SISTER PILAR, A WOMAN WHO WEAVES HISTORY
Pilar Baratech was one of the first Missionary Dominican Sisters of the Rosary who arrived in Guatemala more than 50 years ago and became a Guatemalan citizen. And together with other sisters, they opened breaches in a different reality and culture. Several of them remained planted in these sacred lands.
She and the other sisters have accompanied the different historical moments of the country and in the same way she has known how to read history and respond to the needs of the mission at each moment. Her conviction is to believe in people and especially in women. From a profound simplicity she knew how to put her feet on the ground and read reality from listening to the word of God; the word of the people and the permanent reading of reality, which she continues to do to this day, at her 92 years of age. And that is why many people say: “He is a light on my path”.
She is one of the founders of the “New Life Project” and from there, these words come from the heart:
Mother Pilar, that is what we call her. She is a formator, guide, hope, consolation and messenger of God. A loving, humble and faith-filled woman, these are some of the many gifts that God has given to the Nueva Vida family through Mother Pilar.
The passage of Mother Pilar through Nueva Vida is a great blessing both for us teachers and for the families of the children that our project welcomes. “She is a woman who opened doors for me, she trusted me…” “With her I learned to be more human, to see that there were other little people who needed me and to serve with love…” these are some of Mother Pilar’s gestures that leave us traces of her unconditional dedication to others and to us during her time at New Life Project.
Mother Pilar is also welcoming, every encounter with her is accompanied by a smile on her face. She is always attentive and punctual every morning to welcome us. In addition, she dedicated time and space to listen to us every day, offering us a word of encouragement and with her wisdom we found a solution to our difficulties.
A deep gratitude to Mother Pilar fills our hearts. “Thanks to her I have 15 years of learning according to the MDR charism”, “The only thing I always say to her is thank you for believing in me”, “I am very grateful because God put her on my path”, “With her I grew professionally and spiritually”, “Thanks to Mother Pilar today I am a woman who loves her vocation”.
Without a doubt, Mother Pilar is a person of light; each family that has approached our Nueva Vida Project is a story in which she has come to give love. “Mother Pilar means for the project and for me a hope that the world can change”. She is an example of a woman of struggle, perseverance, and dedication to others to the point of exhaustion.
Teachers of the New Life Educational Project
