Spouses of Christ, Daughters of the Church retreat on tap at Pax Christi Liturgical Center

The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious is hosting its second annual Esposas de Cristo, Hijas de la Iglesia course this summer, June 27-July 8, at the Pax Christi Liturgical Retreat Center in Corpus Christi. The course is open to all Hispanic religious sisters in the Unite States.

The title of this year's course is "The Year of Mercy and the Story of Women Religious at the Service of Mercy in Every Age". Sister Marie Bernadette Thompson, Op with the Council invites all religious congregations to share this information as part of their outreach to Hispanic sisters.

Event coordinator Mother Mary of Ephesus Baird, SSVM said, “I am so grateful to have worked with the summer course last year in its beginnings. I am anticipating this year to be another opportunity for us to deepen our vocation as women religious, Spouses of Christ, whose very consecration is a participation in the mercy of the Father and the service of the Church.”

Comprised of lectures and discussions, the program engages the sisters in a study of the theology of mercy through the lens of St. John Paul II’s 1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (“Rich in Mercy”). The material is supplemented by expositions on the vibrant examples of “women of mercy” found in the Bible and the history of the Church, as well as the writings of Pope Francis. Women religious of various congregations will be serving as instructors for the course, providing introductory talks and facilitating discussions.
spiritual formation, as promoted by Perfectae Caritatis, the Vatican II Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life: “Religious should strive during the whole course of their lives to perfect the culture they have received in matters spiritual and in arts and sciences (18). ”

Sister Angelica Ramos, S. de M, participated in 2015 and describes the summer course as: “Very enriching…Something that helps us to grow in the love of the Church herself and our vocation: Spouses of Christ and Daughters of the Church. This title impacted me greatly...remembering this revives the love of our own vocation and the fervor for serving others through the means of our religious consecration.”

"Spouses of Christ, Daughters of the Church is an annual educational opportunity that provides a forum for ongoing intellectual formation, prayer and community among Hispanic sisters from different congregations," Sister Marie Bernadette said.

Registration will be available on the Council's Web site by March 1.