Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Fides Service) - Lay Mission Groups GM continue to consolidate structures and organisation at national level and distribute a National Hand-Book on how to form and run these groups which serve for evangelisation. These were the objectives of a national meeting of diocesan and regional delegates of Lay Mission Groups held at the offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies 25 and 26 June in Buenos Aires. The meeting was chaired by Bishop Luis Teodorico Stockler of Quilmes who is president of the Argentinean Bishops’ Commission for Mission CONAMIS. Delegates from 35 dioceses and 6 pastoral regions attended the meeting organised by CONAMIS.
In his address the Bishop illustrated a recent document issued by the Bishops’ Conference “Navega Mar Adentro” (Updated pastoral guidelines for new evangelisation). Then the participants were given papers for reflection on missionary themes, prepared on the basis of the above mentioned document.
Dr Néstor Corvalán, national GM representative gave a report on the work of Lay missionaries in Latin America and on Congresses of Latin American Lay Missionaries ECOLMI. It was announced that a meeting of national delegates of lay missionaries of Cono Sud (Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Argentina) will be held in 2007 in Buenos Aires to which every pastoral region was asked to send a representative.
As participants shared experience two elements emerged: interest in every region to promote and accompany missionary vocations ad gentes and the need to render the sending of GM missionaries official to avoid difficulties . It was decided to propose a “contract” for GM on mission outside their own diocese. The contract would be confirmed by the bishop or the diocesan missionary Team and requested by the diocese which receives a GM tem. This was followed by the illustration of the national structure of GM and its connections with other institutions: although it belongs to the National Council for Mission CONAMIS, within the PMS the GM is followed by the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
GM is formed mainly by lay people although it also includes priests and religious anxious to respond in this way to God’s call the mission ad gentes. GM is present in parishes, schools run by religious and universities offering a path for vocation discernment for missionary commitment ad-intra and ad-extra. (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 5/7/2005, righe 35, parole 446)
