(Kamëz, Albania) The European Redemptorist Missionary Camp, continues at the Interprovincial Mission of Albania, of the Redemptorist Conference of Europe, which began on on 7th and is scheduled to end on 21st July 2019.
This second week, volunteering took place in the two main parishes of the Mission: the Parish of St. Alphonsus, in the center of the city of Kamëz and the place where the community resides, and the Parish of St. John Paul II, the district of Bathore, where the shelter for the volunteers is located.
Every morning, for five days, the biblical camps for children and adolescents took place in both parishes. The young people of the Mission become Missionaries of the Joy of the Gospel for the little ones, for the Catholics … and also for the members of other religious confessions. Joy brings everyone together in the same activity, beyond beliefs, but with a very Christian theme.
In Kamëz, the young animators gathered around the “Chiro” group that a Belgian missionary founded over a decade ago. They, in union with the Spanish volunteers, celebrate the “Week of Faith for Children”, whose protagonist is the Precursor of the Lord, St. John the Baptist.
In Bathore, there are animators are the members of Catholic Action, and the Polish volunteers from the Province of Rome collaborate with them. It is also an opportunity for children and adolescents with a biblical theme, bringing the little ones closer to the Word of God.
In the afternoon, Mercedes continues as an Italian teacher in Kasallë, where she has already offered a course two years ago. In addition to the language, we take the opportunity to introduce the life of St. Alphonsus with easy drawings and writings. At the same time, Luciano and Clara held several cooking classes for teenagers and young people, a task they developed two summers ago with great competence and kindness in Bathore. From these cooking classes, the rich dinners prepared and shared by the volunteers, young people and members of the community.
The last few days are always sad because the camp nears to an end. But the community and the faithful of the Redemptorist Mission also have a special reason: Brother Álvaro Ortiz Jiménez de Cisneros, a student of temporary vows of the Province of Madrid, ends his year of missionary experience in Albania. In these twelve months, he learned the difficult Albanian language and was in charge of the animators of the Chiro group of Kamëz. Without a doubt, we will miss a lot.
We recall that two young people from the Province of Warsaw (Dorota and Gabriela), four young people from the Province of Madrid (Ana María, Beatriz, Gloria and Gonzalo) and three volunteers who previously participated in the Mission in Albania, from the Province of Rome (the couple Luciano and Clara, in addition to Mercedes). Finally, over the weekend, the General Consultor, Fr. Pedro López, head of the PJVR in the Congregation, came to visit the Mission Camp, and we thank him for his support and his visit.
ATË LAUREANO OF THE OTERO SEVILLANO CSSR
Superior of the Redemptorist Mission in Albania
