There are anniversaries that we celebrate, and there are anniversaries that we hold deep within.

Today, we gather in joy and thanksgiving to solemnly open the jubilee marking 300 years of mission of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres in the French Guiana.

In 1727, at the request of the Count of Maurepas, Minister of the Navy and of the King’s Household, the Sisters were sent to Cayenne to care for the sick in the hospital and to contribute to the education of children.

Three centuries have passed since April 22, 1727, when four Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres:

Marie MERY from Nogent-le-Rotrou
Madeleine BILHARAM from Châtenay
Marie MALEVRE from Mantes
Françoise TARANNE from Nogent-le-Rotrou

had the courage to leave their homeland, cross the ocean, and arrive in Guyane on September 10, 1727.

They arrived with empty hands, yet abundant in the Lord’s love and filled with zeal. They carried what was essential: faith, calling, and the desire to serve.

Three centuries bear witness to our journey. Three centuries of hope, fidelity, service, devotion, and presence alongside the men and women of their time. Three centuries during which generations of Sisters heard the Lord’s call and accepted to set out on the road.

Today we do not celebrate only a long history. We celebrate first the faithfulness of God, who accompanies His people and continues to call workers for His harvest.

We remember those who came before us. We give thanks for the wonders accomplished. We ask forgiveness for our weaknesses and our infidelities. We also look above all toward the future, for mission continues.

May this jubilee be for us a time of grateful remembrance, spiritual renewal, and missionary audacity. Let us enter into this celebration with hearts that are grateful, humble, filled with hope, and open to the Holy Spirit.