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Retreats of evangelizationIn the first fortnight of January, ten retreats of evangelization and civilization of different length (five to eight days) were carried out. 745 brothers and sisters took part in them, as first fruits of evangelization in the year. We pray for the fruitfulness of the grace in the heart of those who attended these meetings. |
Rural missions 200622 brothers and sisters from several places of the Movement, went on mission last summer under the motto: "Mary, Mother of the Word of God and Guardian of our faith". After three consecutive years, in 2006 the cycle of missions at Villa Iris village (diocese of Bahía Blanca), was closed. The characteristics of this mission were the meetings centered on the Word of God held by people who had already attended the mission, and the spiritual retreat that was carried out, of which 17 people participated. The mission to Avellaneda (diocese of Reconquista) was well blessed by Mary, who protected the service with special care, and she opened the doors not only of houses but those of the hearts as well. Blessed be God for the fruits of the mission and the selflessness of the missionaries! |
Retreats of Coordinators of Pastoral Centers
The current pastoral year started with this retreat, held from 17 to 19
February. It was carried out in Castelar town, in Buenos Aires, and was
attended by 136 coordinators who came from the whole country and from
Paraguay. Fr. Ricardo enlightened this meeting with the subject: "Levels
of formation in the pastoral leadership of the Center". |
Retreats of Coordinators, Servants and CPCSeveral Retreats of Coordinators were held by the end of February and beginning of March. More than 800 coordinators of groups attended them, in several provinces of Argentina. Assistants of the different services and catechists of the Communitarian Process for Confirmation (CPC) also had their Retreats. The CPC is an ecclesial service rendered in 30 parishes of Argentina and in some parishes abroad. Let us pray for the brothers and sisters who are being served and evangelized! |
XXXIII Easter RetreatsOn Holy Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Movement celebrated its foundational feast, organizing 56 Easter retreats in Argentina, Asuncion, Quito, Paysandu and Lima. Under the motto "The believers were together and had all things in common" (Acts 2:44). Let us pray so that the risen Lord continues blessing his People with a New Life! |
Days of Pentecost
They were celebrated in the different Pastoral Centers of the Movement,
at the weekend of 3 and 4 June. This year they had a special significance:
Brothers and sisters from 18 life communities of those centers expressed
their disciple identity. In the joy of this event, all the communities of
each center gathered the history condensed in the Work through the life
of these brothers and sisters. Glory be to God! |
Book "El sagrario humano de Jesús"On Friday August 18, in Córdoba city, the presentation of the latest book of Fr. Ricardo Martensen ("The human shrine of Jesus") took place. A hundred people came up, a lot of friends and people closely connected with the Movement, which created a warm and brotherly atmosphere. The presentation was carried out at Colegio San José, in Còrdoba, and was led by the teachers Alicia Pascual and Lili Guita. Let us pray the Spirit of God that the grace of spirituality of treatment is extended to all men! |
Retreat of dedicated married couplesOn 1st and 2nd July, ten married couples, who have this call within the Movement, had their annual retreat. The announcements of the retreat were given by Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez, and by Fr. Ricardo. One of the subjects develops the identity of the grace of dedication, being the title: "The temple of the married couple dedicated to God". On a later occasion, the married couples who have this call in Córdoba, had this same retreat. May the Lord pour this grace of holiness in marriage over the whole Church! |
Retreats for married and engaged couples
In parallel with the retreat above mentioned, two other retreats were held,
and 29 couples participated of them. They were pastorally accompanied by
Fr. Daniel Viera. In the retreat for married couples, 12 couples participated
and they came from Buenos Aires, Paraná and Paysandú (Uruguay). They were
also accompanied by Andrea and Pablo Salerno, and Alejandro and Susana
Bofils, who announced "The call to love". Fr. Daniel presented the
subject of crises and the fundamental options. |
Pastoral visit to EcuadorFr. Ricardo and our sister Mercedes, members of the Central Pastoral Service, visited the capital of this country, from August 23 to September 7. Thirty-five Ecuadorian brothers and sisters participated of the 'Convivencia I' of the Short Course of Evangelization. For 5 days they received Jesus as Savior and they renewed the baptismal grace. Later on the members of the Associated Community in that city, had their annual retreat. May Mary, Guardian of our faith, keep promoting and protecting evangelization in those cities! |
House that will be our seat in LimaOn returning from Quito, our sister Mercedes Guinle stayed in Lima on the second week of November. She visited the retreat of preparation for Confirmation, and arranged some pastoral and institutional issues. In Lima they are preparing a house which was purchased by the Movement, to function as a pastoral seat in Peru. We pray for the community which will be established there and for all the brothers and sisters who are working pastorally together with Fr. Jorge, in the parish of San Francisco Solano. |
Juvenile pilgrimage to LujánThe people who promoted the participation in this Marian pilgrimage, to the Marian Shrine, said: "this was the 16th time that we were present as a Work in this beautiful experience of the Argentine Church". 480 brothers and sisters of the Movement took part, (13 buses) counting pilgrims and servers (they were helped by 5 vans and 3 cars). "We came from fourteen different Pastoral Centers, together with some other people who do not belong to the Movement, but who came to share with us this beautiful experience. We always take advantage of the march to announce the Word of God to the pilgrims who walk together with us, trying to gestate a space for the life of the Spirit and for fraternity. The Lord blesses us with the grace that some of them later approach the Work because of the experience which they shared on their way to Luján." |
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Week-long Retreat and Covenant RetreatOn February 23rd, brothers and sisters who are preparing to enter the consecrated branches of Nazaret, took part in this week-long retreat in order to live in the reality that "God is Love". This retreat coincides with the publication of the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, which was received as a sign of integration in the ecclesial spirit. At the weekend of August 19th-21st, 104 brothers and sisters of the life communities participated of the Covenant Retreat, which touches the heart of our charism. The discipleship process of the laity of this time of the Church needs our prayers! |
Public commitmentsWithin the celebration of Christ the King, our brothers, Nazarene priests Frs. Darío Desperés and Marcelo Gil made their public commitments of definitive consecration to the Movement. It was a moving and well-attended liturgical celebration. We thank the Lord by the 'yes' of our brothers! |
Groups in Miami, U.S.A.Our brother, Nazarene priest Fr. Walter Chiesa, paid a pastoral visit to the groups which meet in Miami, from 27th February to 13th March. In a later time and out of the Providence, some other brothers could visit them pastorally too. They were Héctor Alquati, in August, Rubén Guillemi, in September and Carlos Yaquino, in October. Let's pray so that the Spirit of the Lord may bless abundantly those brothers and sisters who live there! |
Diaconal ordinationOn May 20 Father Bishop Stöckler ordained our brother Sebastián Pérez as deacon. He belongs to the Nazarene Community of Florencio Varela (Buenos Aires province), which administer pastorally Santa Lucía Parish. The joy of those who attended the ceremony, and the fraternal feast at the end, was a sign of praise to God! |
World Congress of Movements in RomeThe Movement of the Word of God took part in the II World Congress of ecclesial Movements and new Communities held in Italy. It was presided by Mgr. Rylko and the other members of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which convoked and organized this Congress. Our Nazarene sister Laura di Palma, from the Publishing House, and Fr. José María Aguirre, from Santa Lucía Parish attended the Congress as representatives of the Work. They also attended the encounter of Movements and Communities summoned by Benedict XVI to celebrate Pentecost Eve at St. Peter's Square on Saturday June 3rd. Let's praise the Lord for the manifestation of all the gifts and charisms that the Spirit pours over the Church! |
Visit to the group in Madrid, Spain
Coming back towards Buenos Aires, from Rome, Laura di Palma and Fr. Jose
María Aguirre visited pastorally the group that meet in Madrid. Together
with a married couple who had arrived from Valencia, they carried out a
day meeting of sharing and praying, giving thanks to the Lord for their
way throughout the year. |
Visit to Gibraleón, SpainFr. Ricardo, Fr. Marcelo Gil, Nazarenes Mercedes and Silvia Fioramonti visited Fr. Diego Suárez at Gibraleón (Huelva province, Spain) and they learned about the work they do to assist children, young and old people, by means of Obras Cristianas (Christian Works), presided by Fr. Suárez. In the parish there is a TV channel which can be seen in the whole province. Fr. Suárez made the visitors participate of two TV programs, and of the Mass televised on Sunday. At this stage of the trip, the Argentine group was accompanied and helped by José Ponce, a member of the group in Madrid. |
Marian retreatsOn Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June, the Marian Branch of the Work carried out retreats, in Cordoba (100 participants) and in San Juan (40 participants). May the love to Mary keep alive in God's children! |
Day-long meetings of consecrated lay sisters and priestsThe annual meetings took place in July. In them 99 consecrated lay sisters and priests of the Movement (Nazaret), nourished the grace of surrendering and service to God. The priests meditated, prayed and shared a subject of their own identity: "The priestly identity of the Nazarenes in the Movement". "The harvest is great but the workers are few!", let's pray to the Father for this intention of Jesus. |
Mary's DaysAround the feast or the Assumption, August is a Marian month in the Movement. For this reason, numerous day-long meetings are carried out in several towns of the country. In the meeting that took place in Córdoba, our sister Mónica Rojas made the public expression of her consecration to Nazaret. Four married couples also expressed their dedication to God: Miriam and Gabriel Possetto, Marta and Leopoldo Oliva, Sandra and Miguel Rivarola, María Aída and Mario Clavero. On Sunday 17 September, 278 brothers and sisters of the Litoral region had their Mary's day. It was attended by members of the groups of Rosario, Paraná, Rafaela, Junín and Paysandú. Let's pray so that the gratuity also becomes a life horizon for married couples and families! |
Priestly fraternitiesFrom 23 to 27 October took place the annual retreat of the fraternities of diocesan priests, in Córdoba and Buenos Aires. The retreat was at the Casa de Encuentro y Oración San José in Cuesta Blanca, Córdoba. It was accompanied by the Nazarene priests Walter Chiesa, Rodolfo Pagani and José María Aguirre. Such experiences contribute to the renewing and pastoral vitality of the diocesan parishes. |
Publishing House premisesSince October 9 the Editorial de la Palabra de Dios (Publishing House of the Word of God) has been working at the new premises, in 1212, 24 de Noviembre Street, in Capital Federal. From there a new time of growth and development is projected, for the evangelizing work that was assigned to them. We thank the Lord for his Providence, so concrete and loving with this project of evangelization! |
Travel to RomeFr. Ricardo, Fr. Marcelo Gil, Mercedes Guinle and Silvia Fioramonti from Spain traveled to Rome. There they were received very amiably by Mgr. Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, who indicated to them the steps that are due to follow for a possible pontifical approval of the Movement. The interview was made day 11 of October, liturgical celebration of the blessed Pope John XXIII and anniversary of the initiation of II Vatican Council. The brothers soon visited and thanked God for this grace before the tombs of John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II. We prayed for the universal Church and the necessity of faith of peoples and nations! |
