Barcelona: 17 Years of Service, Welcome, and Fraternity in the Raval Neighborhood

Sister Marina Prieto, from the community of the Infant Jesus Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Barcelona, emotionally shares her experience as a volunteer during 17 years spent with the EKUMENE Missionary Work, located in the famous Raval neighborhood. This is a vibrant testimony of selflessness, adaptation, and humanity in the heart of one of the most cosmopolitan areas in Europe.

The Raval neighborhood in Barcelona is a true human mosaic. Characterized by an immense diversity of countries of origin, cultures, and religious traditions, it challenges field workers to build a culture of encounter. Numerous local associations and more than ten religious congregations work hand in hand, meeting every month to share their projects around a Eucharist and a fraternal meal. Among them is the Ekumene association, whose management and coordination have been entrusted to the Marist Brothers. Its mission? Evangelization and human promotion guided by a strong compass: "To strengthen the weak, to give courage to those who are exhausted." Sister Marina carried out her mission there by teaching Spanish and accompanying migrants.

The Changing Faces of Immigration

For over almost two decades, Sister Marina has seen a profound change in the profile of her students. "When I first arrived, the majority of the people I accompanied were Moroccan women, most of whom were illiterate," she recalls. "They would arrive very tired and often fell asleep during class" after long days working as domestic helpers. Today, the classroom benches are filled with educated young men, who often speak English, coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, or the Philippines. Confronted with the housing crisis (renting rooms for €300 only to crowd six or eight people into an apartment), they survive in order to send money back to their families. "They work 12 hours a day for a salary of about €500 to €600. They are often exploited and arrive in class completely exhausted." Despite this precarious situation, their thirst to learn in order to regularize their papers (as the law now requires 45 hours of Spanish and 45 hours of Catalan) remains intact. Sister Marina does not hide her admiration: "The respect, politeness, and affection they show us are admirable." 

"I Have Received Infinitely More Than I Have Given"

The 2024-2025 school year marked a turning point for Sister Marina, who was called by the needs of her community to leave this service. "It was a very difficult decision to make, one that required a deep sense of detachment from me." But the bonds of the heart do not fade! Invited last December to the association's Christmas meal, she experienced a profound moment of recollection and thanksgiving. As a token of gratitude, she was given a mug with a n inscription that beautifully summarizes the essence of volunteering: "There is nothing stronger in the world than the heart of a volunteer." It is a message she fully embraces: "I expressed what these years at Ekumene meant to me: a gift for which I give thanks. I have received infinitely more than I have given." 

Through these words, Sister Marina hopes to have transmitted to the entire  association "the enthusiasm, richness, and happiness" of this magnificent mission on the peripheries.