On June 9, 2023, the online meeting of the course participants on interculturality offered by the Congregation of the Claretian Missionaries took place. Framed within the continuous training courses the General Government offers, the third edition of the online interculturality course was launched this year. Aimed at all members of the Congregation, this edition began in May and will end in July. This continuous training aims to assist personal growth in this dimension of interculturality, to serve more and better in the mission, and to grow in fraternity in local communities and larger bodies.
This edition features the participation of 80 members present in the five Conferences in which the Congregation is organised: ACLA (Africa) (16 participants), ASCLA West (West Asia) (8), ASCLA East (East Asia) (2), ECLA (Europe) (17), and MICLA (America) (37). The number of participants not destined outside of their culture is growing, reflecting an increase in congregational sensitivity to learning to welcome people from outside and to relate better to people in their own mission area, where there is increasing diversity.
The online meeting on June 9 featured the presence of the Prefect of Spirituality and Community Life, Fr. Carlos Sánchez, CMF. He welcomed the participants and thanked them for their dedication and effort, especially highlighting the great work of the tutors and Fr. José Enrique García, course coordinator. He stressed the relevance of this course for the Congregation: “We are an increasingly intercultural Congregation”, therefore “It is not training intended only for those who are destined to other countries, or receive people from other cultures, but it is necessary to carry out our mission as there is increasing cultural diversity,” he affirmed. In this regard, he encouraged all present to persevere until the conclusion of the course to strengthen the ties of interculturality within the Congregation.
In a second moment, the eight tutors shared the fruits and challenges that the groups they accompany are experiencing. All agreed to highlight the value of weekly online meetings, in which participants share life experiences based on the proposed materials. “The meetings are a source of continuous wealth. From the testimonies of each participant, an atmosphere of empathy and understanding, of authentic fraternity is created,” shared Fr. Antonio Llamas, CMF.
Finally, a space was opened for the course members to share their impressions, discoveries, and challenges faced during the course:
• “This course has allowed me to know the pastoral work of other brothers and, above all to learn from other cultures.” (Jorge Luis Rodríguez Hernández, CMF)
• “Thank you very much for this shared vocation space, listening to the experience of the elder brothers is very enriching. As a student, this course helps me appreciate the mission’s richness. Thank you.” (Gilmer Sánchez, CMF)
• “The reading material is very interesting.” (Jalvik, CMF).
• “There are many experiences in meetings with brothers from various corners of the world and mutual aid. Fr. Antonio, in module 3, offers the key to his interculturality experience when he affirms that “LEARNING NEVER ENDS”. When we assume the intercultural dimension of our communities, we come to appreciate better the gift of fraternity, heal our wounds and approach each other with humility.” (Fr. Kizito N. M., CMF)
The course is proving to be an essential tool for uniting the Congregation across borders and cultural differences. It advances in communion with the path.
Source: General Prefecture of Spirituality and Community Life
