Alba Teresa Cediel Castillo will be one of the speakers on May 7 during the 2025 Plenary Assembly.

She is a religious sister of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Mother Laura, Colombian, and deeply committed to following Jesus and serving the most in need, especially indigenous peoples. Her vocation is inspired by the example of Saint Laura, the founder of the Congregation.

Alba Teresa holds a degree in Religious Sciences from the San Damaso Theological Institute in Madrid and earned her bachelor’s degree in Religious Sciences and Ethics from the Juan de Castellanos University Foundation in Colombia. This academic background has allowed her to carry out her mission in a reflective and profound way, with a holistic approach to social justice and human rights.

Her missionary life has been marked by work with indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon and the Catatumbo region, where she has accompanied these peoples in their struggle to preserve their identity, territory, and rights. Currently, she supports the Congregation at a general level, strengthening the evangelizing and missionary work in marginalized communities.

In her talk, “Overflowing with Hope: The Essence of Our Mission,” Alba Teresa will reflect on the fundamental role of hope in the missions, even in difficult and hostile contexts. Inspired by the words of Saint Laura, who taught that we must always be “replete with hope,” Alba Teresa will speak about how this virtue has been a constant in the Congregation, transforming adversity into opportunities for love and service.

Through her testimony, she will invite the Superior Generals to understand hope not only as an inner attitude but as an active force that drives communities to resist and fight for justice and dignity. In her presentation, she will share lived experiences from the Amazon, the Catatumbo, and the Colombian Pacific, where the Missionary Sisters of Mother Laura have worked for over 95 years, promoting solidarity and respect for creation.

This meeting will be an opportunity to reflect on how we can be bearers of hope in our own contexts and how the mission continues to be a path of dedication and transformation.