For the next six years Sr. García Ribas will be the primary Collaborator of the Mother General in her task of animating the life and dynamic fidelity in the FMA Institute (FMA Constitutions: Art. 126). She succeeds the current Mother General, Sr Chiara Cazzuola, who had been Vicar General since 2014.
Sr María del Rosario García Ribas was born on 22 January 1961 in Seville, Spain. She attended the Salesian boarding school "Mary Help of Christians" in the Nervión district of her city, and was an animator at the oratory, fully participating in many pastoral initiatives while following the degree course in History. Gradually, this Salesian atmosphere impressed upon her and helped her to discover her vocation.
She made her first profession on 5 August 1986 and since then, the Lord has given her the possibility of being a happy FMA among young women and sisters in the mission that has always been entrusted to her.
In the 1993-94 academic year she studied at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) in Rome, and from 1994 to 2000 she was Provincial Coordinator of Youth Ministry in the Mary Help of Christians Province, based in Seville, of which she was also Provincial, from 2003 to 2009.
She was the animator (superior) of the communities of "Mary Help of Christians" in Jérez and "San José" (School of Mary Help of Christians) in Seville. In the following years, she was part of the community of Marbella, near Malaga, where she was a teacher and coordinated the management of two Salesian schools in the citywhile being the Provincial Councilor for Formation. She actively participated as a member of the "Europe-Middle East on the Way" commission of the FMA Institute.
In August 2017, with the unification of the four Spanish Provinces, she was appointed Provincial of the newly formed "Mary Help of Christians" Province of Spain, a mission that she carried out until yesterday, 6 October 2021, when at the 24th General Chapter, she was elected as the Vicar General.
She lives life as a gift, especially daily life. She likes the word "thank you" and everything that is implies. Today, it is the entire FMA congregation saying "THANK YOU" to her, for her availability for this new ministry the Lord asks of her.
Meanwhile, the FMA’s 24th General Chapter continues its activities: the work these days foresees the election of the other FMA General Councillors.
