(Ciempozuelos, Spain) – Forty-five people (religious and lay), representing eleven communities, and also by the Gamo Diana School, Association for Solidarity, CESPLAM, Residencia Perpetuo Socorro de Santa Fe, Funderética and Editorial PS met in Ciempozuelos in the Mother House of the Oblate Sisters, from 14 to 16 September.
We began the meeting with the presentation of D. Agustín Rodríguez, parish priest of Cañada Real and San Fermín, entitled “The mission to heal a wounded world”.
After working in groups we were able to present some needs for better ministry.
- The need for greater involvement of pastoral agents in social processes, always starting from looking more at what unites us with what separates us and promoting fraternal approach in our pastoral care.
- The urgency of finding an adequate language to communicate our experience of faith, translating the treasure of the Gospel into terms that are simple to understand for today’s world.
- We must acquire closeness, become aware of our wounds and make our parish spaces as spaces for meeting, sharing and sharing life. In such a way that our churches are heard, by the diversity of the people who live in our neighbourhoods, like theirs. It is about “being” and “knowing how to be”.
We were able to share ideas and experiences on projects, in particular on:
- “Donders” project for homeless people (Sevilla)
- The project of women in the context of prostitution and trafficking in persons for sexual purposes (Oblates)
- The project of the “San Camilo” Listening Center (Mérida)
- Campos de Misión AS (Board of Directors)
- Prison pastoral care (Valencia)
At the end of the meeting there were some guidelines and proposals:
- Put the person at the centre of our pastoral care.
- Always listen to an empathic attitude and an unconditional acceptance of the other.
- Give importance to the educational and catechetical processes
- Always generate hope with realism.
(Redentoristas.org)
