Mate, a deep-rooted tradition among the Sisters of Providence

“Mate” is an ancestral South American herbal drink, rich in caffeine and made with dried mate leaves soaked in hot water. In countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, or Chile its popularity equals that of other hot beverages in the rest of the world, like tea or coffee. At “mateadas”— family or community gatherings where people share mate— it is served in a container usually made from a gourd and with a metal straw called “bombilla”.

To share mate with your loved ones is a living tradition in the Bernarda Morin Province. Usually held around June 17, the “mateadas” are special occasions to be lived in community. Following the example of our pioneers, sisters taste the mate that has been prepared with freshly boiled water. Gathered with  dispositions, they remember with deep gratitude the small boat in which the first Canadian sisters (and among them Mother Bernarda Morin, foundress of the Congregation in Chile) arrived in the country.

This year’s traditional mateada was especially meaningful, for it marked the 170th anniversary of the Congregation in Chile, but it also meant a great opportunity for the Chilean sisters to share joyfully this moment with the Congregational Leadership Team and with their fellow sisters from other provinces.

CIP Communications Office in collaboration with Juan Francisco Tapia of the Bernarda Morin Province.