The Movement in missionary situation

Easter generates a longing to have God's Word as life style in a community environment. This happens in several places in Buenos Aires and the provinces. This grace gives rise to many requests from Tucumán, San Juan, Sunchales (Santa Fe), Embalse (Cordoba), Salta, La Rioja, Asunción of Paraguay, Ituzaingó (Corrientes), Río Ceballos (Córdoba), Olavarría (B.Aires prov.), La Plata (B.Aires prov.), Mendoza, Bahía Blanca, San Francisco Solano (G.B.Aires), Luis Guillón (G.B.Aires), and one parish in Capital Federal.

Mission to Asunción

The mission to Asunción in Paraguay, starts in June.

Retreat for Dedicated brothers and sisters

27 brothers and sisters called to this conjugal way of commitment to God have their annual retreat. They are accompanied by 35 children of their own families.

Starting Places

"Initiation groups" begin in seven places: Ituzaingó (Corrientes), Asunción (Paraguay), Olavarría, San Juan, La Plata, San Francisco Solano (Quilmes diocese), and Guillón (Lomas diocese).

Santa Lucía Parish

(Florencio Varela): On Sunday 17 July, Fr. Bishop of Quilmes, Jorge Novak gives possession of this parish to some brothers from the priest branch of the Movement.

House of Encounter and Prayer

In February, on occasion of Nazaret Retreat, San José House of Encounter and Prayer is inaugurated in Cuesta Blanca, Cordoba. It was built by the consecrated branches of Nazaret, and it will be for pastoral use for that Zone.

First pastoral trip to Ecuador

In May Fr. Ricardo and our sister Mercedes, members of the Central Pastoral Service, establish a bond with the Marian movement Guardiana de la Fe, in Ecuador. Some brothers from this country participate of two Easter retreats in Argentina. Some groups of the Movement are established in Quito. Mgr. Terán Dutari, auxiliary bishop in Quito, pays an eight-day visit to the Movement in Córdoba and Buenos Aires cities, and invites the Movement to settle in Ecuador.

Marian Retreat

More than a hundred brothers participate of this retreat that is carried out for the first time in the Work. Mary's presence is plain, in the Word and in the Church at present, calling for powerful intercession for all mankind's needs from her Son's and her own Heart.

San José School in Buenos Aires

The School Religiosas de San José, in Capital Federal, passes legally to belong to the Movement. For that reason its name is changed for one more appropriate to our charisma: San José de la Palabra de Dios.

Feminine Nazaret in Rosario

In March a community is established in this city. It is constituted by the Nazarenes Cecilia Di Fonzo, Nora García and María del Carmen Formichelli. On April 21 the house is inaugurated as local Seat of the Movement.

Easter Retreats and brothers from Ecuador

The Movement celebrates its twenty-third Easter organizing 29 retreats in Argentina and in Asunción, Paraguay. They are attended by 4442 people, of which 2301 come for the first time. This retreat is held for the first time in Paraná, with 86 brothers, and in Asunción, 67 brothers. Moreover, 8 brothers from Ecuador travel specially to participate in Janer Pastoral Centre.

Initiation Group in Neuquén

On the occasion of Easter, a community prayer group starts meeting in Plottier town, Neuquén. A service of preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation had been given there to the parish young people since the year before.

'Convivencias' of Evangelization

The Short Course of Evangelization, an original instrument of our spirituality, is at present carried out through three 'Convivencias'. Since 1976 the Movement has been offering the first fruit of the year to evangelization. For that reason, in the first fortnight of January, there are seven 'convivencias' with several pastoral teams. Five of them take the first part of the Short Course ('Convivencia I', 5 days long). They are carried out in Castelar, Quilmes, Córdoba y Ramos Mejía. 354 young people and a group of 15 adults participate of them. 'Convivencia II' is carried out in Castelar and Quilmes for eight days, and gathers 225 young people.

Visit of Mgr. Julio Terán Dutari

The auxiliary bishop of Quito, Ecuador, travels to Argentina to participate of Mary's Day in Córdoba, and to visit the Movement from 16 to 24 August. He also visits the House of Encounter and Prayer in Cuesta Blanca, the Schools San José in Córdoba and in B.Aires, the School of Sagrado Corazón in Castelar, and its House of Encounter and Prayer, talking to the local community of Nazaret; he has an encounter with the brothers from Buenos Aires and shares with a group of married couples; he participates of the wake of our beloved brother Piero Palma and shares with the consecrated communities of Nazaret of Quilmes and Varela; participates of the meeting of Coordinators of Pastoral Centre of Buenos Aires and West Zone talking to them. He enjoys a visit to our Delta and says goodbye sharing the general meeting of Consecrated brothers (General Nazaret) in the Seat of San Juan Ave. in Buenos Aires. He leaves us a message of love to the Church, to Mary and of approaching today's man who needs to be evangelized. Once more he invites the Movement to serve the Church in Ecuador.

Constitution of Feminine Nazaret in Paraguay

On March 7 our sisters Silvia Fioramonti, Emma Diodati and Elizabeth Gracioso leave from Ezeiza to Asunción in Paraguay where they establish as the first consecrated community outside the Argentina. There are two prayer groups of young people already there, who have been initiated and served by a married couple of the Work, Luis and Sandra Carrizo.

Marian Centre "Ark of the New Alliance"

It is born of the grace from the first Marian retreat in 1995. A Leaf of Mary is published, to spread the Marian events of this time in the Church and Mary's messages. Leaf Nº 5 refers to La Salette, and Nº 6 to Mary Guardian of Faith. On the occasion of Mary's 'Jornadas' recently, the image of Mary, Mother of God's Word and Guardian of our faith, began to be known.

Retreat of the grace of foundation

The New Time of Foundation is concluded.

Easter Retreats

This year, devoted to God Father, the Movement celebrates its 25th anniversary carrying out 45 Easter retreats, in Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. There are 10 retreats more than the year before, and 5530 young and adult people, and 1180 children participate. They are held for the first time in some places: Villa María (Cordoba), Resistencia (Chaco), and Neuquén. The grace of the Easter retreat joins together Ushuaia, in the southern end of Argentina, with Quito, Capital of Ecuador.

Celebration of the 25 years

At this Easter, the Movement celebrates 25 years of life in the Church. Owing to this, a special publication comes out, illustrating the charism, the life and the activity of the Work. On Easter Sunday, several Eucharistic liturgies are celebrated in different places, to commemorate the anniversary. In Buenos Aires it is presided by the Archbishop Mgr. Jorge Bergoglio, at the chapel of the school San José de la Palabra de Dios. In Quilmes it is presided by Fr. Bishop Mgr. Jorge Novak; in Cordoba, by Archbishop Carlos Náñez. These are three places of foundation of the Movement. In Rosario it is presided by the auxiliary Bishop Mgr. Luis Armando Collazuol, on April 11. Our general pastor, Fr. Ricardo concelebrates in Quito, Ecuador, with the auxiliary Bishop of that archdiocese, Mgr. Julio Terán Dutari.

Foundation in Ecuador

The new Missionary Asociated Community, is already installed in Quito accompanied by Mgr. Terán Dutari and many brothers of the Groups of the Word. They are collaborating with the local groups enlightened by the grace of the Easter retreat. On April 9, our sister Mercedes, general server of the Feminine Consecrated Branch, travels to Quito, to accompany the establishment of a community in that place. Mgr. Antonio González visits the Community in the seat of the Movement. He concelebrates the Eucharist together with Mgr. Terán Dutari, Fr. Ricardo and Fr. Francisco, director of Radio María. About 50 brothers from the groups and some neighbours participate of the Mass. In the homily, the archbishop of Quito welcomes the Movement in Ecuador and the archdiocese, wishing a fruitful pastoral of evangelization and he blesses the house and the oratory.

Chaco, mission zone

The zone of Cristo Rey, in the outskirts of Resistencia, Chaco, comprises a Toba settlement: the Mapic, then the Ñu Pora, the Autódromo Park district, the riverside avenue, the school district, the Guardian Angel district and Don Santiago. In that zone, the missionary group of the Movement carried out the first missionary year. The group is made up of 12 brothers, from Córdoba and Chaco. One of the fruits is the formation of two groups.

A new project

A house to shelter aged people. The new Associated Community 'José de Nazaret', is being formed in Cordoba city. It is integrated by two married couples, Torrice and Oliva, together with Marta Martínez.

First commitments of Dedicated

The first married couples dedicated to God in the Movement, take their ecclesiastic commitments.

Trip to Rome and Spain

Fr. Ricardo and our sister Mercedes Guinle, accompanied by Laura Di Palma (Editorial) go on a trip to Israel and Europe, between September 24 and October 13. After visiting the Holy Land of Jesus, they participate in Rome, of the celebration in which John Paul II presents the new millennium to Virgin Mary in the image of Fátima. After that, they take some steps and have some interviews in order to the future development of the Movement. In Spain, after visiting Mary in her sanctuary of Zaragoza, they stay in a parish in Madrid, kindly received by Fr. Lucas Cano Reyes. On that occasion and in response to an invitation of Fr. Lucas, 30 people, commited to pastoral work in the parish, meet together. They have an experience of an Encounter in the Word a biblical community prayer). After this meeting, some people of the parish become very interested in participating of the Easter retreat in Buenos Aires.

Seeds in Ecuador and USA

The Holy Spirit continues infusing a desire to live God's Word in many hearts. In Pedro Carbo town, in Ecuador, and also in Miami, USA. The Hernandez, a married couple from Nuñez community, were transferred there by reason of work, and they start coordinating a prayer group, with some people of Latin American origin.

Summer 'convivencias'

On the first fortnight in January eight 'convivencias', five and eight days long, were carried out. 637 people, most of them young, participate of them and receive their abundant fruits. A Marian 'convivencia' of seven days is the novelty. 80 people participate of it, and Mary is present granting many graces.

Spanish brothers

Three brothers who came specially from Madrid, to know more about the Movement, participate of the Easter Retreat with the Janer Pastoral Centre (230 attendants). We enjoyed their presence, and they felt eager to give witness in their country of what they saw and lived among us.

Process of Life Communities

One of the pastoral priorities of this year is to accompany the ecclesiastic maturity of the Movement in its Pastoral Branch. Thus the attention to Life Communities is favoured, because it is there that the process of life and formation of the Branch culminates. Fr. Ricardo summons three assemblies of Life Communities, in order to authenticate the disciple quality of these communities. At their yearly retreat, they had the occasion to look deeply into their "definitive membership of the Movement". As a novelty of the pastoral year, three life communities had the Covenant Retreat along three days of intensive sharing, praying and creating the necessary attitudes to live in alliance.

Family Deaconship

As an expression of this new real fact originating among us, several retreats are carried out in July. The fiancès retreat was attended by 43 couples, the marriages retreat by 36 couples, and the singles by 88 single people.

Deceases

Our beloved Fr. Bishop Jorge Novak died in July. Fr. Oscar Lateur, sj, who accompanied us from the beginning, died in November.

Trip to Spain

Our pastors Fr. Ricardo and Mercedes travel to Madrid in November, on occasion of an open retreat at Nuestra Señora de las Angustias parish, where Fr. Lucas is the parish priest. Jesus' presence is announced, in God's Word, in the community and in the Eucharist. As fruit of this retreat, people are interested in forming a community within the spirituality of the Movement. Six people start meeting in a group to have biblical prayer in community. Fr. Ricardo and Mercedes also have several meetings, they visit the group of Encounter in the Word in the parish of Dominican Fathers, and also Pillar Sanctuary in Zaragoza.

Covenant Retreat

This eight-day retreat, which expresses the charism of love in the Movement, is carried out in the House of Encounter and Prayer that the Work has in Cuesta Blanca, Córdoba. 11 brothers and 10 sisters who are in the way to Nazarene consecration participate of this retreat. It is the first time that a bishop participates of this retreat, as a special gift from God.

Priestly Fraternities

Since two years ago, the Movement has been inviting priests from the diocesan clergy to meet in small fraternities, to pray with God's Word and share their lives, as support for their parish work. There are two fraternities having a time of experiment: one in Córdoba, Argentina, and the other in Quito, Ecuador. On Thursday, April 4, Fr. Ricardo and Fr. Rodolfo have a chance to share with Quito fraternity, together with the missionary Luis Samaniego. On the occasion, there is a meeting with 10 diocesan priests, presided by the Auxiliary Bishop Mgr. Terán. Some of them express their wish to know the Movement in Argentina and to meet with the priestly fraternity in Córdoba.

'Convivencia' I in Ecuador

During a pastoral visit in September accompanied by the brothers from the Associated Community, the 'Convivencia I' of the Cursillo de Evangelización is carried out. It is the first time that it is held out of Argentina, and 40 members of the local community groups participate of it. There is also a retreat for priests of Quito Archdiocese: It is a novelty for them to have a retreat on the charism and the biblical spirituality of the Movement. The retreat gathers 1 deacon, 27 priests and the Cardinal and Archbishop of Quito, Mgr. González. The final comment shows the satisfaction of a priestly experience that creates bonds among them in the retreat, and they remark as a special activity the biblical prayer Encounter in the Word. At the end of the retreat, the Cardinal thanks the pastoral team of the Movement (that he had welcomed in the Archdiocese), for the experience of an encounter with the living Christ.