On November 24-28, 2025, the Provincial Custody of Our Lady of Coromoto in Venezuela, by the grace of God and in accordance with our Constitutions, conducted its annual spiritual retreat.
This five-day retreat was characterized by silence, reflection, prayer, and fraternity. It took place at the San Javier del Valle Retreat House, run by the Society of Jesus. The retreat house provided a conducive space for retreat, silence, and an encounter with nature, as it is located in the Andes Mountain Range largely surrounded by mountains over 2,000 meters [6562 feet] high, with emblematic peaks such as Pico Bolívar, in the state of Mérida.
The retreat was led by Friar Juan Antonio ADÁNEZ SILVÁN, the Minister Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Montserrat in Spain. Twenty-two friars participated.
The retreat program was rich and profound. It allowed the friars to turn inward and discern God’s presence in their lives. The themes during the retreat followed a true path of salvation, ultimately touching on concrete aspects of fraternal life. From the very first day, the friars were invited to put their lives in order—the essential purpose of the spiritual retreat. This order consisted of returning to one’s heart as a place of encounter and fraternity.
Notable texts used during the retreat included Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, the Parable of the Prodigal Son—sometimes called “the parable for those who do not wish to be brothers”—and the reflection on St. Francis’ “A Letter to a Minister.”
The entire meditation journey ultimately led the participants to arrive at the path of fraternity, from which they could understand their mission as loving sons and as witnesses called to proclaim the Gospel through their fraternal life.
Friar Carlos R. ORTÍZ ROJAS, Custodial Secretary
