From the 24th –28th June 24 in the friary of "Santo Antônio do Pari" in São Paulo, Brazil, which belongs to the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM, the meeting of the Commission for New Forms of Presence and Evangelization in Latin America today was held.
The members of the Commission participated: the coordinator Br. Gustavo Wayand Medella (Brazil), Br. Rodolfo Cesar Sosa (Argentina), Br. Segundo Paulo Yésquen Torres (Colombia), Br. Erick Mauricio Cacerez Rivera (El Salvador), as well as the Secretary General for the Missions and Evangelization, Br. Francisco Gómez Vargas, and the General Animator of the Missions, Br. Dennis Tayo Tupas. The meeting was also attended by the Definitor General for Latin America, Br. César Külkamp.
During the working days, the group had the opportunity to examine the responses to the questionnaire sent to the UCLAF Entities on New Forms of Presence, evaluate the passes made so far and define new actions to animate and promote the theme amongst Latin American friars.
The programme included a visit and interaction with some services of SEFRAS (Serviço Franciscano de Solidariedade): the Frei Galvão Seminar, in Guaratinguetá, SP; Chá do Padre, together with the friary of San Francisco at the service of the homeless street dwellers; the House of Assisi, which works in the reception of migrants and refugees; SEFRAS Peri, which works with children and adolescents in the suburbs; and the Parish of Santa Cruz. They also had the opportunity to get to know the National Shrine of Aparecida.
To enlighten reflection on the issues, the Commission collaborated with Professor Alan Coelho of the University of São Francisco, Doctor of Religious Sciences at the Methodist University of São Paulo (UMESP), who addressed the theme "Challenges of Mission and Evangelization Today in Latin America".
Below are some of the themes proposed by the Commission to be prioritized: encouraging the Entities to inaugurate a new fraternity amongst the poor by 2027; to encourage the Secretariats for Missions and Evangelization to work in depth on this issue in their respective Entities; to try to familiarize the brothers and fraternities with the experiences of the existing New Forms; to reflect on the Order's presence in the digital world, encouraging it to be ever more professional, prophetic and in communion; to continue to accompany and promote the Order's presence in the Amazon; the theme of Immigration.
Amongst the concrete recommendations are: the proposal of a virtual meeting with the participation of the General Definitors for Latin America, the Presidents of the Latin American Conferences (Brazil-Southern Cone, Bolivarian and Our Lady of Guadalupe) and the ME Secretaries of these Conferences, to be held in August; the proposal to organize two meetings, in September and October, for sharing amongst the friars involved in the New Forms; the Commission's in-depth study of the themes of presence in the Amazon, work with migrants and the evangelization of young people; the possible realization of a Latin American meeting on New Forms of Evangelization in June 2025.
With the contribution of Br. Gustavo Wayand Medella
