03 Jun Apartado – Pilgrims of Hope: A mission at the rhythm of the migrants.
Called together by the CLAR (Latin American Confederation of Religious) and sent by our Provinces, we were able to take part in the mission “Pilgrims of Hope: A Mission in Step with Migrants”, in the Diocese of Apartadó, Colombia. The diocese welcomed CLAR’s initiative and provided everything needed to bring it to life.
Apartadó is a land marked by the cry of migration — a land sacredly trodden by so many migrant brothers and sisters. They used it as a bridge to cross into the Darién Gap, hoping to reach other territories beyond.
It is a place that holds deep pain. On one hand, it tells the story of a difficult journey that many have managed to endure. On the other, it carries the memory of those who did not survive the passage.
Due to current U.S. immigration policies, many who once made it through are now returning, walking a path where hope seems to fade.
In response to this cry, the Diocese embraced the opportunity to carry out a mission of hope on its land.
Called and prepared by CLAR
We were a group of 54 religious men and women from 35 congregations and 15 countries of the continent. And our hearts were burning, we were filled with deep joy! There we were, meeting and recognizing each other as companions in the same mission. God’s call and the desire to live this Holy Week by accompanying the pain of those who, with hopeful determination, set out time and again on the journey of crossing borders in search of a more dignified life for themselves and their families.
The preparation process for the mission brought us face to face with four heartbeats that stirred us deeply, prompting us to step forward without fear, allowing ourselves to be guided by the breath of the Spirit toward the newness God wished to reveal to us. CLAR prepared a formation itinerary, which we received gradually through videos and documents that helped us to spread our wings and feel the rhythm of our hearts aligned with those of the migrants.
Gathered in Apartadó, Colombia
When we all gathered in Apartadó, we found a community organized down to the smallest details, ready to welcome the missionaries with simplicity.
That afternoon, we enjoyed getting to know each other and freely sharing what made our hearts burn.
The next day, we met at the Monastery of the Sisters of the Visitation for a day of retreat. The Sisters supported us with meals, joyful hospitality, and prayer.
In the afternoon, we moved to the Cathedral of Santa María la Antigua del Darién, where the local missionary community welcomed us.
Bishop Carlos Alberto Correa Martínez celebrated the Eucharist and sent us out, one by one, with an embrace and his blessing.
He told us: “Let yourselves be touched by this land and its people. You are a sign of a Church that goes forth — one that welcomes, protects, promotes, and integrates.”
In his homily, he encouraged us, saying that the Church of Apartadó, a pilgrim and Samaritan Church, was sending us to walk with a people “set on fire by the Spirit.”
It was a heartfelt and deeply moving celebration — a day full of meaningful gestures that united us and encouraged us to begin the journey.
We received the cross bearing the Jubilee logo, along with symbols identifying us as part of the Catholic Church that goes forth.
Then, two by two, we were sent out to 24 mission locations across the region.
Thus began the adventure, welcomed lovingly into family homes, parish houses, or small hotels.
Sent on mission
With great joy, day by day, our feet, in the midst of a majestic nature bursting with shades of green, traveled through sacred corners of this land to respectfully listen to each life story shared by so many people. Our hearts carry the echo of shared sorrows, joys, and hopes. It is Jesus who gave us the gift of being touched by this land and its people. Not in every place did we have the presence of priests, so the shared lunchtime in a family’s home, the space around the table, became our Eucharist each day.
Walking together and sharing the journey
We spent ten days living alongside religious sisters from different congregations, with diverse charisms and spiritualities.
None of this was a barrier; on the contrary, it made us sisters, friends, and fellow pilgrims — a true gift.
Each day, we shared our way of being consecrated women, offering our gifts and creativity to bring the Good News of Jesus
to those who are weary, and to those left along the wayside.
From a place of deep communion, our differences became a source of unity — never losing sight of the mission we had been sent to carry out.
Walking together and making ourselves available to collaborate with others places us before a great challenge: recognizing that we need one another and that each of us has something to offer.
With a spirit of going forth, walking sacredly alongside the poorest of the earth, we embrace the hope of a Religious Life that journeys in the midst of God’s People, becoming Samaritan — walking with those whose lives are threatened.
We give thanks to God, who continues to whisper to us that we cannot walk this path alone. The key is to keep moving forward, always toward more.
This lived experience fills us with hope — the hope to begin again and again, walking with our migrant brothers and sisters. With them, we become Pilgrims of Hope.
Our feet remain blessed by this land and by the many blessings of the people, who greet you early in the morning saying, “May God protect you and bless you.”
Listening to our brothers and sisters…
We want to share in a special way the experience of welcoming migrant brothers and sisters as they step off the boats at the shore.
In Necoclí, there is the Migrant Assistance and Orientation Point (PAO), a collaborative space led by the Catholic Church, the Quadrangular Church, the Red Cross, and other organizations.
All work together to protect lives under threat.
Daily tasks — preparing food kits, distributing clothes, or providing healthcare — are suddenly interrupted when a call comes from the migration office in Capurganá, near the border with Panama.
They inform us that one or two boats are on their way, carrying around one hundred migrants.
This was also the case during our shared Holy Week mission.
Quickly, we all responded, carrying what was needed to the pier to welcome those arriving.
It is painful to see them disembark with almost nothing — wet, thirsty, desperate for a bathroom, or just a little water to wash their babies.
One person, waiting in line for a kit, shouted in frustration: “I’ll never leave my country again!”
He was heartbroken after being forced to return from the north, having spent everything only to end up right back where he started.
Another woman, stepping briefly away from her son, needed to share her anguish. She had suffered multiple assaults while crossing the Darién Gap.
A family told us they had spent a month detained by police in Panama.
The grandmother had been injured by a hard blow in the jungle.
Eventually, they were released and managed to cross the border into Colombia.
Not all have reached their destination. Many migrants are still in Necoclí, having spent all their money paying different people to guide them through each part of the journey. Some have been camping under a tree for months, sending their children to school; others sleep at the door of the PAO; and all live cautiously due to the violence and xenophobia from armed groups controlling the territory.
This mission has aimed to be a sign, small and humble, that Religious Life cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of so many migrants. And it is also a sign that we must respond in networks — inter-congregationally and with other organizations — because we cannot do it alone, and we cannot afford to remain motionless in the face of this cry.
Like the Women of the Dawn, let us go out to meet our migrant brothers and sisters with tenderness and courage!
Sisters Ismenia Aspeitia, Sofía González y Jimena Fuentes – Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
