In “Encounter of Young Colombian Missionaries“ Néstor Corredor Cáceres, CM reflects on a meeting of (Brothers and Priests with nineteen or less years of incorporation)
Enlarge the space for your tent, lengthen your ropes and make firm your stakes
(Isaiah 54:2)
From the different geographical areas of Colombia, as well as from areas outside the country, the young Missionaries of the Province gathered together for a meeting that had been convoked by the Visitor. From March 28th to March 30th these Missionaries came together at the Major Seminary (SEPAVI) in Medellin. The confreres have many fond memories of this house because it was there that the majority of them found “their first love” for the Congregation. Of course there were some of the group who upon greeting their confreres stated that they were at the wrong meeting and should have participated in the meeting in Cartago for the “older Missionaries”.
What is most true is that all the Missionaries have a youthful heart and therefore, as the various confreres arrived for the meeting there was much reason to rejoice and smile and greet and welcome one another … thus the bonds of friendship and fraternity were strengthened. Here we recall the words of Saint Vincent who stated in the Common Rules: We should get along as good friends, always living in community (Chapter VIII, #2) … and that reality was reflected in the sharing that took place among the Missionaries. Perhaps we should point out that all the Missionaries brought with them the Easter joy which was another characteristic that dominated the gathering. Of the seventy-two confreres that could have participated in the gathering, thirty-six actually participated (the others were unable to participate because of various commitments that had been previously made or because they were outside the country studying or ministering).
The meeting began with words of welcome by the Visitor, Orlando Escobar, who reminded the participants about the importance of these gatherings by age groups (something that was requested during the last Provincial Assembly). We highlight here the presence of the confreres from Ecuador (Edgar de Jesús Zapata and Wilton Jiménez) and Father Fernando Escobar who shared with the participants his impressions with regard to the departure of the Missionaries from the Seminary in Santo Domingo. All were amazed and astonished at the fact that the Bishop gave the confreres such short notice. The school year had been planned and had begun and in an instant the confreres were no longer welcomed. That is certainly a painful moment in the history of the Province, but from the perspective of faith we can understand that God is calling us to continue to “enlarge the space of our tents”, to reinforce the ministries that the Congregation is involved in here in Colombia and in other areas.
During the time of sharing, several of the participants highlighted the importance of the presence of the older confreres in the daily life of the younger Missionaries. Various lessons that had been learned in recent years, echoed in the heart of all those present, for example, “the greatest experiences are those that are derived from life”, “the powerful experiences that are lived as a result of the violence that engulfs the country enables one to draw closer to God”, “ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate our way of life so that we can act with justice”. This last example reminded us of the fact that Colombia is engaged in war and that many of the Missionaries (despite any vocational crisis) are able to give witness to God’s love in the midst of such violence. Only by being creative in the process of evangelization and by living life with hope, only in that manner can the confreres come to understand and see that God works miracles through their ministry … only in that manner can the confreres dream of a better world, a better country, a place where each and every person is able to make a contribution.
The sharing revealed the fact that the Missionaries rejoiced in belonging to the Congregation of the Mission. It could be said that the first day of the gathering was “perfect” in the sense that the objectives that had been proposed were fulfilled. The Visitor than spoke about some of the statistics of the younger Missionaries: seven of them are superiors, one is provincial treasurer, fourteen are treasurers in their local houses, ten are pastors, thirteen are in formation, three are involved in vocational promotion.
Before concluding the gathering time was provided to evaluate the sessions. All the participants expressed their joy in being able to participate in such a gathering of the younger confreres. The Missionaries highlighted the very positive environment and the theme of the gathering. The time together consisted of sharing experiences, formation, providing information about matters related to the Province and celebrating the liturgy together. The participation of the Visitor and the two younger confreres who are Provincial Consultors was most valuable. In the beginning it was said that this type of gathering should be celebrated every two year, then as the gathering came to a conclusion it was felt that this gathering should take place every two years and should include those who have nineteen or less years of incorporation.
Translated: Charles T. Plock, CM
