From September 2 to 6, 18 Redemptorist priests from the Bolivia-Peru Province, who had been ordained for less than ten years, participated in the meeting of young priests.
Our missionaries gathered in the city of Nazca, located in southern Peru and known for its famous “Nazca Lines,” a series of geoglyphs dating back 1,500 years. The city was celebrating its most important patronal feast in honour of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and our confreres, along with the entire community, participated in this grand celebration. From presiding over Mass to preaching, the young priests inspired the entire parish during those days of novena.
The atmosphere was marked by fraternity and joy, with plenty of time for board games, strolls, shared prayer, and visits to senior students at public schools to promote Redemptorist vocations. The titular bishop of the diocese, Monsignor Héctor Vera, met with the young priests to speak about synodality and some positive pastoral experiences.
The Redemptorists have been in charge of the parish of Nazca since 2002. The superior and parish priest of the host community, Fr. David López, mentioned the following: “This meeting has been very positive, especially in the context of our parish festival. Being part of the celebrations gave great encouragement. In addition, the parents received training for their pastoral and spiritual life, which is very important.”
It is worth noting that this is the first meeting of young priests since the creation of the Bolivia-Peru Province in December 2023. Father Faustino Calcina was responsible for this meeting, and Father Juan Carlos Ortiz (Vicar Provincial) was also present. At the end of the meeting, the priests evaluated the experience satisfactorily and thanked Father Boris Calzadilla, Provincial Superior, and the Provincial Government for motivating this fraternity. The majority agreed that the second meeting should be held in the city of Tarija, Bolivia.
Fr. Santiago Cortez, CSsR.
