In so many ways the sisters’ lives echo the vision of one of the first saints of the Americas, Isabel de Oliva y Flores, better known as St. Rose of Lima. As a young woman she was caught amid the complex religious and political realities in 16th Century Peru—and was compelled to a life of service among the oppressed. You can learn more about St. Rose here.

Our sisters in Lima mirror God’s compassion.

“Any children here under five?” Sister Doris Terrel asked, knocking on the flimsy frame of a precarious wooden shack. A woman old beyond her years motioned to Sister Doris, who navigated past plastic bucketsful of the home’s only water. In this tiny hillside dwelling in San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima’s most populous and poorest district, Sister Doris met 3-year-old Nina and her baby brother Carlos. A traveling nurse employed by the government to vaccinate Lima’s children, Sister Doris knew from the children’s below-average height and weight that the few corn tortillas and beans their mother could afford would not raise the babies to a healthy adulthood.

Sister Maria Luisa Ñaupari called students to prayer at San José School. Located in Callao, a historic, gritty Lima neighborhood near Peru’s main seaport. `The school serves students from middle class and working-poor families. Among Sister Maria Luisa’s responsibilities is organizing weekend retreats for students—not all of whom can participate. For a significant minority, families already sacrifice to provide private school education. There are no discretionary funds for things like retreats.

Sister Beatriz Vila —we all call her Betty —is a veteran nurse with a knack for navigating the maze of medical care in her native Peru. When you make a gift to our sisters out of love, you mirror the love of Jesus. May these spring days remind you of the new-life potential within each of us and throughout our world—including our sisters and brothers in Peru.

Thank you! Your generosity is deeply appreciated!

May God bless you!