Sr. Begoña Costillo

Begoña Costillo is a member of the Order of St. Augustine and lives in the Monastery of the Incarnation in Lima, Peru. She entered religious life in 2012; since then she has lived in Spain, Italy and Peru. 
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La Hna. Begoña Costillo forma parte de la Orden de San Agustín. Ella ingresó en 2012 a la vida religiosa y actualmente vive en el Monasterio de la Encarnación de Lima, Perú. Es bachiller en Teología y licenciada en Periodismo y Humanidades.

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In the Peruvian Andes, a children's home plants seeds of love and hope

Horizons - A children's home in the Andes excels at sheltering, caring for, welcoming, loving and forming bonds. These verbs take on a concrete, real meaning there, because they are not only heard but also seen and felt.

Empty elderly hands (Unsplash/Om Prakash Sethia)

They come to us with empty hands, but they offer us the kingdom they possess

Lucy, who struggles every day to meet her most basic needs, who is full of problems and worries, who lives surrounded by poverty and illness — she had made room in her heart to remember me and pray for me.

A group of young participants in the final stage of the Bel Espoir voyage poses with Sr. Abir Hanna, coordinator of the network of monasteries that accompanied the youth. (Courtesy of Jesús Marro Sanz)

Bel Espoir, an odyssey in the Mediterranean to build peace

The Bel Espoir is a small vessel that welcomes young people from different countries along the Mediterranean, with varied cultures, languages, religions and life stories. 

The symbol of a life revealed in a love story

"The oratorio as a whole was an expression of the restlessness of the human heart. That's why the story became a symbol — a bridge to the lives of those who listened," writes Sr. Begoña Costillo.

New year: A time of promise and fulfillment

Horizons - In the Northern Hemisphere, the end of the year brings bare landscapes; in the Southern Hemisphere, nature is lush and vibrant. Sr. Begoña Costillo reflects on this contrast, describing it as an invitation to transcend traditional measures of success or failure and to view time through the lens of the promise of fullness offered by Christ. Rather than seeing the year's end as a meaningless cycle, the Augustinian sister embraces it as a path toward ultimate communion with God.

Nothing longer than the hope of the poor

"The poor have learned to wait. They endure the frustration of denied opportunities, standing upright, sustained by a hope that flickers like an incandescent flame at the center of their existence," writes Sr. Begoña Costillo. She reflects on the patient waiting of those seeking financial assistance at the Monastery of the Incarnation in Lima, Peru, contrasting it with the structured and time-oriented life of the Catholic sisters.

God visits us in a little wooden room

Sr. Begoña Costillo narrates her encounter with a woman and her children, who live in a small wooden room on the roof of a building. In the midst of precariousness, she discovers the divine presence and resilience of a mother who relies on God to overcome adversity. 

'I have come to give freedom to prisoners'

During a visit to a prison in Peru, Sr. Begoña Costillo discovered how the Gospel came to life behind bars and offered hope and liberation to those who seek conversion, healing and redemption. 

Israel-Palestine conflict transcends physical borders

Sr. Begoña Costillo reflects on the implications of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how it transcends physical borders to reach into the depths of human desires and ambitions, with devastating consequences.

Farmers and residents of the village of Cotacombas, Peru, share a lunch of chicken stew in the countryside. Augustinian Sisters of the Conversion Monastery spent 10 days with the community in the Andes. (Courtesy of Diana Villarreal)

Quechua community in Peruvian Andes spreads seeds of the Gospel

The only way to achieve a good and truly human life in a place like the Andes mountains, far from the cities that have more resources, is the support and protection of the community.