Colombia. On Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14 it was the turn of the Province of Oriental Colombia and Ecuador to coordinate the closure of the Centennial year of the arrival of the Claretian Missionaries in Colombia. Two very meaningful places for our Organism were chosen for the celebration: Bosa, mother house of the Claretians in Colombia and the basilica of the “Voto Nacional”, shrine of peace and altar of the mother country, a temple that the Claretians built at the request of the Archbishop Primate of Colombia, since 1912.

On the 13th, in Bosa, the program had four important moments: Gathering in the parochial church and remembrance of the Claretians pastors since 1923; solemn parade of the concelebrants up to the Claretian school, accompanied along the street by representatives of the alumni; Eucharist, presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, Mons. Aldo Cavalli and ordination as deacon of the theology student Miller Fernández; cultural act organized by the Claretian school in the sports coliseum. There the dance groups of the Claretian schools of Bogotá and Neiva showed their dancing ability off. In the afternoon, the special guests shared a fraternal agape in the school café and visited the cloister and the chapel of the old Claretian Seminary, where they were able to admire the art gallery prepared for the event.

On the 14th, the Eucharist was celebrated in the Basilica of El Voto Nacional. It was presided over by our Bishop Mons. Jorge Iván Castaño, Auxiliary Bishop of Medellín. Representatives of the religious communities of the capital were invited. The Pastor, Fr. Darío Echeverri thanked the attendants for their participation and invited them to share some snacks in the parish hall. Then the Claretian missionaries and the representatives of our great religious family shared the meal in the dining room of the Provincial Curia.

During the celebrations we were honoured by the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio Mons. Aldo Cavalli; the Bishop of the Diocese of Soacha, Mons. Daniel Caro Borda; our Claretian Bishop Jorge Iván Castaño; the general Prefect of Apostolate, Fr. Agustín Monroy Palacio; the provincial governments of the three organisms: Occidental Colombia, Oriental Colombia and Ecuador and Venezuela; the Mayor of Bosa with the First Lady and many faithful and friends of the Community.