From Friday, October 10th to Sunday, October 19th, the Archbishop of Olivenza, Diocese of Mérida, Badajoz, Spain, hosted the Pastoral Visitation of Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo (OFM) in the beautiful land of Extremadura. 17 missionaries energized 17 towns and their 17 parishes.
The formula of missionary work accompanying the bishop’s pastoral visit is something unique and rarely seen in Spain. When the archbishop was asked about it, he told us: “I took note of something done by the neighboring bishop of Évora (Portugal), who already conducted his visits using this system.” Father José was the secretary of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life in the Vatican; undoubtedly, his love for and promotion of Consecrated Life influenced this missionary initiative.
The missionaries belonged to three congregations and their respective missionary teams: ECEM (Claretian Evangelization Team); EMVE (Vincentian Evangelization Team of the Vincentians); and CESPLAM (Center for Missionary Studies and Planning of the Redemptorist Missionaries of Spain). A total of 17 missionaries, both consecrated and lay, were represented: four from the Claretian team, four from the Vincentian team, and nine from the Redemptorist team (including one lay person and two Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer on our team).
To reach every corner and village, the missionaries organized themselves into five teams of two, three, or four people, each visiting each parish and its inhabitants. The planned activities were typical of any rural mission: meetings with parish Pastoral Agents; activities for children, adolescents, and young adults; meetings for couples; visits to schools and institutes; visits to the sick; a School of Prayer; times of reconciliation and listening; and missionary Eucharists with preaching.
We received the archbishop’s proposal with some uncertainties and surprise. It involved a large area and little time to carry out the mission; it was a challenge. But we are grateful for the opportunity and the experience. The contact with the simple people, the coexistence and fraternity, the joyful welcome of the missionaries bring us back to the most beautiful and vibrant aspect of our Redemptorist charism: the mission. Having carried it out together with other congregations and lay people, religious, and priests together, synodically, is also a sign of grace. We row together in the boat of Peter and in a land, Europe, so thirsty and in need of evangelization. I hope for more initiatives like this in future.
Victor Chacón, CSsR.
