Continuing the series of the formators’ testimonies, in this video, Father José Lorenzo Gómez Sánchez, IMC, presents the Apostolic Formative Community (CAF) of Bogotá, Colombia. He speaks about the importance of the course held in Rome from 2 to 17 September 2024 when he also left a message on the occasion of the canonization of Saint Joseph Allamano.
By Jaime C. Patias *
Bogotá’s CAF is located in the parish of Our Lady Consolata in the Vergel neighborhood and has six professed theology students. The parish priest is Father Naftaly Mung’athia Matogi. The Colombia region also has a second CAF in Medellin with seven professed students.
Bogotá’s CAF
“The main characteristic of the Apostolic Formation Community (CAF) of Bogota is that it is located in a parish environment where the seminarians study, but are also involved in all parish activities. The community is made up of six African students, the parish priest is a Kenyan, Father Naftaly Matogi, and I also work there as an assistant parish priest. It is a very active community, located in an area where numerous elderly people live, and with several other parish pastoral care challenges that require collaboration. The parish is called Our Lady Consolata. The goal is to make this a missionary parish, within the urban context in which it is located.
Ongoing formation
Recently, we attended a course in Rome for IMC formators from all over the world. The course (from September 2nd to 7th, 2024) addressed several very important topics from the formators’ point of view, and also provided us with some tools to improve our role as formators. Among the dynamics presented during the course, the one that struck me the most was that of emotional intelligence. Acknowledging this reality helps us to better manage our emotions, and also help others to better manage, balance and integrate this aspect into their lives.
Saint Joseph Allamano
It is a time when we are celebrating the canonization of our Founder (Joseph Allamano). It is a very important event for all the Consolata missionaries, which gives us the opportunity to deepen our charism, the missionary aspect, our spirituality, but above all to recognize that the miracle of the canonization occurred in a mission context among an indigenous people, the Yanomami, and that for us is a further confirmation of God’s blessing on our mission. Therefore, we thank God for the canonization of our Founder, which gives us the opportunity to deepen our charism and to continue to announce the Kingdom of God, present among us, with the style desired by our holy Founder: “first saints and then missionaries”.
Statistics
The Consolata Missionary Institute currently has 355 seminarians, of whom 133 are professed theology students, 30 novices, 150 philosophy seminarians and 42 in the preparatory course.
* Father Jaime C. Patias, IMC, Communications Office in Rome.
