The congregation celebrates 125 years of history with a jubilee year that invites the entire Augustinian Recollect Family to unite in thanksgiving, spiritual renewal, and the practice of charity.
The Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus will solemnly open their jubilee year next March 19 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of their foundation, a celebration that will run from March 19, 2026, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, until January 22, 2027.
This jubilee is intended, above all, as an act of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness throughout the history of the congregation, founded in 1901, and as an opportunity to renew the identity and mission of these religious sisters in the Church and in the world.
A jubilee to give thanks and renew the vocation
The Mother General, Sr. Marelis Teresa Parada Guill, emphasizes that this jubilee time is born of the desire to “sing the praises of the Lord for His greatness and His mercy,” recognizing that the history of the congregation is, above all, the work of the Holy Spirit.
The jubilee will also be a time to reflect on the journey made and for inner renewal:
An invitation to be “more truly Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus,” deepening their charismatic identity, marked by charity and Eucharistic spirituality.
Among the most significant fruits of these 125 years is the holiness of their foundress, Blessed María de San José, regarded as a light of hope and a spiritual model for the entire congregation.
A growing international family
At present, the Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus are present in four countries: Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, and Chile.
The community in Chile, founded recently, reflects the congregation’s missionary dynamism, which continues to expand its presence in order to bring the Gospel through its own charism.
Their mission is expressed in schools, evangelization houses, social works, and care for those most in need, always grounded in a deeply Eucharistic life that nourishes their apostolic dedication.
Eucharistic charity: the heart of the charism
The charism of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus is charity, lived from a profound experience of the Eucharist.
As their spiritual tradition recalls, it is a charity that not only assists, but embraces, especially the poorest and those cast aside:
“those whom no one wants to receive, they are ours.”
This spirituality, inherited from their foundress, remains alive today in every community, where adoration, prayer, and mission form an inseparable unity.
Plenary indulgence and jubilee signs
On the occasion of this anniversary, the Holy See has granted the plenary indulgence, which may be obtained by following the Church’s usual provisions.
During this jubilee year, holy doors will be blessed in the various communities, offering the faithful a path of encounter with God, marked by reconciliation, mercy, and spiritual renewal.
Likewise, numerous activities will be carried out in all the congregation’s works—schools, communities, and mission centers—combining liturgical celebrations, spaces for reflection, and pastoral initiatives.
A jubilee for the entire Augustinian Recollect family
The Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus have wished to open this celebration to the entire Augustinian family, inviting religious, laypeople, and collaborators to join in this time of grace.
The jubilee motto, “A flame that does not go out, charity that always embraces”, expresses the core of their spirituality: a living charity, born of the Holy Spirit, that becomes concrete service to others.
The logo, a flaming heart formed by the number 125, symbolizes passion for Christ, compassion for those most in need, and the Augustinian “restless heart” that impels the mission.
A call to hope and renewal
This jubilee year is not only a celebration of the past, but a call to the future.
The Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Heart of Jesus hope that this time will strengthen faith, renew hope, and rekindle the desire for holiness, both in their communities and in all those who share in their charism.
In a world in need of fraternity, their witness reminds us that true renewal is born of charity: a charity that springs from the Eucharist and becomes an embrace for all.
