The Redemptorist Youth & Vocation Ministry team of the province of Madrid (PJVR) met in the community of Perpetuo Socorro in Madrid on 14 and 15 January. Four significant projects marked the plan: the new project “escuelamisionera.com”, collaboration with the missionary team CESPLAM, the “Emmanuel” proposal for weekend retreats for university students, the European Youth Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and the Synod 2021-2023 that the universal Church is experiencing.
The first initiative originates from the need to train pastoral leaders. Our team noticed it at the beginning of the academic year. We want to offer an online course on six subjects that cover the grounds of faith and evangelisation. Technical steps are already being taken to develop the pedagogical resources and set up the online platform that will host this first course and, perhaps, others to come.
The second initiative of the team, called “Emmanuel”, aims to offer an intense moment of a personal encounter with Christ for young university students through weekend retreats. The commission in charge is working to organise the first retreat in March. Then an evaluation of the team will help offer a definitive proposal for the next academic year.
EUROPEAN PILGRIMAGE TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Thirdly, the RYVM team decided to participate in the European youth pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It is a proposal for August to all groups, parishes, movements, and congregations.
Finally, it was agreed to hold a telematic synodal team meeting and subsequent local meetings with the young people of our communities, trying to encourage the participation of their distant friends, as envisaged by the synodal dynamics of discernment proposed by Pope Francis.
We have discussed other issues, such as the participation in the European mission of young Redemptorists in Torun (Poland), which will take place at the end of July, and the offer of four activities during the Holy Week. Specifically, we decided to offer the Easter of initiation in El Espino (Burgos), the vocational-urban Easter in Zaragoza and the social Easter in Valencia.
“On the horizon is also the mission of the young people in El Espino (Burgos). This matter will be in focus at the next meeting. We thank God that the Redemptorist Youth Vocation Ministry team has shown great care for its mission. And despite the general uncertainty caused by the pandemic, it continues to offer reasons for hope to young people”, said Damian Mª Montes, CSsR and delegate of the Redemptorist Youth Vocation Ministry.
