Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Loja (Ecuador) - In the context of the Year of the Eucharist and to mark the 75th anniversary of the crowning of Our Lady Queen of Cisne, from 9 to 18 September young people all over Ecuador will take part in the 2nd edition of Mission Ecuador with the slogan “With the grace of Mary we live a new Ecuador”. In fact these young university students have entrusted their mission to the Blessed Virgin Mary asking her to make it spiritually fruitful. Since this is the Year of the Eucharist, this 2nd edition of Mission Ecuador will focus in particolar on the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In preparation for the event the young missionaries used the apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine written by John Paul II as a text for reflection because they want to help the people they meet make the Eucharist the centre of Christian life.
Mission Ecuador involves more than 1,000 students from various Catholic colleges including Loja Technical University. The initiative is organised for the 2nd year running by Loja Technical University General office for University Missions. The long term goal of the mission is to promote spiritual, social-human and economic development through evangelisation and social work.
During the 1st Mission Ecuador in 2004 the young missionaries evangelised in the coastal, Sierra, Eastern and Insular regions. This year they will visit people in rural parishes in the most remote areas of Ecuador.
To help the students prepare for this important undertaking, the organisers distributed a “Hand book on Formation of Mission Ecuador Leaders”. The booklet in 7 parts offers all the information necessary for spiritual, human and logistic preparation as well as practical suggestions with regard to activity to organise according to the age group of the people to evangelise: children or young people or adults. The closing date for enrolment in Ecuador Mission 2005 is 29 July and formation courses for students already enrolled have started.(RZ) (Agenzia Fides 15/7/2005, righe 26, parole 342)
