María Inés Castellaro (CLAR): "Our objective is to return to living with meaning from what is essential".

In May 2025, Sister Maria Ines Castellaro, of the Sisters of the Virgin Child (HVN), was elected Secretary General of the Latin American Confederation of Religious (CLAR) during the XXII General Assembly held in Quito, Ecuador. Her mission: to strengthen Consecrated Life in Latin America and the Caribbean in a context marked by multiple social and ecclesial challenges. We talked with her about the priorities of CLAR in this new triennium and the challenges facing religious life in the region.

Sister María Inés, what are CLAR's priorities for this triennium?

–We have approached this triennium inspired by the biblical scene of Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus, because it is a call to transformation. It is about being "born again": to return to our first love with Christ, to rediscover our vocation in order to re-appreciate ourselves for our brothers and sisters.

From there we want to renew bonds, communities and structures that sometimes say little today. It is also about recognizing and embracing our fragilities and vulnerabilities as a space where the Spirit can open a new dawn for consecrated life.

And what are the particularities of religious life in Latin America compared to other regions?

–I would say that here there is a great strength around the charismatic families, that is, the laity who, without substituting for us, share our spirituality and charism. The mission is not to make up for the absence of religious, but to accompany the laity in the journey of discovering the richness of their baptismal vocation.

In Latin America, we have been walking together for many years, and we continue today, marked by the Ecclesial Assembly, the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) and relations with CELAM (Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council) and other institutions.

Specifically, what role do women play in Latin American religious life?

–In many communities it is the women who sustain the ministry of the word, the service, the listening, sometimes traveling long distances, navigating rivers, reaching places where no one else reaches. The challenge is to continue giving a real place to that voice and that feminine presence, which is already a protagonist in many ecclesial realities.

The region faces inequality, violence and, in some places, siege of the Church. How does this impact on religious life?

–Consecrated life is called to be on the peripheries, on the margins, where difficult situations, even persecution, are suffered. The martyrs in some regions remind us that we are called to give a radical witness, to announce, denounce and renounce what is not evangelical in hostile contexts. Our place is always at the side of the poorest and most vulnerable, accompanying and seeking paths of reconciliation and justice.

What role does religious life play in immigration?

–We are there with the migrants, accompanying them in their pain and helping them to be born again in new lands. We want them to be recognized in their dignity, especially in the workplace, where they so often suffer exploitation. In this field we work in inter-congregational networks: the mission is done by joining forces.

I am particularly struck by the networking that CLAR is doing: with the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network, with the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, with networks against human trafficking, with inter-congregational initiatives. We are not a confederation closed in itself, but part of a living fabric of the Church that seeks to transform itself and walk in synodality. This collaboration is a sign of hope for the future.

Vocations are decreasing. How does CLAR view this panorama?

–We do not see it only in numerical terms. What is important is the witness and the quality of fraternal life, of the bonds woven in the communities. Yes, there are fewer of us and we are aging as communities, but the Lord continues to call. We need to go out to meet young people where they are, open our homes and accompany them in their search. This is also where the richness of charismatic families comes in: lay people who share our spirituality and mission.

Young people are thirsty for meaning, but often do not find in the Church a welcoming space. We need to renew our community structures to make them more fraternal, open and hospitable.

A consecrated life that offers home and community can be very meaningful for them and making it a reality is our challenge. We are all called to be "born again", to embark on paths of renewal, transformation and change. To overcome fears, to unlearn old and anti-evangelical forms and to open ourselves to the newness of what generates life, authenticity, hope, joy, with the certainty that the divine "Ruah" impels us along these paths.