My trip to Rome for the Hope 2025 event was truly transformative. Held at the retreat house FRATERNA DOMUS, this gathering brought together 200 Catholic sisters under 65 years of age from 25 countries across 6 continents. The experience was profoundly creative—God was acting in inspiring, hopeful, multicultural, and amazing ways among all of us through the testimonies of life that our sisters shared. These stories allowed us to connect with our own histories and return to listening to our hearts through moments of prayer, contemplation, and silence.
Day One: Opening Hearts Through Music
Our gathering began with prayer, accompanied by the Italian musical group “GEN VERDE.” Through their music and reflections, they touched all of us, opening our hearts and helping us feel that we could harmonize and synchronize despite our very different cultures. The richness of spirit and language was present, and together we could sing with one voice.
An indigenous woman from Africa shared her powerful reflection: “Make us strong and resistant when faced with difficulties, trials, and challenges. Give us courage when the cold winds fall over us and make us strong and resistant in the face of difficulties, trials, and challenges.”
Together with this reflection, we sang with GEN VERDE: “Este es Nuestro Sueño” (This is Our Dream):
“This is our dream, crossing the oceans and deserts, uniting our hearts to walk together. A world of hope is our tomorrow if we learn to live one for another. And we will see that we are one.”
Day Two: Symphony of Unity
We continued reflecting with the musical group, who invited us into a symphony where each person came from different peoples and charisms. Being one orchestra means being one—the opposite of “me.” We sang what we live and lived what we sing, creating music to transform community, fostering a culture of encounter and converting our ideas into song. All took turns shining as we were invited “to love one another as I have loved you,” converting our walls into bridges.
One speaker shared messages from Pope Francis:
“It seems to me that the metaphor of the orchestra can throw light on the character of the church synod. A symphony is nourished by the skillful composition of different tones from different instruments: each one making a contribution, sometimes united with another, sometimes all together. Dear brothers and sisters, it does us well to reflect on ourselves as an image of the orchestra, to understand and be a church that is increasingly symphonic and synodal.”
Day Three: Cultivating Seeds of Love
We began cultivating seeds of love in a world divided through a dance called “I Sing to the Lord.” Each flowering of these seeds represents our dreams that will bloom if we remain united despite our great diversity. We live in a time of lamentation where we must examine our hearts and ask: How am I being conscious of all that I am living? We are globally invited to go out of ourselves. We cannot always be alone—we must be connected to one another. We must break our pride and go out to encounter those who suffer, sensitizing ourselves to others’ suffering, because there God is. He is always working in the midst of our sadness, fears, and darkness, and it is there where we find our humanity.
One question we reflected upon was: What sustains you in difficult moments—moments of lamentation?
Our responses revealed that we are not alone in desiring healing and cultivating confidence. We found opportunity to be heard, gratitude for profound listening, freedom to speak, and learning to respect processes. Life has changed but not ended. Each one has something to lament, yet we trust in God to strengthen us, welcome our humanness, and share with other women from other communities.
During our break, we enjoyed multicultural moments, taking pictures with friends and sisters from different congregations and places.
Day Four: Journey of Hope
We spoke of our hope, beginning with this prayer:
God of the journey, remind me that you are near. Life is a ministry that is being revealed—sometimes a painful search and other times a marvelous discovery. My heart is restless because it is a pilgrim heart whose home is not here. When my steps tire and I stumble along the journey, discouragement and doubt hurry to greet me. I am always learning what to leave behind and what to take with me as I advance along the way of life.
In my journey, I need a strong conviction regarding the beauty and kindness of life, a vision of hope that supports the pain and struggle, and the thread of love that weaves itself through all of our dreams. God, today you unite with me as a pilgrim. Remind me that you are near.
After our reflection, we prepared for a time of hope and joy, announcing the feast of the Holy Spirit and recognizing that WE ARE ONE. We danced with the light—the light that guides us like a lighthouse, which is the presence of God among us.
Day Five: Pentecost Celebration
On the second-to-last day of our gathering, we celebrated the feast of Pentecost with great joy. All languages were present; all were one spirit and one song in diversity. That night, we celebrated by dancing to music from our countries of origin. It was marvelous how it radiated joy.
Gratitude
Thanks to HOPE for teaching us to be amazed by our diversity, for offering us these spaces to reflect, to find ourselves, and to connect with our world—so diverse and multicultural.
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