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I think I might be the only person on this campus who actually remembers 1963. That was the year I joined the Franciscan Sisters of Rochester, MN – the Congregation that served as the foundresses of the Colegio Santa Francisca Romana. I remember hearing very enthusiastic stories about these women who ventured off to a foreign land to offer their gifts and skills in a brand new setting. This first group was full of energy, excitement, and perhaps also a bit of nervousness about what and WHO they would encounter in this great adventure! It was an amazing experience of something totally NEW and very different from anything they had ever experienced before. The important thing was that they were OPEN to it, trusting that God was leading them every step of the way…and before long, wonderful stories of the beauty of Colombia and the warmth of the Colombian people came drifting back to Minnesota, encouraging other Franciscan Sisters to want to come and be a part of something quite wondrous! “And the rest (as they say) is history”!
But history is not only about “looking back”…it is about learning from experience in a way that enriches the possibilities of both the present and the future. In recent weeks, as our Comunidad Pacha has been involved in celebrating our 55th Anniversary as a school and as a Family, we have indeed been “looking back” and marveling at ALL that has taken place in these past 55 years to lead us to be who we are today. But this celebration has also been an invitation to be GRATEFUL for our present moment and to dream BIG DREAMS about our future!
On the one hand, we are “standing on the shoulders of giants” – the marvelous persons who gave the best of what they had to offer as students, parents, teachers, workers and administrative staff to co-create what Santa Pacha stands for and why it has the strong reputation that it enjoys today. On the other hand, we are challenged to offer our own “granito de arena” in a way that makes a difference as to how our Colegio – our educational community – will continue on into the future. For what will it be known 5 – 10 – 25 years from now? How will the fact that each one of us has been a part of this be evident in the Colegio´s unfolding story?
I want to say that it has been a genuine honor for me to have been a part of Santa Pacha for 19 years of my life (again, longer than many of you have been around!). I BELIEVE IN Santa Pacha and what it stands for – I believe in each one of YOU as you radiate that inner light which is the Zarza. Our world so much needs people who live out of conviction and a strong values base, who are people of service and compassion, who are leaders who know how to think critically about the realities around them and move with energy toward finding solutions to situations that need to be changed, in order for a more just, equitable and peaceful world to exist. Our world needs people of faith who know how to trust in a God who loves each one of us and dreams of the day when we will truly “get it” – that we are ALL sisters and brothers of one another who need to genuinely care for each other, realizing that each person and every living thing has value in God´s eyes.
Being a part of the Comunidad Pacha has taught us that, yes? Let us be TRUE to what we have learned, and “give it away” again as a way of praising and thanking God for the GIFTS that are ours!
By: Sister Valerie Usher
55 years is a l-o-n-g time! It’s almost 14 times longer than our Pre-Kinder Pachitas have existed! And it’s 3-4 times longer than the members of our Scoop Team have been around! To give yourself some perspective on what 55 years means, ask yourself: what do I know about what was going on in my family / in Colombia / in the world at the beginning of 1963? (It might take some research just to go back in time in order to answer that question!)