Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Burgos (Fides Service) - From 12 to 16 July in Burgos there will be the 57th edition of national Missionary Weeks. The theme chosen for this year is the following: “This is the hour of Mission! Organisms of missionary animation, spaces for communion”. The objectives are to propose theological and sociological reflection on the present situation and at the same time offer an opportunity for sharing experience useful for formation and maturation of individual missionary commitment and intensive preparation for those about to depart on mission. The Missiology Week in Burgos has become an annual tradition attended by about 100 people including bishops, priests, men and women religous mission delegates, missionary animators and representatives of parish associations, and lay groups and movements interested in the subject.
“The themes for these Weeks - Rev. Alejandro Garcia, Diocesan Delegate for Missions told Fides - are chosen according to the times and needs of the Church. This year the theme follows on from last year’s National Missionary Congress held in Burgos in September with the theme “This is the Hour of Mission!”. The Week also intends to be a moment of verification to see what has been achieved and what still needs to be programmed for the future”.
The programme consists of conferences, celebrations of Mass and particularly appreciated by the participents also missionary testimony. On Monday 12 July the first Conference will be given by the President of the Bishops’ Commission for Missions Cardinal Carlos Amigo Vallejo, Archbishop of Seville on the theme “The National Missionary Congress a call to missionary animation”. Each of the following days will be devoted to in-depth study of different aspects of missionary animation: the local Church, intra-ecclesial bodies, consecrated life, church Movements and new Communities.
On 13 and 14 July ample space will be given to the local Church protagonist of mission on the following themes: “Local Church, communion in mission”, “Missionary animation, sap of the local Church”, “The Diocesan Delegation/Council for Missions, bodies of communion for mission”; “The Diocesan Pastoral Council, missionary responsibility of all the baptised”; “A parish on mission ”; “The family: domestic church open to evangelisation”. On Thursday 14 July the participants will reflect on the role of the Pontifical Mission Societies in missionary animation among the People of God, missionary coordination between the Bishops’ Commission for Mission and the National Mission Council, and the missionary programme at the regional level will be discussed. Friday 16 attention will be given to the role and commitment of consecrated life, church Movements, new Communities at the service of mission.
The Week of Missiology is organised jointly by the Insitute of Missiology and Missionary Animation of the Faculty of Theology of Northern Spain and the Archdiocese of Burgos, in collaboration with the Bishops’ Commission for Missions and Cooperation among Churches, the Joint Service of Missionary Animation of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain - Burgos Diocesan Delegation and the Spanish Institute for Forieng Missions (IEME). (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 5/7/2004; Righe 38; Parole 467)
