Rome, Italy. For the third time since the 2021 General Chapter, the General Team of Solidarity and Mission (SOMI) of the Congregation gathered in person for a week of work from June 16 to 20, 2025. The General Curia hosted the meeting, which was attended by all members of the team.
The group assessed the implementation of the SOMI guidelines approved by the General Government a few months ago and reflected on how the values of solidarity and mission are being lived across the various organisms and conferences of the Congregation.
Sharing the concern of millions of people of goodwill for peace, justice, and care for our common home, Br. Robert Omondi, CMF, and Frs. Rohan Dominic and Henry Ramírez, CMF (members of the Claretian team at the United Nations), Frs. Lord Winner and Gabriel Ponce, CMF (successive Mission Procurators), Fr. Antonio Llamas, CMF (JPIC Secretary General), and Fr. Pedro Belderrain, CMF, held several meetings with the Superior General, Fr. Mathew Vattamattam, CMF, the General Econome, Fr. Manuel Tamargo, CMF, and the IClaret communication team.
Sixty years after the call of the Second Vatican Council that led to the creation of the first Justice and Peace commissions, the team recalled that JPIC spirituality (Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation), deeply rooted in the Gospel, continues to be the soul of Solidarity and Mission. It must be constantly activated and renewed, as emphasized in Querida Congregación (nos. 21, 43, 79–86).
The team gratefully reviewed the SOMI workshops held in ASCLA East and West in 2024 and discussed the upcoming one scheduled for ACLA later this year. Despite challenges, there is joyful recognition of the dedication with which so many Claretians and lay people live out their Gospel commitment to universal fraternity and care for Creation in diverse ways suited to their contexts.
Wishing to further enhance its initiatives, the team examined suggestions received from various continents and expressed its intention to better publicize the many ongoing experiences and activities. It also aims to strengthen the effective networking—among Christians and non-Christians alike—that distinguishes many Claretian communities.
