To Give Unconditionally

On the occasion of the death and homage from the Sisters of Providence in Chile, to the historian and doctor in Church History Fernando Aliaga Rojas, we share some extracts from his book To Give Unconditionally, in which he traces the life of Mother Bernarda Morin, from her childhood in Montreal and her profession of religious life, to accepting her great call of spreading the Providence Mission to the people of Chile.

The venerable figure of Mother Bernarda had already become the symbol of a model Church, welcoming and concerned with helping the poor and underprivileged […] Young orphan boys and girls always accompanied her whenever she was invited to participate in some event. […] Her actions far from being limited to promoting large gatherings, set in motion social and pastoral projects representing true progress for the whole country. She was the face of a Church building its presence by means of various social organizations…

Mother Bernarda and the Sisters of Providence played an active role in all those events aimed at celebrating the triumph of faith by public manifestation intended to consolidate and defend the presence of religion in Chilean society. The Sisters were present not only in times of triumph but also and above all in times of national catastrophe. Mother Bernarda through her witness, lived with her religious companions the charism of servants of the poor. One such occasion presented itself in 1906 with the Valparaiso earthquake.

Her total giving of self without expecting anything in return, without ever returning to her homeland and without expecting any human compensation, made her into a person sent, a missionary who came to give witness to solidarity in all its fullness.