Madrid, Spain. One hundred and twenty-five religious gathered in Madrid during the first weekend of March for the XXII Juniors’ Encounter organized by the Escuela Regina Apostolorum (ERA) under the motto “Freely Religious, Religiously Free“. The participants, including formators and consecrated persons in initial formation, were confronted with the question of freedom in consecrated life from the perspective of a passionate look at our world, very much in tune with the current context in which we live.
Claretian Fathers Juan Lozano and Jorge Ruiz Aragoneses were the facilitators of the encounter that took place on March 4 and 5, 2023. It focused on four objectives: introspection on one’s own desire for freedom from consecration, the way to grow in freedom without entering into a relationship with dependence and toxicity, sharing the personal experience of freedom in small group dynamics and sharing, and the centrality of love first, that which moves us to re-disillusion ourselves. The methodology of the conference combined short, agile and visual presentations with a deep work of reflection and sharing of the conclusions previously worked on in groups. Special attention was given to the spaces of silence, personal and community prayer, as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours. It ended with a Eucharist presided by Fr. Jorge.
La Escuela “Regina Apostolorum”
The Escuela Regina Apostolorum is a theological-catechetical teaching center, founded by the Claretian Missionaries in 1970.
Since its foundation, it has specialized in the formation and animation of consecrated men and women, responding to the specific needs of the formative stages and pastoral tasks.
It is located in the same facilities of the Institute of Consecrated Life (ITVR) in Madrid.
Source: Ignacio Virgilito, Communications Officer of the Province of Santiago.
