Rome, February 5, 2025
Dearest Sisters and young women in formation,
I begin this letter, dedicated to Maestra Thecla on the 61st anniversary of her death, with the words addressed by Pope Francis to the participants of the Jubilee of Communication on January 25th of this year:
… Also tell stories of hope, stories that nurture life. May your storytelling also be hopetelling …. Telling of hope means seeing the tiny pieces of good hidden even in what appears to be lost; it means allowing hope against all hope. It means being aware of the shoots that emerge when the earth is still covered with ashes. Recounting hope means having a perspective that transforms things, that makes them become what they could, what they should be. It means making things walk towards their destiny. This is the power of stories. And this is what I encourage you to do: tell of hope, share it. This is, as Saint Paul would say, your “good fight”.
Telling of hope, first and foremost through our lives, means bearing witness to a new way of living. This is what Prima Maestra exemplified, making her life a true “story of hope” for us.
Maestra Thecla planted seeds of joy and confidence in the future within the fertile soil of Pauline life. She encouraged us to believe and persevere through trials, to patiently wait for God’s time, and to face fatigue, suffering, and sacrifice without fear, all for a higher purpose.
She taught us that hope is not about knowing whether things will go right or wrong, but about the certainty that everything has meaning. For this reason, we are called to live and embody hope, even in the darkness of uncertainty and the seeming absence of meaning.
Maestra Thecla challenged us to walk alongside the men and women of our time, rooted in the ever-changing present. She encouraged us to accept the challenge of keeping pace with the times, engaging in a contemplative search for the new paths the Spirit opens for proclaiming the Good News. She urged us to remain open to God’s future, moving toward the realization of what now seems impossible—because by ourselves we can do nothing, but with Him, all things are possible.
Let us place our trust in God, for our hope rests entirely in Him. Let us seek only God. True wisdom lies in this: seeking God alone. When our hearts and souls are filled with Him, and we dedicate ourselves solely to His work, what more could we possibly desire? (CSAS 109,11)
Prima Maestra, a pilgrim of hope, shared the dream of offering everyone “reasons to hope” through the various forms of our apostolate, doing so with gentleness and respect (cf. 1 Pet. 3:16.) Her approach, marked by the meekness that is a fruit of the Spirit, fostered relationships and promoted communion, starting with unity among us. By this, we will be recognized.
Following her example, and under her guidance, we renew our commitment to communicate the beauty of faith, the courage of hope, and the richness of charity in ways and languages that speak directly to the hearts of today’s men and women.
May Maestra Thecla continue to protect, accompany, and bless all of us, the members of the Pauline Family, and the wounded humanity of our time.
With affection and in communion of hope,
Sr. Anna Caiazza
Superior General
