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Se llamaba Francelina Pérez y había nacido en 1895 en el departamento de Artigas, en el norte del Uruguay. Cuando tenía 8 años murió su madre; no conoció a su padre, ella quedó sola y fue criada en la casa de la familia del Ejército de Salvación, una familia Hollidge, Misioneros ingleses que habían sido enviados al Uruguay.
En 1925, en un acto formal en Buenos Aires, Francelina fue oficialmente reconocida como oficial del Ejército de Salvación. Nuevamente en su país, en Uruguay, se dedicó con entusiasmo a la tarea misionera, predicando en lugares públicos, plazas, calles, hospitales, en el puerto. Un inmigrante, músico del ejército búlgaro, se enamoró de ella al escucharla predicar, y en 1927 Kiril Svetogorsky se casó con la oficial del Ejército de Salvación, Francelina Pérez. Para él Francelina era Eudoxia, una santa de su iglesia ortodoxa, reconocida como mártir cristiana del 2° siglo. Se radicaron en Montevideo y Eudoxia y Kiril tuvieron 3 hijos: Ruben, Igor, Boris, y una hija, Luba. Allí la familia se vinculó con la Iglesia Metodista. La vocación misionera de Eudoxia-Francelina la impulsó a seguir trabajando en diferentes esferas de su testimonio: en la visitación a los presos en la cárcel, en la participación de la fundación de la Sociedad Bíblica en el país, en las visitas en hospitales, el apoyo a las obras de ayuda a personas necesitadas y muchas otras tareas. |
Pero sobre todo, Eudoxia, junto a otras mujeres, vio la necesidad de realizar estas tareas en conjunto con las mujeres de las otras iglesias evangélicas que había en la ciudad y en todo el país. Gracias a su iniciativa se creó la Liga de Mujeres Evangélicas del Uruguay en 1944, L.U.M.E, una organización nacional que reunía a las mujeres de 10 distintas denominaciones*. En L.U.M.E se tomó consciencia del vínculo de amistad y hermandad en la fe, se cultivó el espíritu cristiano en sus diversas expresiones y formas de servicio. Fue en esta organización que comenzó la celebración del Día Mundial de Oración en el Uruguay. Eudoxia y sus compañeras abrieron los corazones y los espíritus de las mujeres uruguayas de distintas denominaciones, reconociendo la unión que Dios mismo nos brinda a todas, en Jesucristo, por medio del Santo Espíritu.
Honramos a Eudoxia Pérez de Svetogorsky y en ella a todas aquellas madres, abuelas, tías y hermanas que han iluminado nuestro camino.
Honramos a Eudoxia Pérez de Svetogorsky y en ella a todas aquellas madres, abuelas, tías y hermanas que han iluminado nuestro camino.
*Iglesias registradas como integrantes de L.U.M.E. : Metodistas, Ejército de Salvación, Luteranas, Valdenses, Bautistas, Hermanos Libres, Mennonitas, Alianza Cristiana y Misionera, Reformada húngara, Evangélica armenia.
- Comité Nacional Uruguayo del Día Mundial de Oración
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Her name was Francelina Pérez and she was born in 1885 in the northern department of Artigas in Uruguay. When she was eight, her mother died. She had never known her father. As she was alone she was taken in and brought up by a family of Salvation Army missionaries, named Hollidge, who had been sent to Uruguay from England.
In 1925, in a formal ceremony which took place in Buenos Aires, Francelina was officially recognized as an officer of the Salvation Army. Back in her country, in Uruguay, she devoted herself to the missionary task for which she had been trained, preaching in public places, on squares, hospitals, in the street, and in the port. An immigrant, a musician of the Bulgarian Army, fell in love with her as he listened to her preaching, and in 1927 Kiril Svetogorsky married the officer Francelina Pérez of the Salvation Army. To him Francelina was Eudoxia, a saint of this Orthodox church, recognized as a martyr of the second century.
The couple moved to the capital, Montevideo, and Eudoxia and Kiril had four children: Ruben, Igor, Boris, and Luba, the girl. The family joined in the activities of the Methodist church.
Her missionary vocation led Eudoxia - Francelina to continue working in different spheres of Christian witness. The visitation of prisoners, the collaboration in the foundation of the Uruguayan Bible Society, support of a variety of projects to help the poor, visits in hospitals, but above all she saw the necessity of bringing the women of the different evangelical denominations of the city and of the whole country together and to cooperate in these tasks.
It is due to her initiative that the Uruguayan League of Evangelical Women was founded in 1944, L.U.M.E. is the acronym for Liga Uruguaya de Mujeres Evangélicas. It was a national organization which brought together the women of 10 different denominations.* In L.U.M.E. the women created links of friendship and sisterhood in faith, they cultivated their Christian spirituality in its diverse expressions and forms of service. This was the organization in which the celebrations of the World Day of Prayer started in Uruguay. Eudoxia and her friends and collaborators opened the hearts and minds of the Uruguayan women, so they recognized the unity which God offers us all in Jesus Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
We honor Eudoxia Pérez de Svetogorsky, and in her all those mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sisters who have been a light on our paths of life.
In 1925, in a formal ceremony which took place in Buenos Aires, Francelina was officially recognized as an officer of the Salvation Army. Back in her country, in Uruguay, she devoted herself to the missionary task for which she had been trained, preaching in public places, on squares, hospitals, in the street, and in the port. An immigrant, a musician of the Bulgarian Army, fell in love with her as he listened to her preaching, and in 1927 Kiril Svetogorsky married the officer Francelina Pérez of the Salvation Army. To him Francelina was Eudoxia, a saint of this Orthodox church, recognized as a martyr of the second century.
The couple moved to the capital, Montevideo, and Eudoxia and Kiril had four children: Ruben, Igor, Boris, and Luba, the girl. The family joined in the activities of the Methodist church.
Her missionary vocation led Eudoxia - Francelina to continue working in different spheres of Christian witness. The visitation of prisoners, the collaboration in the foundation of the Uruguayan Bible Society, support of a variety of projects to help the poor, visits in hospitals, but above all she saw the necessity of bringing the women of the different evangelical denominations of the city and of the whole country together and to cooperate in these tasks.
It is due to her initiative that the Uruguayan League of Evangelical Women was founded in 1944, L.U.M.E. is the acronym for Liga Uruguaya de Mujeres Evangélicas. It was a national organization which brought together the women of 10 different denominations.* In L.U.M.E. the women created links of friendship and sisterhood in faith, they cultivated their Christian spirituality in its diverse expressions and forms of service. This was the organization in which the celebrations of the World Day of Prayer started in Uruguay. Eudoxia and her friends and collaborators opened the hearts and minds of the Uruguayan women, so they recognized the unity which God offers us all in Jesus Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
We honor Eudoxia Pérez de Svetogorsky, and in her all those mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sisters who have been a light on our paths of life.
*The denominations that were registered in L.U.M.E. : Mehodist, Salvation Army, Lutherans, Baptist, Waldensian, Plymouth Brethren, Mennonites, Hungarian Reformed, Armenian Evangelical, Christian Missionary Alliance.
- Honored by WDP Uruguay