The Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo
Kamba village, Varap post, shahad, Kalyan west,Thane Dist, Maharashtra, India - 421103
The Lord has been gracious to us and we are grateful to God for showering on us immense blessings and graces all the time.
Let us have a glance on the shore of the Bay of Campeche of the Golf of Mexico…
The capital city of the state is the city of San Francisco de Campeche. It has a population of 899,931 mainly people speak Spanish, even though exists indigenous languages like Maya, Chol etc. 70% of the population is catholic. The climate is warm and sub humid, with an average temperature of 28.8°C and rainy season from June to October.
The beginning
A brief overview of the beginning of the Project of the sisters of St. Charles Borromeo at Campeche.
The Provincial Superior and the council of Argentina felt the need to have another community in Mexico to support our first community and thus extend the Kingdom of God in the land of our Lady of Guadalupe. The desire was put forward to our Superior General Mother Benedicta Lobo. After some time sr. Alicia provincial superior received the permission to start a second house in Mexico.
In July 2009 after seven months of the congregation’s presence in Ticul, Yucatan, Mexico, in one of the phone calls Sister Alicia Valder provincial informs Sr. Jessy that Superior General mother Benedicta Lobo has granted permission for a second community in Mexico. The news was greeted with joy for our sisters Jessy Chacko, Veronica Rodríguez and Janet Monteiro. Provincial also asked sr. Jessy to look for the place where we can have second community.
The project - Temporary Home
God´s provident hand was opened a door of hope for us. When an employee of the house senior citizen home (which is administered by our sisters at Ticul) spoke to us about the diocese of Campeche and they are searching for the presence of religious.
The Lord always prepares the way for those who trust in Him, mean while there was an ongoing formation for the religious in the city of Merida, which gave the opportunity to meet a sister named Sugey who belongs to the congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Campeche. She encouraged our sisters more and provided them with the necessary information to contact the Bishops of Campeche. Sr. Jessy informs the Provincial superior about it and sends the necessary information to contact the Bishop concerned. Sr. Jessy makes the initial contact with Bishop through email explaining about our Charism and expressing the desire to have a community in his dioceses, for which bishop shows interest and welcomes the idea
The Provincial Superior writes an official letter through email asking for permission to start a community with three sisters in his dioceses and requesting a place to stay for sisters and to have some apostolate where sisters can render their service as well as they can have something for their living. Sr. Alicia receives invitation letter from bishop Mons. Ramon Castro Castro expressing his joy to have St. Charles Borromeo sisters in his dioceses, about the residence, there is in the same building a place for the sisters and apostolate is to take up the administration of the temporary home. It was accepted with great joy and gratitude to God.
Humility and simplicity are the characteristic virtues of the congregation .Meanwhile on August 4, 2009, the feast of St. John Maria Vianney sisters Jessy Chacko, Veronica Rodríguez and Janet Monteiro in the company of the couples of Mr. Alonso and Mrs. Beatriz traveled to the city of San Francisco de Campeche for their first personal meeting with the bishop. It was 10 a.m. when the sisters arrived and were greeted by Bishop Ramón Castro Castro and priest Luis Gala, who invited them to have a breakfast , then visited the future apostolate and went round to know little bit of the city, remembering that the city of Campeche is a cultural heritage of humanity. They ended the meeting with bishop and received the blessings with Blessed sacraments. Sisters returned to Ticul with joy and enthusiasm and thanking God for His merciful love.
Then Sr. Jessy informs Sister Alicia (In Argentina) about their visit to the bishop of Campeche, about the place, the residence for the sisters and the apostolate which he offers for the sisters etc. And his desire was to inaugurate by August 2010. This is how the mission of Campeche started its preparation. For this reason on April 9, 2010, provincial sister Alicia Valder makes known that the privileged sisters for the new mission in Campeche are: Srs. Maxine Dcosta and Solly Karuvelil Thomas, almost at the same time we received the good news from Mother Benedicta Lobo Superior General informing the sisters at Argentina and Mexico that Sister Alicia Valder at the end of her service as a provincial superior of Argentina would be sent to the mission in Campeche.
The bishop’s desire was to begin the apostolate on 27th August as both the house for the sisters as well as the temporal home would be ready. Inspite of doing everything for the immigration procedure the sisters destined for the Campeche mission could not reach on given time. The Provincial Superior asks the Ticul community to represent the sisters. As well as On August 11, 2010 Bishop Ramón Castro, through a phone call, informs the sisters of Ticul, that the temporary home will be open on August 27 with a Eucharistic celebration of thanksgiving at 6pm. For that special day traveled the sisters Jessy, veronica, Janet in the company of the aspirant Yulisa Jazmín Chi Dominguez, SCB associate , Teresa Magaña and the matrimony of Rubén Coba and Lucy Poot. It was an atmosphere of celebration and joy for the apostolate in which God’s mercy is made present to the People of Campeche.
Among the guests the governor of Campeche Mr. Fernando Ortega Bernés, and locals benefactors who witnessed a wonderful work of God’s love. The words that bishop addressed to the sisters were very emotional and inviting them to give their lives witness in the apostolate which is entrusted to them, .After words shared a some snacks for everyone , it was a very pleasant and unforgettable time where we had the opportunity to learn some details of the new adventure to start.
A long-awaited day, Sister Maxine’s first missionary arrived for the mission on October 7. On 8th Sr. Jessy accompanied sr. Maxim to the new house to prepare for the starting of the house and mission. On October 20 we received the great news that our sisters Alicia Valder and Solly Karuvelil Thomas will arrive on the 22nd at approximately 11 p.m., the day has reached sisters Jessy and Maxine in the company of Mrs. Angela and Daniel had gone to fetch them. at the airport of Campeche.
“The Eucharist is the source, summit and centre of evangelization and of every Christian life” Vat. Ⅱ
On 23rd October with the Eucharistic celebration formed a new community of sisters of St Charles Borromeo in Campeche, in gratitude for the 325 years of the life of the congregation. Our hearts full of joy and jubilee, we feel united with our sisters of the province of Argentina. A new community is born; one more tabernacle is placed where our Lord Jesus Christ will be worshipped. The solemn celebration took place in the temporal home chapel on 23of October 2010 at 12 p.m. which is dedicated to the immaculate conception of Mary, presided by Mons. Ramón Castro Castro and the con celebrants were Father Miguel Angel Carrillo Nieto and Juan Pablo Valadez Zavala who is the bishop’s secretary.
Accompanied by the sisters Srs Alicia, Maxine, Solly, Jessy, Veronica, Janet, and candidate Yulisa, along with SCB associates, some members of the Civil Association of Ticul, some friends of Campeche, also made the presence of the sisters of Guadalupana, servants of Christ who work in the bishop’s house. The choir of Cathedral Church gave color to the celebration with its beautiful melody
The Bishop mentioned in his homily especially to the sisters about the importance of testimony, so that everyone who comes to this house can find compassionate love of Christ and sees the motherly face of God. After the Holy Mass we shared lunch. Sisters Jessy, Veronica and Janet pioneers of our mission in Mexico gave a warm welcome to the sisters Alicia Valder, Maxine Dcosta and Solly Karuvelil Thomas with a song and a traditional gift.
The new community in Campeche was integrated with sisters Alicia Valder superior, Maxine D costa and Janet Monteiro
This institute called “Albergue San Jose” managed by an association sprout of evangelical charity, which is an inspiration of the Holy Spirit to Mons. Ramon Castro Castro Bishop of Campeche after seeing the needs of the families of the sick who are admitted in the hospitals, spending day and night in front of the hospitals and in the streets. It is to give shelter to them who are poor and unable to pay a lodge.
The mission of the temporal home: is to provide warm support to the relatives and sick people of scarce resources, admitted in the hospitals of the city of Campeche, promoting the values of fraternity and generosity to the society of Campeche
The vision: is to become a leading institution in the short term, committed to the care and assistance of sick and their relatives or care takers who are poor of scarce social security, lacking social security in the state of Campeche.
Argentina Region
The Sisters of
St Charles of Borromeo
Faith, Toil, Progress
St.Charles Generalate
Kamba village,
Varap post, shahad
Kalyan west,Thane Dist
Maharashtra state – 421 103
Ph: 8976587778