I AM YOUR "ENVOY" ~
IN ALBANIA
How come a Mexican FMA is a missionary in Albania? Did you
want to go there?
Not in my wildest imagination1 In 1999 the Provincial visited my
community at Tuxtla Gutierrez - capital of the State of Chiapas. She
asked to me whether I would like to go as a missionary ad gentes111
That was a bolt from the blue. I didn't even know what to say. The
Provincial told me: "Think about it, pray, and I'll let you know by the
Feast of Saint Joseph I was very confused The missions7 Ad
gentes7 Africa? I prayed a lot. To be honest, I didn't want to go
anywhere; I was happy where I was; I was on a mission there, tool
I went to the Lord saying: "If it is your will, here I am. I don't want to
deny you anything, but if it is just the Provincia\\'s fancy, I'm perfectly
fine here." Yes, I think I was afraid to leave my Mexico, my blessed
land! And here I am. It is here that He wanted me. This has given me
and continues to give me so much peace in life: I didn't ask for it, I
am His envoy.
As a Latin American, is there anything that fascinates you about
Albanians?
Of course! There are so many things I like about Albanian peoplel
The first thing that struck me when I arrived here was their
welcomeI Not only do they make you feel at home; they really care
about you, they offer you everything, even their own their hearts!
They are a communicative, joyful people, always ready to party, to
learn, to get to knowl In short, ever since I arrived in Albania, I have
felt in tune with them.
How do you find strength, perseverance, inspiration, patience
for your missionary service?
Wow! What a question!!! Definitely. In the certainty of knowing that
I am doing His wil\\l When I left Mexico to go to Italy to start my
missionary life, I told Mom, "You'll see, I'll be back within a yearl" And
I left with the thought that if I return to Mexico, I would be very
happy to be back here in Chiapas too! Then, I decided not to say or
think it anymore; instead, to live in the moment and to live and love
my "magnificent inheritance', always with Mary holding me by the
hand, Mary, my friend, guide, and advisor.
Sr. Isabel Aguilar FMA
Born in Morelia, Michoacan State of Mexico.After
being immersed fo r six years m the Sales1an world,
she made her first profession with the FMA sisters
at the age of 22. All her religious and professional
formation was done in Mexico. She has a
doctorate in pedagogy.
She has been a missionary in Albania since 2000.
She is presently in the community of Shkodër
(Shkodra) where she is responsible for the school
and for the economy of all the FMA works.
There are around 36 million Roma in the
world today. Of these, 18 million are in
India, the place of origin of this ethnic
community being Rajasthan, India.
Europe’s 9-12 million Roma live in Spain,
France, and Eastern Europe. There are
one million of them in the United States,
800,000 in Brazil. The country where they
form the highest percentage of the
population is Bulgaria (10.5%).
Roma are associated with poverty and
their behaviour is perceived as anti-social
or inappropriate. Salesians work in
several countries for greater inclusion of
the Roma, their education e their rights.
Sacrament of reconciliation
For a greater appreciation of the sacrament
of reconciliation by the young in Albania.
Let us pray that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation
with renewed depth, to taste the infinite mercy of God.
[Pope Francis’ prayer intention]
