 MAGANGUÉ, COLOMBIA - THE LASALLIAN DISTRICT OF BOGOTÁ PRESENT IN MANGANGUÉ – BOLÍVAR: Missions in the Lasallian District of Bogotá have had a tradition of being connected to houses of formation and some of the school in different cities. With regard to the houses of formation, and with some ups and down over time, postulants and pre-novices, accompanied on various occasions by formation staff, have embarked on the passionate adventure of becoming missionaries in places far from urban centers, armed only with the bare essentials but with the same God.
The same can be said for schools, such as the Polytechnical School in Sogamoso, the Instituto San Bernardo, the Liceo Hermano Miguel, and the Instituto Técnico Central, at different times and with different rhythms. Beginning this year in 2007 and animated by our particular spirit of faith and zeal, we have accomplished the First District Mission in the city of Magangué.
A group of 88 missionaries including young students and former students connected with youth groups from the BASE and LAZOS levels from the Lasallian Youth Movement Indivisa Manent; there were men and women teachers, Brothers, and pastoral ministry personnel involved in this program. We arrived in the town, south of Bolívar, to spread the Good News of the Lord's Easter and to celebrate with communities in the different areas of the Diocese of Magangué.
The majority of the participants had to travel for more than 22 hours to reach Cartagena, the first stop on their missionary journey, on March 30. We all congregated here, coming from different regions of the country. There we celebrated a Mass of Commissioning, which was presided by Father Rubén and led by a pastoral ministry group from Cartegena's La Salle School. They, along with members of the Brother Antonio Ramos Institution, were great hosts.
After that, we held a vigil service which was prepared and lead by Brothers Óscar Elizalde and Frank Ramos. It was a wonderful experience of faith which was marked by reflection, meditation, and the celebration of the mercy of God, who supported our encounter like the loving father who welcomed his returning son with hugs and embraces.
On Saturday, March 31, beginning at 4:30 PM, we prepared ourselves to continue on our missionary journey. In the entire territory of the Diocese, we encountered very natural people, many of them marginalized and living in situations of extreme poverty; at the same time these people were simple, friendly, generous, and welcoming in the midst of their poverty. They took great pains to attend to the missionaries, who arrived in twos and threes to the most abandoned places, sent with the Bishop's blessing, Leonardo Serna, and with the happiness and gratitude of the parishes from the different areas.
Some, after having traveled some 30 hours, were not overcome by exhaustion, and got in a small canoe, to navigate the Magdalena River for 8 more hours. We shared with the poorest of the poor; we connected with the Diocesan Renewal and Evangelization process; we let ourselves be filled with the festive and pleasant spirit of the inhabitants, who live their lives in happiness and in hope despite their marginalization and the fact that the country forgets about them, despite the constant threat on the part of those involved in our social conflict and the poverty generated by the entire system among the weakest and the destitute. Several of them were thankful for the presence of the missionaries, even though none had been there in these towns for more than 14 years.
The Spirit of the Lord encouraged and accompanied us; we learned from those who welcomed us and we tried to give the best of that which the God of Life and Hope has placed within us, to proclaim that there is no need to look among the dead for the one who lives eternally. We wait for the time when can again embrace the mission at Christmastime, trusting in his grace and blessing.
(Br. Carlos Andrés Forero - Secretary for Pastoral Ministry )
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