“The Councilor for the Missions has the responsibility of giving impetus to the missionary activity of the Institute among those who are being evangelized” (C. 130)
Home Councilor for the Missions
Councilor for the Missions
Sr. Ruth del Pilar Mora
She was born in Labateca, Norte de Santander in Colombia on 6 September 1966 in a small village of simple, hardworking people and of great love for Our Lady. Her parents who were merchants, immediately taught her to ‘roll up’ her sleeves and work with great attention to the poor.
She was welcomed in the Agueda Gallardo de Villamizar School, Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia, a public institution run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, where she attended the last three years of the High School. She was immediately fascinated by the joy of the sisters, their love for the children/poor of the oratory. At the age of 14, she began to be part of the Marian group and that of the Festive Oratory.
In 1983 she began her journey of formation in the FMA Institute, in the Vocation Orientation Center in Medellin, Colombia, in Mary Help of Christians Province. She was 16. During her formative journey she met sisters in love with Jesus, the charism, the poor.
She made her Religious Profession on 6 January 1988 and immediately afterwards she began her first experience as an FMA in the Casa Mamma Margherita, Medellin, Colombia where she remained for a year and a half. She underwent an intense formation especially in the practical learning of the Preventive System in contact with poor children and girls and in situations of risk.
In 1989 she began her formative experience at the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences “Auxilium”, obtaining a degree in Educational Sciences with a specialization in Sociology. From her teachers she learned commitment to study in view of the educational mission, openness and respect for cultures, passion for the oratory, the sense of belonging to the Church and the Institute, and to the territory. She made Perpetual Profession in Mornese in 1994.
In 1995, she was part of the community of Villa Mazzarello Spirituality Center, in the Retreat Antioquia, the reception center for the formation and evangelization of young people.
In 1996 she was entrusted with the Coordination of Pastoral Ministry in the Superior Normal School Mary Help of Christians in Cúcuta, Colombia.
In 1997, she arrived in Rome to collaborate in the Youth Ministry Sector with Sr. Georgina McPake, Councilor for Youth Ministry. It was an ongoing school of interculturality with Sr. Georgina, a person of listening and passion for young people and for the poor.
In 2003, she returned to her province of origin after the XXI General Chapter, and was sent to the mission house of Santa Maria la Nuova del Darien where she remained for only one year with the aim of discerning the Mission ad Gentes.
In 2004, she came to Rome at the FMA Generalate, attended some courses at the Urbaniana and was assigned as a missionary in the AFE Province of Our Lady of Hope (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan).
She was the animator of the Embu Community, a residence for girls who attended the High School and Technical School. She stayed there for two years.
In 2007 she was transferred to the Provincial House of the AFE Province as Animator and Provincial Vicar.
In 2009 she accompanied in person the process of establishing the New Preprovince of Mary Help of Christians AES (Ethiopia-Sudan-South Sudan). Her first destination was Wau, in South Sudan, then in Adwa as Community Animator, Kidane Mehret, Ethiopia, a context of Christian brothers and sisters of the Gezz Rite and Muslims. The experience of a small faith community where she deepened the value of a simple presence, of openness to daily coexistence with lay people in the community, a missionary spirit made up of gestures, of openness to inter-congregationalism, of great love for the poor. During this time she was Vicar of the AES Preprovince.
From 2016 until September 2020, she was in charge of the Preprovince of AES, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, 10 intercultural, intergenerational communities in three countries marked by many challenges at the socio-economic, political, and educational levels. Communities very open to volunteers, to the needs of the poor, women who work in the fields, thousands of children thirsty to learn, refugees, displaced persons, lay people who share the mission with us, volunteers from many parts of the world, teachers, nurses, doctors … she always learned from everyone the importance of a simple and gratuitous encounter.
In September 2020, Mother appointed her Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Hope – AFE.
On 8 October 2021, the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, during the XXIV General Chapter, she was elected Councilor for the Missions.
She entrusted herself to the Lord and to Our Lady to continue to go towards the new frontiers of the Gospel, always open to the newness of the Spirit who blows where He wills! “I am a missionary, so I say yes”, she replied to Mother after the election.
