Two sisters over 80 years receive confirmation in Venezuela

Olga Elena and Maritza Chiquinquirá Salazar are two sisters born in the Venezuelan plain, in the twentieth century. This June 10, at 88 and 83 respectively, received the sacrament of confirmation in Caracas.

After months of preparation, during which they attended with perseverance to their catechism classes, the Salazar sisters appeared on Tuesday to the Sacred Family Parish of Nazareth and St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, where together with dozens of young people they received the gift of the Holy Spirit of Cardinal Baltazar Porras, Archbishop Emeritus of Caracas.

“It was a path guided by the Holy Spirit,” the Major of the Sisters, Olga Elena, who is a mother and grandmother told ACI. However, the preparation was not simple. Along with her godmother, Mrs. Elisabeth Dal Pan, the Salazar sisters had to work hard to locate her baptism certificates inside the country.

Olga and Maritza raised in La Sabana. The first was born in San Carlos, Cojedes state, and the second followed five years later in the city of Barinas. Both locations are located several hours of travel from Caracas.

Baptism records, an indispensable requirement to receive confirmation, were in San Carlos. The sisters say that it was their love to God and the Catholic Church that motivated them not to rest until the documents get.

“I am Catholic. If I am baptized, why didn’t they confirm me?” Thought Olga Elena. “I married in the year 63, in the San Pedro de los Chaguaramos parish (Caracas), and there they only had the marriage act, because the confirmation record did not ask for it,” he said.

Maritza Chiquinquirá, on the other hand, said that the sacraments are indispensable for Christian life, so every believer must fulfill them. “Actually if we are Catholics, we must have everything in order. One feels a vacuum, such as not having received something important. It’s like falling in love,” said the youngest of the sisters.

“Today we feel like an emotion inside that one does not know how to define,” he added.

The sisters thank and recognize the support of their godmother, who religiously accompanied all their preparation classes.

“What struck me most was his illusion of receiving the sacrament, despite his age. They needed it, it was something they needed. They say that I helped them, but in reality they pushed me to come, to get everything necessary,” said Elisabeth.

“The faith they have is very great, that also motivates one.

Olga and Maritza highlight the accompaniment of the parish, administered by Opus Dei, highlighting “order and discipline” of the entire process that led them to fulfill their desire to confirm.

Finally, the sisters wanted to leave advice to all the young people of the confirmation group and “to all those who read their testimony”:

“Let them continue, do not leave Catholicism, that they always have it as a north. Catholic doctrine completes one and makes him happy. Love a lot in everything they do. And to families, who put effort into Christian formation, to teach their children and there is no dispersion and everything that is happening, that the family is disintegrating,” they said.