AMERICA/GUATEMALA - “Making our parishes missionary” is the theme of the 2nd national mission congress in Guatemala in the wake of 2003 continental Congress CAM 2

Tuesday, 26 April 2005

Quetzaltenango (Fides Service) - In the wake of the Second American Mission Congress CAM 2 hosted by Guatemala November 2003, some 2000 delegates from dioceses all over the country will gather in Quetzaltenango May 6 - 8 for the 2nd national mission congress to reflect on the theme “Making our parishes missionary”.
The congress is organised by the Bishops’ Commission for Mission in collaboration with the Pontifical Mission Societies in Guatemala, and its goal is to “promote deeper missionary awareness among Catholics in Guatemala so they may shoulder their missionary duty with responsibility and obey Christ’s command: Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16,15)”.
In a message issued 15 April in view of the Congress the Guatemalan Bishops quoted Pope John Paul II’s letter “Mane nobiscum Domine”, “Once we have truly met the Risen One by partaking of his body and blood, we cannot keep to ourselves the joy we have experienced. The encounter with Christ, constantly intensified and deepened in the Eucharist, issues in the Church and in every Christian an urgent summons to testimony and evangelisation” (MND 24) stressing that a parish will be missionary to the extent that it is a Eucharistic parish.
In preparation for the event the people of Guatemala are studying the Congress working paper and the conclusions of CAM 2, striving to apply them to daily reality in the local Churches. (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 26/4/2005; righe 20, parole 253)


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