The Parish Assemblies were held on the weekend of October 15, 16 and 17 in Labrea, Pauini and Tapaua (Amazonas, Brazil) with the presence of the Augustinian Recollects who serve the people of God in this Amazonian Prelature. Hope was the main theme.
The Parish Assemblies in the Prelature of Labrea (Amazonas, Brazil) have the same objective and scheme: to evaluate at the end of the year (the pastoral course in Brazil coincides with the calendar year) what has been achieved in each of the parish actions; to reflect with the help of training and debates on what should be improved and how to do it; and finally to determine the pastoral objectives for the new course.
Also in all cases the Assembly has a very wide representation and participation, of between 70 and 80 people, who represent each of the human areas that make up the Parish.
Thus, the majority of the ecclesial base communities that constitute the Parish as a “community of communities” are present. Their leaders and formators participate actively; the presence of the main rural communities, some of which are more than three days away by boat from the parish headquarters, is notable, due to the difficulty of travel and the geographical extension of the Amazonian parishes.
Also present at the Assembly are the coordinators and distinguished members of the various pastoral services (ministers, catechesis, pastoral care for the elderly, adults, youth or children, family area, liturgy, altar boys, social pastoral care)…
Before the Assembly, in their last meetings, each of the corporate entities (base communities, pastoral services, movements) have discussed their own situation and presented proposals for action priorities for the following year; these proposals are discussed and chosen in the plenary.
The Parish of Saint Rita of Cascia in Tapaua (Amazonas, Brazil) held its 19th Parish Pastoral Assembly on November 15 and 16 in the parish hall. The motto was “With Santa Rita, Pilgrims of Hope announcing the joy of the Gospel”, in a clear nod to the universal ecclesial reality with the upcoming Jubilee 2025 and Pope Francis’ vision of a Church that goes out and proposes its faith and values to society from the contagious joy of a faith lived with coherence.
In Pauini it was the 22nd Assembly of the Parish of Saint Augustine and the motto also referred to the Jubilee: “Teach us to pray so that we may be pilgrims of hope”. The joint prayer was a special feature in Pauini, since a lectio divina and a detailed study of the Papal bull Hope does not deceive by Francis, in which he called for the Jubilee, were planned with all the participants.
Finally, in Labrea, the Parish of Our Lady of Nazareth also held its Assembly on November 16 with the presence of 75 participants and the bishop, the Augustinian Recollect Santiago Sánchez.
In this case there was a presentation on the need to build the parish from the Word, Bread and Charity, in which the reality of war, the situation of the imprisoned, openness to life and the values and attitudes of Christians to sow hope in the midst of a world that experiences great tragedies were reflected upon.
