Guatemala City (Fides Service ) – “As the American Mission Congress (CAM 2) draw near initiatives are multiplied and preparations enter final stages” Bishop Gerardo Flore Reyes, emeritus of Verapaz (Guatemala) tells Fides Service. The Bishops is a member of the Missions Commission of the Conference of Guatemalan Catholic Bishops. Reporting on the latest development of preparation all over America the Bishops says:
The Bishops of Guatemala devoted the week of Spiritual Exercises this year to prayer and reflection on the theme: “The significance of mission in the life of the Bishop”. The theme was developed by Bishop Vittorino Girardi, Vescovo of Tilarán (Costa Rica), a well known Comboni expert in missiology.
Many parishes in Central America are holding “Mision Weeks” well attended and producing much fruit. In this endeavour very useful was a hand book prepared by the CAM2 Central Commission CAM 2, giving examples of celebrations, suggestions for themes of conferences and meetings for the different sectors of the parish and proposals for a series of activities to increase missionary spirit among the faithful.
CAM Central Commission Offices have already received enrolment forms from Bishops’ Conferences in several American countries including Costa Rica and Haiti, who may bring as many as fifty delegates, the number set by the Central Commission.
The dioceses of Central America and many national offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies have sent in the list of their delegates to the Congress chosen from those who studied the work paper, in order to make their own effective contribution of ideas, suggestions, concrete commitments to make lasting missionary spirit and commitment a fruit of the Congress. Requests for participation have also been received from several Bishops of Africa, Asia and Europe.
“We were deeply touched to know - says Bishop Gerardo Flore Reyes – that a group of old ladies in the northern Italian diocese Sondrio and Como (Italy), has organised a sewing feat “Needle and thread for the Missions” aiming to make a thousand altar cloths (corporals and purificators) embroidered with the CAM 2 logo to give to the priests taking part in the major Church event. Moreover they have promised to recite every day the special prayer for the American Mission Congress composed by Pope John Paul II ”. (R.Z.) (Fides Service 16/07/2003; lines 30; words 386)