�The Lord is enough�

By Jonathan Martinez - Florida Catholic

Photography: JONATHAN MARTINEZ | FC

MIAMI | The Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary — the only religious community founded in Miami — continue to grow.

The community that began in 1990 with Mother Adela Galindo and two others now numbers over 40 sisters, including two women who professed their first vows May 31 at St. Raymond Church.

“It is truly a blessing and a feeling of gratitude to have been able to profess my first vows,” said Sister Monica Bernadette of the Immaculate Conception. “It is a gift from our Lord and a journey to the sacred heart of Jesus and Mary.”

Bishop Fernando Isern, emeritus of Pueblo, Colorado, presided at the Mass which was concelebrated by a number of archdiocesan priests and attended by most of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts, along with family and friends of the two new sisters. The Mass was also streamed live over the internet for members of the community living in Italy, Uruguay, and Peoria, Illinois.

“We always choose to do the professions on a Marian feast day and today is the feast of the Visitation of Our Lady, which is a very important day for the community,” said Mother Adela. “After Our Lady received the announcement that she was going to be the mother of the redeemer she said, ‘Fiat’ (yes), which is what our sisters are going to be doing today, saying ‘fiat’ to the Lord. It was Mary’s ‘yes’ to God that made possible the Incarnation.”

During the Mass, Sister Monica and Sister Molly Joyce of the Merciful Heart of Jesus signed the formula for profession of vows, received their habit and veil, and finally, after vesting, hugged their superiors, Mother Adela and Sister Ana Lanzas, as well as their families.

The spiritual charism of the community is “to be a living image and presence of the heart of Mary in the heart of the Church … generously placing our feminine genius in loving communion and service of the Petrine Principle.”

The Servants of the Pierced Hearts take four vows: poverty, chastity, obedience, and “total Marian availability.”  

“Today, I gave my whole life to the Lord,” said Sister Molly in an interview with Radio Paz 830 AM, the archdiocesan station. “I am praying for all of you. The Lord is enough so may you open up your heart to that.”

“We helped each other. It was such a joy and a blessing to go through this process with Sister Molly,” said Sister Monica. “We sustained each other. All our gifts were truly present and we helped each other in the good and in trials but we conquered and let love triumph. We now hope to do the Lord’s work, to make the love of Jesus and Mary known to others — most especially to those that don’t know the love of God.”

Joining the Servants of the Pierced Hearts involves a lengthy formation process. It can take as long as six years but those who begin the process typically see it through. Many of the women begin in their early 20s and work with the sisters in various ministries while learning more about the Lord.

“As the teacher for the novices, for me it has been a great honor to serve them in this ministry, to help them to understand what it is to live a religious life and to deepen their understanding of our charism and of the vision of our founding mother,” said Sister Maria Jose Socias, director of formation. “I give thanks to God for the gift of their lives, for the gift of their ‘fiat’ and the gift of their hearts.”

The Servants of the Pierced Hearts currently work at half a dozen archdiocesan parishes and several schools, doing everything from teaching to singing in the choir to youth ministry. They also serve at Mercy Hospital and host weekly Eucharistic Cenacles. Their preaching ministry has reached more than half of the 109 parishes of the archdiocese and most of the lay movements.

Servants of the Pierced Hearts also serve in the dioceses of Orlando, Peoria, and the Military Ordinariate in Italy; and they are active in a number of countries in Central and South America.

The Servants of the Pierced Hearts’ family includes about 250 lay associates, with groups for children, families, seminarians, deacons and priests.

For more information visit www.piercedhearts.org.