You must have been praying for us after our last Sionian letter, in which we were still hoping for the return of our Mother, for by the time you received it, you knew the sacrifice that the good God was asking of us, whereas on our side, we only knew about it on 23 October. While we were waiting for the boat which was to bring her back, and Sisters and children were preparing to welcome her with songs of joy, our beloved Mother had become part of a new family since 5 October. Although we were sometimes saddened by thoughts of doubt, there was always hope, which –alas!– diminished as time went on, and we heard about our capitular Mothers returning to their respective missions. So our sacrifice, at the sad news, was in the measure of our profound filial affection. As our beloved Mother General said in the kind letter she wrote to us on this sad event, we were losing a treasure of goodness and charity, and not one of us will forget her elevated and holy teachings, of which she was herself such a perfect example every minute of her life. […]

We waited till the 25th to communicate the sad news: it spread around the whole of San José immediately and in the neighbouring provinces, provoking everyone’s regrets, and proving how much our Mother was loved and esteemed here. Testimonies of fidelity continue to come to us and we feel that they are the response to 16 years of fruitful work in Costa Rica. […]