Friday, March 13, 2015

The Mission Families Speak Out





Neocatechumenal Way mission families: We will give as freely as we have received

Excitement, laughter and uncertainty. Those were the range of emotions during an encounter with Pope Francis.
 
These are members of the Neocatechumenal Way. They met with the Pope because he has sent 250 families on mission. Many will go to places where the Church is not very active, like China, India or even Europe. Mercedes and Laure are headed to Mukachevo, Ukraine.
 
MERCEDES AND LAURE
"Where there is war, we bring peace with joy. We are happy because it was random. They said Ukraine and our names. We are happy and content. We will go wherever the Lord wants to take us...To give freely what He has given to us.”
 
Alberto and Sonia, however, already lived in Serbia for four years.
 
ALBERTO AND SONIA
"We were very afraid when we arrived, thinking every day that we will die. But that did not happen. God leads our lives.”
 
The new missions are composed of three or four families, a priest, a seminarian and two single women. The Neocatechumenal Way has more than 90 "missio ad gentes" like these throughout the world.
 
During the meeting, Pope Francis blessed crucifixes that 31 priests will carry in their new missions. Father Manuel Capa will be responsible for the new mission in Stockholm, Sweden.
 
MANUEL CAPA
Priest of the new mission in Stockholm
"I felt humbled and very loved at the same time. Love from the Church and love from God through the Holy Father has assured me in this calling and in this mission."
 
The complicated feelings are common in these new missions. A sense of uncertainty can prevail, especially in the smaller ones.
 
LAURA
"I did not know how to feel at the start of my trip.”
 
She said that the ability to learn a new language and make friends in a new country outweighs the costs.
 
LAURA
"It was difficult at first but later teachers helped me and got me to learn."
 
From now on, these families have a single mission: to speak about God in their new homelands. They will do this in countries where God has been forgotten or never arrived.
 
 
 

27 comments:

  1. Wonderful. These people are giving their life to go to these far away places, risking their lives... and they are so happy. And the Pope not only approves them but praises them. “As he said last Friday, As Kiko said, our meeting today is a missionary commissioning, in obedience to what Christ asked us: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” And I am particularly glad that this mission is carried out thanks to Christian families, united in a community, who have the mission to give witness to our faith that attract people to the beauty of the Gospel...."

    And here in Guam the 'purists' are nitpicking on the Eucharist the Neo-catechumenals celebrate

    Something does not fit in the big picture.... Is the Pope right or wrong?

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  2. Families are unemployable in their own country. Come to Guam for free expense living paid for by catholic community of Guam. Famalies are living off our money contribute little to our island community. If they had real Jobs in their own country families not be living off Guam. Only wasters live as these families do. In their own country simply can't get employment.

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    1. Dear Anonymous at 10:53 am,

      This only goes to show that you did not read my last entry post dated March 9th, which is just before I posted this one. It stated:

      "There is a Christian community behind each one of these families: the community of their parishes of origin, which helps them, pays for their trips, stays in contact with them, so that the community is involved in the evangelization. If a family does not find work, the community helps them until they do. To begin the Mission, these families look for a building where they can meet and form the community; they look for work, a place to live and their children begin to study in the local school."

      http://neocatechemunal.blogspot.com/2015/03/missio-ad-gentes-event-of-new_9.html

      To put it in simple terms, YOUR precious money had nothing to do with these mission families on Guam or anywhere else.

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    2. Actually, one of the prerequisites of going in mission is to have a job and usually a good one. This is precisely in order to prevent what you are accusing these people of doing. And families in mission once they get to the country they will live in have to, I repeat, have to find a job. It can be serving in the parish or working outside the parish but they all find jobs. For example, one was a chemist in his home country and became a janitor in his mission country. Another was a chiropractor and became a school teacher. Another worked for a big finance firm and a rival to his firm gave him a higher paying job in his mission country than his original firm. I know a physisist who found a job teaching in one of the best universities of that country and a cardiologist who became a doorman. So you get all kinds. You judge in ignorance and with malice. It is very sad to see in a brother/sister catholic.

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    3. LIES. LIES. LIES.

      The mission families that are in Guam were all gainfully employed in their respective countries. They were earning good money.

      And they let everything for a mission.... announce the Love of God.

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    4. Yes, by what we see we're they garbage men women in their countries?

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  3. Problem with famalies on mission they fail to understand inculturation. Often little respect of the families to our culture, customs, traditions. Before they come to Guam need for at least a years cultural preparation in their own country. Once in Guam need to be supervised helped by our people to adapt to life here. Many to do adapt to our culture causing issues.

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  4. “We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.”

    - St. Teresa of Avila

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  5. I agree with Ann. 7:47...inculturation is the key for a meaningful and non threatening collaboration with the local culture. As many mission families experienced, after a while, the children grow up and family issues start to pour in as culture clashes.

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  6. A number of practices of the movement are not approved by the Holy See. Founding father and founding mother Carmen failed to understand theology and this led to the confusion of their faith which they taught others. As a result today we have a confused church on Guam because of them. Anthony Apuron adopted Kiko theology which ultimately now leads to the archdiocese questioning his ability to lead. Following man made theology is a disaster.

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    1. Dear Anonymous at 10:32 am,

      For your information, Kiko Arguello received a degree in honorary doctorate in Sacred Theology by the Catholic University of John Paul II in Lublin, Poland.

      http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/neocatechumenal-way-initiator-receives-honorary-doctorate-from-john-paul-ii-catholic-university-in

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    2. I ask again: what cultural practices do families in mission need to learn before they get to Guam? Please do not make empty accusations and cite concrete facts.

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    3. Sensitivity training, anti-racism workshops, are some of the things mission families can do before coming to the island.

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    4. Dear Anonymous at 2:13 pm,

      I do not think the seminarians and mission families are racists. The only racists I have found are the ones telling the "foreigners" to go back to their country because they are not wanted here. These are the ones who need some anti-racism training.

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    5. Anon @213, you do not say anything that the families have done that demonstrates they are either racist or insensitive. As such, either you are very prejudiced against them and should yourself go to sensitivity training or you just need to inform yourself before speaking or blogging. The only sensitivity training that really works is the gospel message.

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  7. Diana, He paid for the degree. Very easy to do.

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    1. Dear Anonymous at 11:52 am,

      He earned it. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI earned the same degree that Kiko Arguello was awarded. For you to say that Kiko paid for it is an insult to the former Pope and others like him who were awarded the same degree. See the weblink below:

      http://neocatechemunal.blogspot.com/2015/03/kikos-theology.html

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  8. Some cultural practices the mission families need to be part of .The bela (wake) – an overnight prayer vigil before a funeral of the deceased defunto or defunta –the lisÃ¥yu, or rosary, and the nobena (nine day rosary) provide important moments for families and clans to gather together and celebrate their existence.

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    1. Why should they learn these things before coming? All catholics pray overnight prayer vigils w the body of the deceased. It is called a wake. All catholics pray novenas. So much so that the words comes from the Latin. Maybe you need to learn some of the catholic practices of the universal church.

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    2. Correction Diana. Not ALL Catholics have overnight prayer vigils with the body of the deceased. And what do you mean by "all catholics pray novenas, so much so that the words comes from Latin."? What do words coming from Latin have to do with Catholics saying novenas? Shaking my head....

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    3. Dear Anonymous at 10:17 pm,

      I was not the one who said that.

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    4. Novena comes from the Latin word for the number nine as in nine days. Obviously Latin is not the native language of Guam so it must have come from somewhere where the official language is Latin. Any guess as to where? You may want to argue that the original missionaries who imported the custom of praying novenas did not respect the Chamorro customs by introducing novenas or wakes for that matter...maybe they should have gone to sensitivity training.

      Yes you are right. Not all catholics wake their dead ANYMORE As the catholic tradition IS to have an all night prayer vigil with the dead before the funeral. Unfortunately this tradition, as many others, is not maintained because of many factors amongst which are the laws many places have for embalming, the fees the priests charge, the secularization of christians etc. don't worry. It is standard practice in the NCW.

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  9. They need to expose themselves to these practices as part of inculturation. practices here in the island is way different form the rest of Europe and mainland USA.
    It is called CONTEXT, there is no generic theology, everything is culture bound. All work within a particular context...another word would be LOCATION.

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    1. Perhaps then the message of Christ needs to be inculturated as well? Let's change it to fit the needs of the LOCATION. After all that idea of loving your enemies is a bit antiquated to fit today's needs. Let's go to the christians in Iraq and tell them that instead of letting themselves find christ in their sufferings ( as they wrote they do to the pope) they need to start beheadings like the IS.

      I am being sarcastic. What you advocate is actually heretical. And if you knew anything of catholic history, you would know that the Jesuits were disbanded and suppressed precisly because they were accused of inculturation.

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  10. Every culture has it's own unique ways it celebrates, it carries on day to day operations. It would behoove any newcomer--especially those that are hoping to effect a change--to learn these to prevent being critical of any social mores they encounter/witness.
    As an example: the culture of Guam is known for having food whenever people gather. (Even when a person is defending his/her thesis it is expected that the Masters candidate prepare some food for the panel!) Not all cultures are like this and one might make a comment about such a practice that would be taken as an insult by the locals.
    Peace corps volunteers go through a period of learning about the culture they would be living with. This is so they understand the people they are working with. Too many problems would occur if this did not happen.

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  11. In Cyprus neocathecumenat missionaries don´ t want to work willingly. They use other people to give them food, home and cars. If I spoke with one of them and say it´ s not right he says yes this is mission of missionaries to preach and they will be provided by material good from genorosity of people. And he told me to don´ t discuss. They are very pushy and no open. Terrible.

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