AMERICA/COLOMBIA ­ The Colombian delegation for CAM 3 has a special lay character: “not only does it wish to participate in the Congress, but it also seeks to foster a continuation of missionary commitment within the particular dioceses.”

Bogota (Agenzia Fides) ­ The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Colombia
have finally determined the delegation that will attend the upcoming
celebration of the Third Missionary Congress CAM 3 that will take place in
Quito (Ecuador) in August. This is what a statement sent to Agenzia Fides
from Fr. Hector Luis Valencia, National Director of the PMS in Colombia,
said.
The delegation will be formed by a total of 205 people, including 5 Bishops,
69 priests, 35 religious, and 96 lay faithful. They have tried to give the
delegation a diocesan character, with qualified missionary members, the
majority being laity. The process for the formation of the delegation began
in May of 2007 with the Missionary Encounter for the Laity, celebrated in
Medellin and attended by 78 members of the laity from 35 dioceses.
The process continued with another six Regional Missionary Encounters,
according to the statement. The six encounters will celebrated in January
and February 2008 in various Colombian cities: Bucaramanga, Barranquilla,
Mellin, Cali, Ibague, and Bogota. In these encounters, there was a
reflection and study of the CAM 3 Workbook and the Colombian Delegation for
the Congress was organized, giving it a special lay character.
“The Colombian Delegation,” said the National Director of PMS, “not only
does it wish to participate in the Congress, but it also seeks to foster a
continuation of missionary commitment within the particular dioceses.” A
post-Congress is already being planned to take place in January 2009, in
order to evaluate the changes in participation and commitment. (RG) (Agenzia
Fides 10/4/2008; righe 23, parole 253)