The Congregation of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart (FMSC), since its beginning and faithful to the foundational charism, centers its apostolate of the Gospel proclamation on the four dimensions of mission (cf. Cost. 56) privileging service to the poorest and most vulnerable of our society; serving and recognizing in them the beloved face of the Son of God made man, who gave His life on the cross and rose to give us new life.

Every Franciscan Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart finds her fullness of life in the Gospel mandate: "to make the Son of God known and loved by every person and to share in divine grace, enjoying the condition of being a son(daughter) of the Most High" (Cf. Mt.28, 19-20). The sister FMSC, wherever she is, is missionary and is available to the service of the Church; with her life she leaves traces of gestures of love that spring from the example of the pierced heart of Jesus on the Cross (Cf. Cost. 4).

Many have been our sisters who left their native land to go where obedience called them to build "the Kingdom of God" among the beloved children of the Father. Today we want to share the missionary experience of our sister Victorina Colla and together with her we also remember and thank many other sisters who have bequeathed to us the life lived in the fullness of the values of our charism.

We share some excerpts from the biography written by the Educational Community "Felmer Niklitschek" Puerto Varas - Chile, where an aspect of the experience of our charism is emphasized: "EDUCATING THROUGH FRANCISCAN VALUES, such as love, simplicity, joy, humility that Sr Victorina shared in her commitment to school, among families, students, collaborators...

“The harsh trial of the voracious fire of 06/06/1985 in the School "Felmer Niklitschek" strengthened Sr Victorina further to work on the reconstruction of the building, involving lay people, benefactors, national and foreign institutions, encouraging collaborative work as an expression of unity. In all of these, her values have been demonstrated: faith, love, and humility, the virtue of fortitude, resilience, tenacity, values and virtues that she has always cultivated in each of the members of our educational community. She has always focused on the mission of forming and educating by transmitting a culture of faith, discipline, rigour, work, organization and good use of resources until she has gradually reached the prestigious institution that we have today.

Sr Victorina continued her mission during these years, guiding the processes of modernization of education in the Felmer Niklitschek school in line with the demands of the Ministry of Education and the needs of society in continuous evolution. That is:

1. Certification and recertification with the Foundation of Chile
2. academic excellence,
3. Innovative and front-line changes proposed by MINEDUC,
4. SEP law
5. Inclusion law that Sr Victorina constantly monitored so that we could all be promoters of equality and equity, rights and opportunities for students and families.

In 2016, through the City Council she received an award from the Illustrious Municipality of Puerto Varas declaring her as an illustrious Daughter, a ceremony that was held in the gymnasium of the school in an enlarged council, in the presence of the students, parents and former students.

At the end of the same year the sister had to face another great trial, her health was compromised due to a serious illness, but despite the complications and her delicate treatment she continued to work with commitment and dedication, until June 23 of this year, the day before she left this earth to be welcomed by the Heavenly Father.

Since 2002-2020 the school has been recognized with commendable appreciation by the "Law of Preferential Scholastic Grant", for the "recognition of academic excellence" by the National System of Performance Assessment.

The University of San Sebastián, Puerto Montt, headquarter of Patagonia, in 2017, awarded Sr Victorina with the "Aurora Prize" for her tireless educational and missionary work, her charismar as a Franciscan missionary who managed to transform the lives of children/young people who filled the classrooms of the Felmer Niklitsheck school.

This year, under her leadership, her integrated management of generating and making team work, she offered to the teachers and the students a great challenge to realize online classes: touch screens, the stem lab for collaborative learning in science, mathematics, geography, content for various subjects, technology, resources that can strengthen the learning and teaching process, so that each student is the manager of one’s own learning experiences.

Directors of other institutes wanted to know her, to know her work, to know her leadership, to know our experience as a school community, recognized by the Ministry of Education, model of direction, educational management.

On the day of her death, a meeting was scheduled with the principals of the schools of Chile, as Sr Victorina had been chosen as an example of educational leadership to share her experience.

Sr Victorina, your community knows that with each one, you have had an experience of fraternal dialogue. You have engaged everyone in tasks, challenges, you have also guided them, on some occasions with severity, tenderness and delicacy, and you have accompanied them in difficult moments, showing empathy with the reality of all. To all, by active listening, you gave the support that each one needed, confident that your collaborators would respond, as you liked, with commitment, dedication, loyalty, responsibility and true passion for the educational vocation.

The Educational Community recognizes your tireless work, model of perseverance and will. You has left us a legacy of simplicity, humility, commitment, resilience, tenacity, not to give in to adversity".

With joy.
PEACE and GOOD