Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manaus (Agenzia Fides) - In Manaus, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, around 1,200 people from all over Brazil have gathered to take part in the Fifth National Missionary Congress, which begins today and runs until November 15. The American continent has a long tradition of missionary Congresses. The Congress in Manaus is also used by the Brazilian Church as a preparation for the VI. American Missionary Congress (CAM6), which will take place in Puerto Rico from November 19th to 24th, 2024. The event, organized by the Pontifical Mission Societies of Brazil together with the National Missionary Council and with the support of the Archdiocese of Manaus, will open with a solemn mass this afternoon (4:00 p.m. local time). The focus is on the responsibility of the local churches in the "missio ad gentes" under the motto "Go out! From the local church to the ends of the earth" and with the motto "Hearts on fire, feet on the move", which was also the motto of this year's World Mission Day.
The program includes lectures, discussions, workshops and thematic group work and Eucharistic celebrations and prayer times will alternate with missionary visits to communities. Participants will be welcomed by the families of the Archdiocese of Manaus and will have the opportunity to live a missionary experience on site, an experience that has already been actively used from November 4th to 9th by a total of 90 missionaries of all ages, including lay people, priests and Sisters who took part in the Mission Week that preceded the V National Missionary Congress. Receive, listen, enlighten, share, proclaim, send out are the key words that, in chronological order, characterize the days of the Congress, the central moment of which will be represented by the daily lectures that deepen missionary spirituality through reflection and dialogue and are intended to demonstrate within the framework of the congress, how the gospel can be lived concretely. The themes “hearts on fire, feet on the move (a Biblical approach)”, “From the Amazon to the ends of the world”, “The Responsibility of the local Church for the Universal Mission”, “To the ends of the world”, “The Pontifical Mission Societies at the service of universal mission of the Church” are the five central lectures, the last of which will be given by Sister Regina da Costa Pedro, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Brazil. The participation of the General Secretary of the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood, Sister Roberta Tremarelli, who will speak on Sunday morning, is also expected to attend the Congress. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 10/11/2023)
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