Our Francisco and Jacinta Marto School closed on December 22 and our Saint Maria Goretti School on December 26. These were joyful days which we shared with the families, passed out prizes to students, and recognized those students who had excelled in certain virtues.

The idea of founding these schools was not simply for the social betterment of Peru, but to sow in the soul of each boy and girl a great desire for holiness.

Nowadays there is much talk about social aid to the poor and in “politically correct” thinking words like “volunteering,” “social service,” or “NGO” are well accepted, but what we do goes beyond all of that. It is not a simple social service but a desire to continue the evangelizing work of Christ Himself who gave up His live for the redemption of the world to save man from his sins.

Hence, our main mission as consecrated persons is not simply to help children learn mathematics or languages, etc., but rather that Christ died for each one of them and that they are deeply loved by God.