Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santiago de Chile (Agenzia Fides) – About 250 people took a break from what is now their summer vacation, to refresh the spirit of the Continental Mission by attending the first “Festival for Animators of the Continental Mission." Enduring the high temperatures, 250 pastoral workers of the Archdiocese of Santiago have accepted the invitation to be "permanent missionaries" of the local Church.
The meeting was presided over by Msgr. Cristián Precht, Vicar General of Santiago and Coordinator of the Continental Mission in Chile, who encouraged participants towards renewal, forming committees for missionary support: "The times change and thus, so does the mission. In the mission of 1992, we visited 70% of households in Santiago and we were content, but we have not been back to visit them. We started to visit them again in 2009 and will continue in 2010, 2011 and 2015, thus in a permanent way. We must take this experience of the encounter with Christ to people's homes. So, this year we will continue to visit the families, "said Msgr. Precht. The National Coordinator of the Mission also noted that home visits should be a free gift: "We are not only going to see if they go to Mass...we are going to bring the free presence of the Lord."
After celebrating the "Feast of the Word" animated by religious dances, the participants listened to the testimony of the Parish of San Francisco de Pajaritos of Maipu, that encouraged by its pastor has created a committee in support of the mission: "I am delighted to participate in this mission. With this mission, the Church opens her doors and is closer to the people. This makes people believe again that those who have strayed from the Church for having felt that it had been closed, come back. Now we are more open to all people and willing to share and bless their homes," said Jeanette Sanchez, a member of the community. The over 250 participants in this festive celebration were sent with the blessing of the Lord to continue the mission in their communities and pledged to be permanent missionaries. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 25/01/2010)
