Since July 14, an ongoing formation meeting has been taking place in Bogotá for missionaries from the American continent who have been ordained or made perpetual vows for 10-15 years. Fourteen missionaries from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina – either from their countries of origin or from the missions where they are currently serving – are participating. This four-week experience has as its central theme: “Returning to the heart to relaunch the mission.”
By the Editorial Team
The meeting aims to offer participants a space for personal and communal reflection to reread their own story, revitalize their missionary identity, and deepen their spirituality in the light of the Word of God and the testimony of Saint Joseph Allamano. All of this is done in fidelity to the charism of the Consolata Missionary Institute, as part of the journey toward the development of the Personal Project of Life and Mission (PPLM).
In his welcoming words, Father Venanzio Mwangi, Regional Superior of Colombia, highlighted the three pillars that identify and unite missionaries: community, mission, and hope. During the official opening, Father Juan Pablo de los Ríos, General Counselor for the Americas, proposed the reading of the passage of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35) as inspiration for this process of inner renewal and commitment to mission in a world that is constantly changing and challenging, even culturally, technologically, and communicatively.
The first week of the meeting, held from July 14 to 18, focused on recovering personal memory. Under the guidance of Father Salvador Medina, IMC, accompanied by psychologist Fernando Duque and philosopher and historian Jesús Antonio Gallego, the missionaries engaged in activities such as autobiography, personal mapping, the human spiral, and the historiogram. These tools helped reflect on their life journey—from childhood to the present—identifying key moments, wounds, achievements, and challenges.
Special emphasis was placed on healing inner wounds, working on five fundamental human wounds: abandonment, rejection, humiliation, betrayal, and injustice. Inspired by authors such as Rob Riemen, Lise Bourbeau, Peter Levine, and Fernando Vásquez, the missionaries came to understand the need to recognize these wounds in order to transform them into opportunities for growth and personal maturity—realizing that only through healing can the mission be fully exercised.
There was also deep reflection on institutional identity and the sense of belonging to the Institute. In this context, Father Salvador reminded them:
“When I stop and sit with myself, I don’t do it outside of the organism I belong to, of which I am a part… Questions about who we are, what we do, whom we serve, and how we want to be are not just personal questions, but questions for the whole Institute. And we are all called to respond.”
The sense of belonging was also experienced during the Eucharistic celebration on Thursday at the Parish of Mary, Queen of Missions, in Bogotá, where the missionaries joined the local community. This gesture, proposed by Father Venanzio Mwangi, served as a reminder of the importance of being rooted among the people and families, and how this communion nurtures the missionary vocation. Father Salvador emphasized this act as a call to synodality: walking together in the service of the Kingdom.
Ongoing formation continues its journey. This first stage has opened a deep process of review, healing, identity, and communion, aiming to strengthen the spirit of family and to relaunch missionary life with a renewed vision, faithful to the charism and at the service of communities throughout the world.
IMC America Communications
