About 240 people came to the first of the Pastoral Year Beginning meetings at the El Salvador de San Vicente de Tagua Tagua school, on Tuesday, April 2. On the occasion, lay and consecrated people from the deaneries of Santos Apóstoles and Santa Rosa were able to meet with our diocesan bishop, Monsignor Guillermo Vera. In addition, at the meeting there was an Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, animated by Marcela Gael; and Father Juvenal Galaz, Pastoral Vicar of the diocese, delivered the calendar of activities for the year, giving the emphases of pastoral work.
Bishop Vera addressed those in attendance to urge them to prepare in prayer for the centenary of the diocese, which will be celebrated in October 2025, and for the next Jubilee Year.
As an important point within this year’s activities, the pastor of the diocese highlighted the mission, emphasizing that it is essential to pray before undertaking any task. In that context, he indicated that: “The Lord called the apostles to be with him and then sent them. We are called to the same thing, first to be with Him and then to go on a mission.”
He stressed that we must go out to find people, make them know Christ and bring the message of the Lord. All this with an attitude of welcome, “we have to welcome people and try to ensure that no one feels that the doors of the church have not been opened to them, that they have had problems…we must welcome and help those who want to know about God.” “, said.
He reiterated, therefore, the need for churches and chapels to be open, even if this means an additional effort.
Walk together
Father Juvenal Galaz, pastoral vicar, pointed out during the meeting in San Vicente that pastoral work must be carried out synodally, “so that as a single body we can see what the pastoral emphases are for this year, especially in the context of the centenary of our diocese and, at the same time, also preparing for the ordinary Jubilee of the year 2025.”
The pastoral vicar also referred to the work that has been carried out in the context of the Synod of Synodality, since we must “reflect and take advantage of the conclusions that have emerged in what it means to walk together as the People of God, as Church. We seek to be faithful to the will of God, accompanying our brothers, welcoming their needs and – of course, as in any organization – we must do it in an organic way, in a programmed way,” he said.
Meetings by deanery
For years, to promote the comfort of attendees and avoid such long trips, the Beginning of the Pastoral Year has been carried out by deaneries. This is how on Thursday, April 4, the meeting was held in Rancagua, at the O’Higgins Institute at 7 p.m., calling together the 15 parishes of the deanery of Santa Cruz de Triana and 4 of Purísima, with their respective priests, nuns, deacons and pastoral agents.
The activity began with a liturgy and then gave way to the intervention of the Vicar General of the Diocese, Father José Vergara, and continued with the bishop, Monsignor Guillermo Vera.
It ended on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m., at the San Fernando Institute, of the Marist congregation, when the deaneries of San Fernando-Chimbarongo and Cardenal Caro met.
In each of these meetings, the diocesan bishop, Monsignor Guillermo Vera, will deliver his message indicating the direction of the diocesan Church during 2024.
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