Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
La Ceja (Fides News Agency) – “Mission is an urgent task for the whole Church.” These words, spoken by Bishop Fidel León Cadavid Marín of Sonsón-Rionegro at the close of a missionary Congress marking the centenary of DOMUND (World Mission Sunday, Domingo Mundial de las Misiones), sum up the spirit of the three-day gathering held from 16 to 18 October at the Citadel of Jesus in La Ceja, in the Diocese of Sonsón-Rionegro. The theme was “One in Christ, United in Mission”.
The Congress brought together around 500 people, including participants in the main gathering and those attending the regional meeting of the Missionary Childhood and Adolescence, which took place at the same time. Priests, consecrated men and women, seminarians, laypeople, families and missionary animators came together for three intense days. “We experienced a time of ecclesial communion, prayer, formation and missionary fraternity,” Father Renzo Baltazar Martínez Ramírez, diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) and of the missionary pastoral ministry of Sonsón-Rionegro, told Fides News Agency.
The program was structured around three verbs—to call, to form, and to send—which defined each of the three days. “On 16 October, the day was marked by the verb ‘to call’: called by the Lord to listen to Him. The second day focused on ‘to form’: the Lord teaches us, just as He taught His disciples. And the final day centered on ‘to send’: called and formed, in order to be sent forth,” notes Father Renzo.
The exchange of different vocations, charisms and pastoral experiences was one of the most significant aspects of the gathering. Representatives of the PMS in Colombia and Brazil took part, alongside missionaries, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers. Among the speakers were Father Samir García, national director of the PMS in Colombia; Father Rafael López Villaseñor, head of the Pontifical Missionary Union and of the theological commission of CAM-7; and Sister Inês Paulo Albino, secretary general of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood. Their presence fostered dialogue between local missionary communities and the universal Church.
At the same time, the regional meeting of Missionary Childhood and Adolescence highlighted the importance of engaging younger generations. “Young people must grow in a missionary spirit and be prepared to take up the baton,” Father Renzo observed.
The centenary of World Mission Sunday, established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, provided an opportunity to give thanks to all those who, over the past hundred years, have devoted their lives to proclaiming the Gospel, and to reflect on how this mission can be carried forward today. “It is an invitation to look back with gratitude on the history and the work of those who began this journey, but also to ask ourselves how we are responding today to the mandate of Jesus Christ: ‘Go and make disciples of all nations,’” the priest said.
The primary objective of the Congress, he explained, is “to renew the missionary awareness of our communities”. To achieve this requires stronger formation, greater involvement from young people and families, and closer cooperation between sister Churches, especially where pastoral accompaniment is most needed. Particular attention must also be paid to parish life. “We want parishes to embrace their responsibility for evangelization with renewed enthusiasm, not out of obligation, but out of passion,” he stressed.
The recent mission to the Apostolic Vicariate of Mitú is also part of this approach. It offered a concrete demonstration of the value of cooperation and mutual support among parish communities (see Fides, 12/10/2026).
For the diocese, the Congress now marks the starting point of a new journey. Talks, homilies, workshops and conclusions are being compiled and reviewed, with the aim of translating the discussions into concrete pastoral initiatives. The gathering, Father Renzo added, “was the torch that set the path for the coming years”, as preparations begin for Colombia’s National Missionary Congress, scheduled for 2028, and the American Missionary Congress (CAM-7), due to take place in 2029.
“Celebrating these hundred years means giving thanks for all that we have received and renewing our willingness to proclaim the Gospel to all those who are still waiting to know Jesus Christ,” Father Renzo concluded.
(LGR) (Fides News Agency, 21/10/2026)
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