“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Rom 15:5,7)
From April 22 to 25 of this Jubilee Year of Hope, we the Redemptorist brothers with five or less years of perpetual profession gathered in the Villa Marianella in Chinauta, to participate in the Transition to Ministry Meeting, an experience that has become traditional in our Andean-Caribbean Province. This space has the purpose of accompanying and animating the vocation that the Lord has entrusted to us, so that we can continue to carry out with fidelity and dedication each of the pastoral and missionary services to which we have been sent.
On this occasion, the central theme of the reflection revolved around the theoretical and practical aspects of the mission shared with the laity who actively participate in the Redemptorist charism. We recognize, without any doubt, the need to integrate the work of the laity in a harmonious and fruitful way in our missionary activities, without this meaning losing the identity of each vocation. We all contribute to the proclamation of the Gospel starting from our particularities, building together a Church closer to the poor and the abandoned.
Thanks to the interventions of Fathers Samuel Torres and Juan Pablo López, we concluded that the Redemptorist mission can be sustained and projected only if each person responsibly assumes “all and only what” is their responsibility, in communion with others. In addition, Provincial Father Mauricio Monroy, who spoke virtually, in light of the recent passing of Pope Francis, urged us to integrate into our consecrated life the teachings that the Holy Father left us, to respond with greater depth to the urgencies of today’s world starting from our missionary identity.
Thanks to the generous welcome of the community of Villa Marianella (Chinauta), led by Father Laureano Hurtado and Brother Nelson Pérez, we were able to enjoy an environment conducive to rest, fraternal encounters, and recreation. The excellent hospitality, made it possible to experience moments of sports, recreational activities and dynamic spaces that allowed us to share our gifts and talents. All this helped to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and consolidate the community life that, with joy, we chose to live.
Below, we share the names of those who participated in this meeting, representing the units of the Andean-Caribbean Province:
- Nelson Fabián Dimaté Ocampo – Colombia (5 years)
- Óscar David Tarazona Trujillo – Colombia (4 years)
- Carlos Eduardo López Hernández – Colombia (3 years)
- Juan Sebastián Criollo Puentes – Colombia (2 years)
- Sergio Andrés Guerrero Buitrago – Colombia (2 years)
- Jovani Cuéllar Peña – Colombia (2 years)
- Holguer Abel Salao Moyón – Ecuador (2 years)
- Ely Saúl Millán Hereira – Venezuela (2 years)
- Johnny William Vargas Vargas – Venezuela (1 year)
We deeply thank God the Father for the grace of this meeting, as well as the Provincial Government and the Secretariat of Formation, who with generosity and closeness promote these spaces of formation, communion, and discernment. Thanks also to all the brothers, Redemptorist formandi and lay people who, with their prayers and closeness, accompany our vocational journey. May our life, like the mustard seed, continue to grow and bear fruits of abundant redemption.
Fr. Sergio Andrés Guerrero Buitrago CSsR
