At the retreat house of the Sisters Servants of the Mother of God, in the city of Cochabamba from 22 to 24 July, the meeting of the Lay Redemptorists of Bolivia was held, with the motto:
“Immediately they got up and went back to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven and their group. They said to them: It is true: the Lord has risen and appeared to Simon “(Lk 24: 33-34)
With the participation of 30 delegates from the different Redemptorist Parishes of the country and respecting the program established for this event, it began on the afternoon of Friday 22, with the welcome of Father Román Oscar Ibarra C.Ss.R. Coordinator of the Laity of Bolivia. Subsequently, each of the delegations presented themselves before the assembly.
The presence of Fr. Boris Calzadilla Arteaga C.Ss.R. Provincial Superior was very important in encouraging and enriching our formation as Lay Redemptorists on the Shared Mission, the Ratio Formationis and the Restructuring process of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
He stressed that the spirituality of the Redemptorists belongs to those who want to live it, we are an eminently missionary Congregation, therefore the Lay Redemptorist must be in and for the mission. All together, Religious, Lay, Religious follow the example of Jesus Christ the Savior, bringing the Word of God to the poorest.
Fr. Boris stressed that missionary and apostolic priorities are essential to sustain and carry out the mission. To whom we have been sent: to the materially poor, to young people and adults, to migrants, to the victims of human trafficking, to the victims of violence, racism and intolerance, to the excluded, to those who live on the periphery of society , and also to Africa and Madagascar.
The Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Missionaries motivated us to work as a Redemptorist Family, where the laity has an active role in planning pastoral and missionary activities aimed at the New Unity.
Fr. Boris, thanked Fr. Román for the effort and organization of this meeting, after 2 years of pandemic that changed our world, he also remembered and thanked the work done with the laity by Fr. Gonzalo Rodríguez and Ady Mendía, who returned to the Father’s House during the pandemic.
P. Román, presented the Restructuring process of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer; its principles and the progress already made with the new Bolivia-Peru unit. The Restructuring process is for the Mission.
With the presentation of the new Directory and the handing over of the Redemptorist Cross, the 2022 Meeting of the Lay Redemptorists of Bolivia concluded. The next meeting will be in July 2023
Fr Roman Oscar Ibarra Aguilar, C.Ss.R.
Coordinator of the Lay Redemptorists of Bolivia
