San Jose, Costa Rica.The Pre-Capitular Assembly of Centroamérica has started today, June 28, 2019 at the Casa de Ejercicios Espirituales in San Jose. The novelty of this Assembly is the presence of lay people representing the different priorities of Apostolate.
Second Day. The morning of the second day of the Pre-Capitular Assembly began with a prayer in the key of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, praying for the struggles of the indigenous peoples and of the many martyrs for the defense of Mother Earth and the dignity of the human being.
During the day, they had the plenary session of the previous group’s work on the contributions and made corrections on the Provincial Plan of Missionary Life for the next six years. In the afternoon, there was a general presentation of the 6 traits of the Claretian identity that they must strengthen and reflect in their entire missionary life: we are missionaries with Spirit, listeners and servants of the Word, missionaries in community, sent to listen and evangelize, do with others, and interculturality. In the evening, the youth prepared a SOMIFEST, inviting them to pray for the youth priorities and inviting the Claretian Missionaries to accompany the young people as good pastors.
Third Day. The last day of the Assembly started with a prayer full of notes of maternal tenderness, since this day, feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was celebrated in Claretian Family. They celebrated the feast at the Iglesia de Ladrillos together with the People of God, remembering Mary as one who rises quickly and sets out on the road (Lk 1, 39). Fr. Ismael Montero, CMF, Provincial Superior of Centroamérica, who presided over the celebration, encouraged them to be missionaries according to the Heart of Mary, not just in words but rather in concrete gestures of service, letting themselves be led by the Spirit and being children of God, not slaves, free to love. After the Eucharist there was a cordial meeting with the people who make up the Pastoral of Migrants, who expressed their gratitude to the missionaries, with cultural expressions and meals from the different countries where they come from.
After lunch and rest, the plenary continued again, where the laity not only spoke with love, but also with freedom and firmness about the things they should correct in their community and apostolic life, in order to grow in fidelity to the Claretian charism. They concluded the session with an evaluation of the work of these days. And with a festive mood after dinner, the Pre-capitular Assembly concluded.
