Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Fides Service) - “God continues to call missionaries, also through American Mission Congresses CAM. He continues to knock on the hearts of Argentinean Catholics giving rise to new missionary vocations. At present the Church in Argentina has 507 missionaries ad gentes. The latest 7 missionary vocations are fruits of CAM 2. At the same time we note with great joy that interest for mission is growing in all sectors of church life”. This was said by the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Argentina in a message sent to Fides.
The Church in Argentina, aware that grain stored in barns bears no fruit, and despite its own great needs for church personnel, with the generosity of the poor, continues to give its missionaries to Churches in greater difficulty. Recently it sent two diocesan priests on mission ad gentes to help the Church in Kazakhstan. The priests first voiced their desire to go on mission on the occasion of CAM 1 held in Paranà Argentina in 1999, and then during CAM 2 held in Guatemala City in November 2003 they came to their decision to ask to be sent on mission ad gentes. Kazakhstan was chosen as their destination because in that country Catholics are still a tiny minority.
Another group of 5 missionaries, one diocesan priest, 3 lay women and the son of one of the women was sent to the diocese of Escuintla in Guatemala. Escuintla was chosen because of the scarcity of priests and pastoral workers for evangelisation in the area, where, as in the rest of Guatemala, Baptist and Evangelical groups are very active. Escuintla diocese has a population of 800,000 and only 17 priests and 35 women religious to look after the 15 parishes. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 17/6/2004; Righe 21; Parole 297)
