Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk 1:39-40).
With the celebration of the feast of the Visitation of Mary (31/05), the group of missionaries celebrating the jubilee of 25 years of priestly ordination and/or religious profession, concluded the formation course that took place in Rome from 4 to 31 May.
By Vilson Jochem *
In concluding the course, the coordinators, Father Antonio Rovelli, Father Ernesto Viscardi and Father Mathews Odhiambo Owuor, highlighted the maturity of the participants found in their participation, availability and work done. They were invited to take care of themselves and to accompany their brothers in living well their consecration and service to the mission. They also highlighted the friendship and harmony created among the 16 participants and invited them to start again with renewed enthusiasm, keeping the Word of God at the center.
In the final mass, presided over by the Superior General, Father James Lengarin, the missionaries were encouraged to feel like they were on the road as pilgrims of hope. Father Lengarin invited them to continue learning from Mary, who in her Visitation to Elizabeth carried Jesus in her womb, who is capable of bringing joy and fulfillment where hope seemed to vanish.
“Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth conveys an important message about missionary vocation: every baptized person is called to share Jesus with others, just as Mary did when she brought Jesus to Elizabeth after receiving the extraordinary message from the Angel Gabriel. With dedication and love, she set out to visit Elizabeth,” said Father James Lengarin.
Read also: Rekindling the Fire of Consecrated Life: Hope and Renewal
Starting from Christ: a renewed commitment of Consecrated Life
Evangelization in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Discernment on the present of Consecrated Life
Loved, Called and Sent on Mission in the World
The Word of God: soul and guide of consecrated life
Consecrated Life: Current Affairs and Perspectives
“Your presence here during the month of May, in addition to being a time dedicated to the devotion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has been a blessing to this community. I recognize the sacrifices you have made in answering this noble call. Every day you make a difference in the lives of those you serve, touching hearts and bringing hope to those less fortunate. Your passion and resilience are an inspiration to our missionary family and to so many others.”
To fully live the Consecrated and Missionary Life, the Superior General proposed three qualities: “Being mystics – Living an intimate experience of God and transmitting his love; Being prophets – Promoting acceptance and generosity in human relationships; Being servants – Promoting the growth of others, with humility and respect. These qualities oppose the mentality of the modern world, but are essential for an authentic vocation. Your lives resemble those of Mary and Elizabeth. We entrust to you the task of carrying forward the mission of Consolation in the world, keeping it sound and pure, without being seduced by economic interests and external pressures”, wished them Father James Lengarin. He also reminded them that the Institute is in their hands, and therefore they are called to animate and guide our Consolata family in the ways of fidelity to God and to the charism inherited from Saint Joseph Allamano.
With gratitude to God who has given this moment of “oasis” in the life of each of us, and who never leaves us alone; and grateful to the missionaries who have left their daily work to dedicate themselves to this time of grace, to pay attention to their initial call and the centrality of consecration to the Lord, and to continue to help our Consolata family in its sanctification in the mission ad gentes .
Before the Mass, in a moment of evaluation, the participants thanked the team of the General Secretariat for Formation of the Institute for their dedication, commitment and organization of the course; and also the entire community of the General House for their welcoming, attention and care.
This was the first course of the six-year period. Two more similar courses are planned, one next September and the other in September 2027.
* Father Vilson Jochem, IMC, missionary in Venezuela.