through this jubilee year, we are called to live as pilgrims of hope, rediscovering a virtue that gives meaning to our faith and courage to our mission.
But what is this hope that the Church celebrates so fervently? It is more than optimism or wishful thinking. Hope is a confident and spiritual expectation of the fulfilment of God’s promises, rooted in faith in Christ and his resurrection. It gives us strength in trials, sustains us in suffering, and keeps us anchored in the conviction that love and life will triumph over sin and death. Hope is a state of heart, based not on circumstances but on faith. As St. Paul reminds us, ‘hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts.’
Opening our hearts to hope;
In our community at the Generalate, these words have come to life in our daily lives. We have seen God’s promises come true when we have opened our hearts to Him and to one another. This year, our experience of hope found its most beautiful expression when we welcomed the Young Church into our home during the Youth Jubilee (25 July to 9 August). It was a season filled with joy, prayer and renewal, a lively encounter with a new generation of believers, full of life and faith. They came from Spain, Peru, Lesotho and Poland, bringing with them songs, dances, laughter and prayers. They brought light, energy and hope, reminding us that the faith we cherish will continue to flourish long after we are gone.
This experience was a concrete response to the call of the 2021 General Chapter: ‘to move out of our comfort zones and cross over to the other shore’. At the same time, Pope Francis’ words – ‘Get up from your sofa!’ – challenged us. And that is what we did. We put aside our holidays and opened our doors to welcome Pilgrims of Hope. On some days, we hosted up to thirty people under our roof. We   offered them our time, our   listening ear and our love. We shared their joys, their reflections and even their tiredness after long days of celebration and prayer. In their company, we rediscovered that true hope does not come from ease, but from encounter.
We were particularly touched by the perseverance of the   older participants who, despite illness or frailty, joyfully walked the crowded streets of Rome, even with crutches. Their courage was a living testimony that anything is possible with God. Opening our home was not simply an act of hospitality; it was a pilgrimage of the heart. We could easily have chosen comfort, but saying yes transformed us. Our home   became a place of prayer, laughter and sharing of faith. We didn’t just talk about hope, we lived it.
The Jubilee of Consecrated Life;
Our journey of hope continued during the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, held from 8 to 12 October 2025. We welcomed Sisters from Poland, France and Madagascar to the Generalate. More than 16,000 consecrated persons from nearly 100 countries gathered in Rome, forming a living     mosaic of faith and devotion. Among them were religious brothers and sisters, monks and contemplatives, members of secular institutes, members of the Order of Virgins, hermits and representatives of new forms of consecrated life. We all participated as far as we could in this magnificent, profound and historic event.
This Jubilee, organised by the Dicastery for Evangelisation and the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, opened with a pilgrimage through the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica, a powerful symbol of grace and renewal. The day was filled with prayers, hymns and reconciliation, setting the tone for a week of reflection and encounter.
The opening prayer vigil, presided over by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime SDB, focused on hope in suffering, patience in daily life and mission as a way of life. In his homily, he entrusted          consecrated life to Mary, the living image of faith, hope and peace.
The following day, Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Eucharist in St. Peter’s Square, inviting all consecrated persons to live the Beatitudes and the Gospel call to ask, seek and knock – to ask with humility, seek holiness and knock in loving service.
Throughout the week, the city of Rome itself became a living witness of hope. Communities gathered to pray, dialogue and meet around the themes of  fraternity, listening and care for creation. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad presided at the Eucharist in the Paul VI Hall, where Sister Simona Brambilla MC offered a beautiful image: consecrated life as the yobel, a horn whose multiple sounds create a symphony of hope. Artistic performances and testimonies celebrated the joy of mission and unity.     Father Giacomo Costa SJ invited everyone to move ‘from I to we,’ emphasising the importance of communion over individualism. Later, Pope Leo XIV reminded us that     synodality – walking together and sharing one’s vocation – is the living expression of the Church’s hope.
The last day was dedicated to peace. Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime called on everyone to be ‘prophets of hope and bearers of living water.’ Sister Teresa Maya CCVI encouraged the creation of compassionate and non-violent communities in service to the marginalised. Workshops on mediation and dialogue offered concrete ways to live peace in daily life.
To conclude the jubilee, participants gathered at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, where some 4,000 of them renewed their vows, committing themselves to walk as ‘pilgrims of hope on the path of peace’. Sister Brambilla concluded with these moving words: “Let us set out, pilgrims of hope, on the path of peace, taking with us the experience we have had and sharing it with all those we meet. ”
Hope that transforms;
This jubilee revealed that consecrated life – rooted in hope and committed to peace – has the power to renew communities and inspire the world. Hope is not passive waiting, but active trust. It pushes us to step outside our comfort zone to meet others, to go beyond our limits to reach out to others. It is the courage to cross over to the other side – where God awaits us with new possibilities. As pilgrims of hope, we continue to walk together, with open hearts and hands ready to serve. May the Triune God guide us on the paths of hope and peace, so that the grace we have received may renew the Church and the world.
   
 
Sr. Barbara SYGITOWICZ
Generalate local community, Rome
 

With joy we commemorate the 232nd anniversary of the birth of a man of hope: our beloved Founder of the Holy Family, Pierre Bienvenu Noailles. Born in Bordeaux, France, on October 27, 1793, he became part of a very loving family of merchants, that of M. Pierre Noailles and Mme. Madeleine Richard: a home full of tenderness, faith and unity, that was looking forward to the birth of their eighth child.
These were difficult times for France, which was still recovering from the French Revolution of 1789. Historian Peyrous B. (2005) relates that all social classes suffered greatly from the disruptions caused by revolutionary doctrines. He tells us that while the clergy were outlawed and persecuted, the nobility faced the scaffold and commerce was destroyed, plunged into financial ruin and chaos.
In the midst of this turmoil, the birth of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles occurred discreetly, but with a divine purpose. God had a plan for him, and through the shaping forces of family and time, he became a true “man of hope”—for his own time, for the spiritual family he would later found, and for countless people today. His writings and his tireless dedication to the founding of the Holy Family bear witness to this hope.
Let us consider his own words, full of compassion and inspiration:
“When you come to your Father in prayer, What do you want? What are you looking for? Some are asking for light in darkness, others want peace in the midst of anxieties, all have the desire to correspond to their vocation, to know what is expected of them, and to speak of their hopes…” (Spiritual Guide #149).
And his reflections on the simple and intimate life of the Holy Family:
“Holy Family, what a joy it is to contemplate you whom when, having having put aside the occupations of the day, you met together to pray or to rest under the humble roof of Nazareth! Then a look, from the child Jesus, a  word or a caress, meant so much to Mary after all her housework, and compensated Joseph for all his hard labour. Let me place at your feet, like an acceptable offering in your sight, all the thoughts, desires, words and actions of this day. May you recognise in me and in my activities the features typical of a child of yours, who should imitate you in everything and live only your life!” (Spiritual Guide #172)
Pierre Bienvenu Noailles’s hope was also evident in his first actions as a priest. On January 8, 1820, three young women expressed their desire to dedicate their lives to God. On May 28 of that same year, he had founded with them the first community of the Holy Family (A Good Man Passed This Way, 1984). This humble beginning laid the foundation for the spiritual family we know today, with its diverse vocations.
As we celebrate his life, we thank God for blessing the Church with a man of exceptional virtues, gifts and values. His legacy challenges us as members of the PBN Family: Are we living as people of hope, actively spreading the spirituality of communion in our world?
On this day, in the Jubilee Year of the Universal Church, we reflect on the vision and mission of our Founder, which continue to guide us as a pilgrim people, walking together with one voice and one heart. We ask ourselves: What invitation does his life offer us to move forward as a Charismatic and vibrant Family of Hope?
Sr. Rubeni PEJERREY
Peru