AMERICA/BOLIVIA - “I dream of a missionary Church that reaches out to those farthest away,” says new Auxiliary Bishop of El Alto

El Alto (Agenzia Fides) – "Let me tell you my dream: I dream of a missionary Church that reaches out to those farthest away, capable of generating missionary vocations and send missionaries to other churches in Bolivia, the continent, and the world. The experience of nearly 23 years of missionary priesthood allows me to share one thing: that the mission is a grace of the Lord and it is a blessing of the Spirit and the 'yes' we have said to God's call is alive, faithful, and enthusiastic." These are the words of the new Auxiliary Bishop of El Alto, Bishop Eugenio Scarpellini, in his message addressed to the diocese at the beginning of his episcopal ministry. A copy of the message was sent to Fides.
Bishop Scarpellini, a Fidei Donum priest from the Diocese of Bergamo (Italy), in Bolivia since 1988, until his appointment as Bishop held the position of National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies and Secretary General Adjunct at the Bolivian Bishops' Conference (see Fides 15/7/2010). In the message, he offers his experience in all these years as a missionary priest to help embrace the community, but also to recall obedience in the ministerial service: "As Auxiliary Bishop of El Alto, I want to live in obedience and to assume the Father's Will, manifested in Jesus and entrusted to the Church. Obedience, which is evident in every brother, is an obedience that becomes a desire to share the same passions, aspirations, joys, hopes, and difficulties," writes Bishop Scarpellini.
The text expresses the desire to live this obedience as a service to various community groups: priests, seminarians, consecrated life, young people (whom he calls "mischievous" but capable of living ideals and making important decisions), and all the baptized. Finally, the Bishop thanks the Church in Bergamo, the community of Verzellino, and all Bolivia which has hosted him in these 23 years of missionary work.
Bishop Scarpellini was consecrated a Bishop on September 9, in the community of Collpani, at a crowded ceremony attended by faithful from all over Bolivia. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 16/09/2010)