In October 2025, as a Congregation we planned the first “Ministry Day,” an initiative created to celebrate the Life generated by the encounter with the poorest people in the countries where we are present. Caring for people in difficulty is at the heart of our charism: we open our gaze to the different forms of poverty that surround us and cultivate relationships that are “Common good: font of care and promotion of human dignity,” the theme chosen deliberately as the central idea of this Day.
In all the SFP Communities and different ministries creative moments were planned in order to share the fruits of Frances Schervier’s charism of healing, which teaches us to make available to people our time, welcome, listening, and closeness. Sisters, Associates, volunteers, and friends came together to recognize the goodness given and received and to set off again with new passion. The presence of so many people gave witness to the life given, accompanied by gratitude for having experienced acceptance and welcome in difficult times, like in a family.
In Italy, the day was celebrated in the different communities and with the people welcomed by the ministries, as guests at the center for unhoused people in Rome or the women who shared in programs offering education and promotion of women supporting women.
In the Philippines, many families and students who receive scholarship support together with the local community wanted to celebrate the SFP presence and the fruits of the charism which offers paths for autonomy and caring for oneself, for one’s family, and for the community as a whole.
In Brazil, the children who attend the schools were also involved in the preparation of the events and were invited to observe the social problems and difficulties around them, in their communities, at school, and in other settings and to offer possible solutions, in a network of caring that brings together more generations.
In Senegal, the Day was enriched by numerous testimonies of gratitude for the help received in the schools, training centers geared to girls and women, nutritional programs, support to families, and health care clinics.
In the United States, occasions for sharing were organized that involved Sisters and collaborators in a reflection on the life generated by the charism through the ministries over the years, which have offered support to people in difficulty as well opportunities for service for young people seeking deeper meaning in life.
This day allowed us to experience firsthand the meaning of the charism, renewing our enthusiasm for shared life and for the seeds that it has generated, which render us capable of feeling like a community and encourage us to give thanks to God who never stops taking care of us.
