In anticipation of the Feast of St. Louise de Marillac, which we celebrated on May 9, my colleague Carlos Rivera and myself were given the task of seeking and interacting with the members of the Vincentian Family in Nicaragua. We presented ourselves, the Apostolic Association of the Sons of Saint Louise de Marillac. It was a very rewarding experience to know that we have the support of our brother country, Nicaragua.

We visited the city of León on April 11, where we had a very pleasant conversation with Monsignor Bosco Vivas Róbelo, to whom we presented the Project of our Association, requesting permission ad experimentum to develop an apostolate in Nicaragua. The Constitutions, Statutes, Rules and Community Project were handed over to him for their respective review and approval.

Monsignor motivated us to move forward and encouraged us to be guided by the Holy Spirit in this journey. Later we visited the “San Vicente de Paúl” shelter, where we were welcomed by its head and administrator, Daughter of Charity Sr. Esperanza, who told us about the importance of the service provided by this shelter to the poor, our lords and masters.

On April 23 we (Alexis Barquero, Carlos Rivera and Ottoniel Díaz) concluded with a visit to “La Recolección” Parish. We met with mother Superior Sr. Marta Danilia and Sr. Sandra, Coordinator of the VMY in León. We shared our testimony of services as Sons of Saint Louise de Marillac in the Ángel de Amor Foundation in Costa Rica and our collaboration in the Santa Eduviges Home for the Elderly in Corinto, Nicaragua.

In this meeting we were cordially invited, as Sons of Saint Louise de Marillac, to the Vincentian Family Congress on a national level, on May 11 in the Parish of Quezalguaque, Diocese of León.

Alexis Barquero Benavides
May 29, 2019.