Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops of the Dominican Republic, like every year, have issued a Pastoral Letter on the Feast of Our Lady of Altagracia, patroness of the country. This year's letter in entitled: “Paul, model of a missionary disciple.”
“Celebrating the Year of St. Paul helps us to look upon his conversion and his missionary work with profound reflection,” the letter says. “Thus, the Bishops consider it necessary that “we unite our sentiments to that of our Universal Pastor and writer of the Pastoral Letter entitled “Paul, model of a missionary disciple.” The Letter is situated within the III National Plan which is being implemented in the country, and the Great Continental Mission launched in Aparecida.
The Bishops present Paul, first of all as model of a disciple, recalling his conversion as “fruit of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and His Church.” Thus, the Prelates of the Dominican Republic invited the faithful to have this personal encounter with Christ, following the example of Saint Paul. “We need imitators of Christ, capable of building a new society in which the cultural values are enlightened by the Gospel.”
They continue the letter, presenting him as a model of a missionary “who goes above and beyond.” On fact, “he overcomes the barrier separating the Jews and Gentiles,” “he goes beyond the boundaries of his own culture, seeking to win all people over to Christ.” “He goes out to all cultures to speak to them of the Gospel.” In presenting this model, they make an appeal to all Christians “for an evangelization effort that upholds the values of our culture, so that we may rediscover our roots.” There are many areas that are still left for evangelizing, the letter said. In many areas, “there is the stark reality of the works of the flesh: drug-trafficking and corruption; tax evasion, administrative corruption, and indifference; trafficking of human persons and prostitution; sexual libertinism and abortion, marital infidelity, domestic violence, pre-marital relations, alcohol, drugs, pornography, crime, child abuse, and others.” These are all realities that should be enlightened by the Gospel.
Thirdly, Saint Paul is presented as the formator of communities, as he is the “itinerant Apostle par excellence, who dedicated himself to founding Christian communities.” Lastly, he is presented as a model of formator of missionary disciples, as he “established himself as master of the faith, the spiritual father of many.” In this sense, the Bishops mention that “there cannot be a good formator of missionary disciples who is not first a disciple who remains in communion and obedience to the Church.”
They later mention that the Continental Mission will be launched on January 25, feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, for which the people are preparing with a Novena to Our Lady of Altagracia. This Mission “reminds us that the Church is essentially missionary and is called to offer all our Latin American countries life in Christ, which is why the Church needs to be in a permanent state of mission.” In response to the spread of groups and sects that are “creating a state of religious confusion, promising easy salvation that leads to false expectations in people with little formation who are led away from the Church and the Sacraments.”
The Bishops conclude their Letter by acknowledging and thanking “all those missionaries and catechists who, for many years, have been evangelizing, and all the pastoral workers who carry out our Pastoral Plan with enthusiastic dedication.” They also exhorted them “to continue carrying out our evangelizing itinerary, inspired by the testimony of the Apostle Paul.” (RG) (Agenzia Fides 20/1/2009)
