Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians - Rome

MISSIONARY SPIRITUALITY

PROJECT America

Southern Cone

Its birth

Mother Antonia’s visit to the south of Chile (20-28 April 2002) has sparked in her the desire to share this missionary treasure with the whole Institute

Towards the end of the Chapter, Mother General invited the provinces of the CICSAL to launch the Missionary Spirituality Project

Through a letter sent to the provincials of the CICSAL (24 June 2003), Sr. Ciri expressed the desire of Mother General and the Council :

- to offer support and accompaniment to initiatives that will arise

- to entrust this project to the Mission ad gentes sector

Among the activities programmed for the next six-year period “one stands out: the CENTENNIAL OF THE DEATH OF LAURA VICUNA”

To celebrate this anniversary we have proposed to launch the Missionary Spirituality (Six-year Plan of the Mission Ad Gentes Sector)

Together with you we would like to initiate a process of reflection on the “Missionary Spirituality Project”, remembering that this proposal made

by Mother General during the GCXXI has been welcomed by you with joy and enthusiasm.

We hope that through the power of the Spirit, this seed may generate life, that is, a missionary presence that is always more authentic”

Sr. Ciri HernandezLetter to the provincials of the CICSAL

24 June 2003

The team is composed of one FMA from each

province of the CICSAL

Its birth

ROSARIO ALONSO CIL

CARMEN MAROTO ABB

JUSTA PAVETTI PAR

ADRIANA GÓMEZ ARO

ANA MARÍA FERNÁNDEZ ABA

FANNY SERRÉS URU

Rekindle in the communities the missionary zeal of the origins by rediscovering the experience of the first FMA missionaries who

reached this part of the world

Rekindle in the communities the missionary zeal of the origins by rediscovering the experience of the first FMA missionaries who

reached this part of the world

Objective

The different phases of the Project

FIRST PHASE:

- Montevideo

- Buenos Aires

- Junín de los Andes

August – September 2005

FIRST PHASE:

- Montevideo

- Buenos Aires

- Junín de los Andes

August – September 2005

Tappe del Progetto

SECOND PHASE:

- Bahía Blanca

- Fortín Mercedes

- Patagones

- Viedma

- Junín de los Andes

October – November 2006

SECOND PHASE:

- Bahía Blanca

- Fortín Mercedes

- Patagones

- Viedma

- Junín de los Andes

October – November 2006

The different phases of the Project

Tappe del Progetto

THIRD PHASE:

- Santiago del Cile

- Puntarenas

- Dawson Island

- La Candelaria

- Rio Grande

- Rio Gallegos

October – November 2007

THIRD PHASE:

- Santiago del Cile

- Puntarenas

- Dawson Island

- La Candelaria

- Rio Grande

- Rio Gallegos

October – November 2007

The different phases of the Project

Modality Through the use of documents of the period,

further reflection on texts of a historical-

missionary nature

Moments of personal and group reflection to

favour a “re-reading of relevant texts”

Workshops that will help recall the origins

and at the same time make a comparison with

what is lived in our times

Celebrations in historical places

Visit to historical places that recall the origins of our Congregation

Testimony of missionaries

Visit to the “MEMORY CORNER”

Reflection of mission ad gentes today of historical documents, under the profile of inculturation, of experience of God, of inter-cultural relations, of the Institute yesterday and today in the light of the GCXXI for a renewed vision of the Church

“They left with very few things...

Their poverty did not frighten them...

They were consoled by the

thought of living MORNESE in AMERICA...

They did not remain strangers: they immersed themselves to the new reality with eyes wide open in order to discover the

needs of the young people, to recognize every opportunity to

do good.”

125 years after the first missionary departure of the FMA, I, too, will travel to a few of the places in Patagonia and in the land of Tierra del Fuego during the month of April. They will be symbolic pauses to thank, encourage and at the same time to coninue to dream dreams which, bringing us back to the charismatic origins, will re-launch us toward new shores. Perhaps not always in expansion, but certainly in depth and in connection with today’s social reality.

Mother AntoniaCirc. Nº 840

Mary, missionary among missionaries, accompany and bless our Project