The Assumptionist parish of Santiago Apóstol Tlilapan, Veracruz is in code green, for having radically reduced COVID-19 infections. This allowed us to return to the parish of Father Oswaldo García Sánchez last Saturday, May 22, to offer a retreat on the theme of the Holy Spirit to the members of the pastoral ministry of the parish.
A year before the pandemic, Maricarmen Martínez Álvarez, Aurora (Bollo) Maltos and I started a training process for the catechists of the Vicariate where the parish belong. It seemed boring to us without those activities. PENTECOST was the new start for us in this pastoral work. With the consent of Fr. Oswaldo we have agreed with the schedule and the topic taken from The KERYGMA of the Charismatic Renewal.
We left Mexico City on Friday at 4pm, but along the way there was an accident between two trailer trucks and a car before the tunnels, which lost a lot of our time. We arrived in the parish almost 11 in the evening. But the pleasure of coming back to Tlilapan did not allow us to feel bad about it.
A total of 22 participants was a good number to begin the activity. It was a great moment to see familiar faces again, and how pleasing to meet new ones in the midst of this pandemic time. And it was so overwhelming to have an increase in male participants.
During the retreat, we make sure to have safety and health measures, thus, restricted us from our usual greetings of hug and embrace among old and new friends. The group was very diverse, with people who have a lot of experience and preparation, and some who have just joined the group. Yet, everybody was very active and participative in sharing their own personal reflections and experiences which was so enriching and was helpful to the whole retreat.
The participants expressed their difficulties on the pandemic especially during quarantine period were a lot was infected and some deaths in the area caused by Covid-19.
They were very emotional in their prayer and in sharing their experiences, thus, grateful because they really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the process. Through their testimonies we have acknowledged their deep faith, and empathized with their pain.
We thank Father Oswaldo for trusting us and for inviting us to work with him in the Prophetic Ministry of the area since he was appointed by the bishop to spearhead this ministry of the diocese.
We expect to work with the catechists of the vicariate before the year ends, we are only waiting for the confirmation of the theme we need to deal with depending on the current needs of the group and with the agreement from the parish priests. This excites us to know the agenda so we can create and prepare the most appropriate content, dynamics and elements of the project.
In addition, we were amazed to see the new facilities of the parish. A new function hall for big gatherings that was constructed on the second floor. It was impressively made that is very conducive for retreats. A well-lighted dormitories were also built over the community and dining room, 3 comfort rooms that we used during the retreat respecting proper health restrictions. Good job to the community and its parish priest, the facilities are very useful for their pastoral works.
Lastly, we thank the Holy Spirit, the Advocate of the retreat and of our lives, who has shown such great mercy towards us, and at the same time that our pastoral ministry has resumed. We pray that we will recover so soon in our health and economic activities and any necessary means for our country. Greetinsee you soon!
Rafael Martinez Guizar, lay Assumptionist
