First meeting of the brothers who work with indigenous populations

The first meeting of the brothers who work with indigenous populations took place from October 15 to 19 in the Guatemala City, hosted by the Franciscan fraternity of this central American country, in the territory of the Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The meeting brought together brothers of the three conferences that compose UCLAF and saw the participation of brothers coming from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.  Present also were the General Secretary for Evangelization, Br. Francisco Gómez, the General Animator of the Missions, Fr. Dennis Tayo, and the General Definitor for Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico, Fr. Joaquín Echeverry.  The first two days took place at the Monte San Francisco Retreat House, located in the same complex as the provincial curia.

The first greeting addressed to the participants was that of the President of the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM), Card. Jaime Spengler, OFM, Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Speaking by videoconference, he thanked the Order for the particular attention paid to indigenous peoples who, as Pope Leo XIV recalled in his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, “are the poorest among the poor”.  He also encouraged the participants to maintain their Franciscan joy, characterized by good humor, to make the mission lighter and more exciting.

Br. Francisco Gómez and UCLAF Conference President, Br. Fernando Aparecido dos Santos, also offered words of welcome. Said Br. Fernando, “Let the Light of the Holy Spirit rekindle in your hearts the desire to read the signs of the times, to be present wherever the Spirit sends you”.

The meeting was also led by Fr. Ricardo Falla, a 93 year old Jesuit priest born in Guatemala. Missionary, anthropologist and theologian, he dedicated much of his life to the coexistence, study and evangelization of indigenous populations.

The brothers had the opportunity to share their experiences in a wide variety of services: from parochial work to help in the fight for the rights and conservation of the popular memory, from the defense of territories to the care of the common good, from sharing in the daily life to contributing to the recovery of traditional practices and rites.

On the second day, the Minister General, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, speaking by videocall from Angola, reiterated the 4 axes and 3 lines of action presented by the Commission of New Forms of Life in Latin American that were presented in the last meeting.

Starting from all the realities presented and the provocations raised in the dialogues and debates, the brothers were able to present some conclusions and wishes regarding the promotion of the presence among indigenous peoples, including:

1. The presence and sharing of life with indigenous peoples is a way of evangelizing that is an integral part of the Franciscan identity and ought to be encouraged among the brothers and the fraternities, because the culture of waste, market dominance, the accumulation of wealth and predatory consumption have seriously endangered both the planet and the dignified survival of indigenous peoples, placing them among the poorest among the impoverished.
2. The difficulty of finding brothers with the qualifications and the desire to work with indigenous peoples and to learn their style of life remains a great challenge;
3. Organizing a project for this form of presence and evangelization which involves various levels could guarantee greater security in the conduct and continuity of the processes.
4. It would be necessary to publicize this type of presence in a more open and widespread way, so that the brothers of the entire Order and beyond become aware of it.
5. Dedicating oneself wholeheartedly to learning the language of the people he serves is a crucial task for the brother who offers himself to this service.
6. The brothers selected or those who volunteer for this service must be accompanied and receive careful preparation.
7. The existing presences, above all in Amazonia, urgently need to be strengthened, looking for the necessary means for this purpose, in terms of brothers and other forms of assistance and resources.
8. Working with a complex reality, such as that of indigenous peoples, requires intense networking, involving agents of the Church and beyond. Efforts in this direction are indispensable.
9. An Executive Committee has been appointed, with a representative of each UCLAF conference, which will continue to work on the recommendations of the meeting, in collaboration with the Commission for the New Forms and the General Secretary for the Missions and Evangelization. The brothers nominated to this committee are: Br. Sebastián Robledo (Conf. Brazil e Cono Sud), Br. Antonio Vasquez (Conf. Bolivariana) e Br. Alfonso Barrientos (Conf. Our Lady of Guadalupe).

On October 16, 17 and 18, the participants undertook a pilgrimage and shared a convivial experience in regions with strong indigenous traditions: first in the Chichicastenango region, then they spent two days in Zacualpa, a region of Guatemala where the brothers have been present for over 40 years, a place of intense experiences of martyrdom and also marked by the Mayan culture.

It was an intense experience of immersion in the culture and in the life of these peoples and an experience of how to create a evangelizing presence based on intercultural dialogue and on attentive and committed listening to the reality, joys and sorrows of the people.

On the 18th, returning to Guatemala City, the brothers had the opportunity to visit the Sanctuary of St. Francis the Great, in the municipality of Antiqua, where they took part in the Eucharistic celebration. They were welcomed by the local fraternity and received the Certificate of Pilgrims of Hope, since the Sanctuary is also a Jubilee Church, which to date has welcomed about 40,000 pilgrims.

With the contribution of Fr. Gustavo Wayand Medella, OFM
Province of the Immaculate Conception of Brazil

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