Talagante, Chile. 3rd-7th January, 2011, the “Claretian family” in Chile experienced a historic day holding the last General Assembly as a “Delegation”, before their unification in a single “Province” with other organizations in South America.
Missionaries and lay people gathered at the Claret Centre in Talagante to share their experiences, plan future work and encourage fraternity.
The working day was divided into two stages, the first from Monday 3rd to Wednesday 5th with the sole presence of religious, who discussed their experiences and challenges with the integration of the programme “The Forge in our daily life.” Also under the theme “men on fire with love”, there was a motivating session for the renewal of one’s personal missionary spirituality.
The second stage began on Thursday with the incorporation of lay workers who participate in the Prefecture of the Apostolate, as Bible activity leaders (CEBICLAR), in Mission Development, in Justice and Peace (JPIC), in the Secretariats of Education and Communication, as well as team representatives of parishes, youth ministry and Lay Claretians.
The Assembly also received encouragement from Rafael Silva Soler, Executive Director of “Continental Mission in Chile”, who illustrated how this initiative of the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) is being carried out in the country, proposed by its V General Assembly held in Aparecida, Brazil in 2007.
