Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Merida-Yucatan (Fides Service) - ‘Eucharist, source and centre of Church communion and mission’ is the theme of Mexico’s 13th National Mission Congress launched with the slogan ‘In communion with Christ, let us go on Mission!” The Church in Mexico held its first National Mission Congress in the distant year of 1942. This 13th edition will be held from November 30 to December 3 in Merida-Yucatan.
The important missionary event has several objectives: consider commitments adopted by previous Congresses to guarantee continuity; endorse CAM 2 conclusions to render explicit communion between the Church in Mexico and the Church in the whole continent; increase awareness that the Eucharist is the source and centre of Church communion and mission; boost efforts to foster vocations and send missionaries to the rest of the world; increase awareness of every diocese’s responsibility for the evangelisation of the world; intensify mission animation in every parish by starting Pontifical Mission Societies groups or empower existing ones to foster missionary awareness among the People of God.
For the past 12 months dioceses and parishes across the country have carefully prepared for Congress on the basis of a working paper and a series of mission animation conferences written by experts: Community Mission, Salvific Will (Fr. Antonio Camacho M.G); Eucharist and Mission Ad Gentes: Mission proposed by the Eucharist (Fr. Juan José Luna M.G); Missionaries of our day: commitment in the Particular Church and willingness for universal service (Fr. Antonio Camacho M.G). Final preparation for the Congress will include a Theology Symposium on 30 November with the participation of missologists from Mexico and abroad: Bishop Vittorino Girardi of Tilaràn-Costa Rica; Fr. Carles Ignacio Gonzàlez SJ; Fr. Fidel Gonzàlez Fernandez MCCJ; Mgr. Juan Esquerda Bifet; and lastly Fr. Jesùs Lòpez Gay SJ who will consider Mexico’s missionary activity in the light of the encyclical Redemptoris Missio.
There will be three main conferences : “the Eucharist and Mission” (Fr. Carles Ignacio Gonzalez SJ); “Communion and Mission” (Bishop Vittorino Girardi); “The Universal Mission” (Mgr Jesus Lopez Gay). The Congress is expected to draw over a thousand participants, besides people mainly responsible for Mexico’s Catholic mission activity, also other bishops, priests, religious, active lay people, pastoral workers, members of groups, associations, movements etc. All will lodge with local families. (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 10/11/2005, righe 31, parole 388)
