Sao Bento, Mineiros, Goiás

Parish, Monks, Ministry, and Mission By Father Rodrigo Perissinotto, OSB In 2012 the Benedictine Monks of Mineiros completed 50 years of presence in southwest Goiás. They came with a mission to establish the monastic life and provide pastoral and spiritual assistance to the people of God. The pastoral ministry they developed was subsidiary in their monastic experience. A life of prayer and communion in view of peace. The monastic life in its institutional organization consists of monasteries that although belonging to the same religious family, are autonomous in their management. Autonomous but not isolated, because together with others form the great Benedictine family. Since their arrival in the diocese of Jataí and their establishment in Mineiros during the 60s, when there was a single parish in the whole county, the Benedictine monks sought to answer the call of the Latin America Episcopal Conferences. Responding to the preferential option for the poor, they developed Catholic Charities on the parish level, and encouraged diverse social pastoral programs (assisted living for the aged, build houses for the poor, day care centers, child care orientation, basic professional training, promotion and defense of human rights, etc.). They encouraged the concept and formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities to bring the church closer to the people, and promoted an ambitious project to decentralize the parish by building a series of chapels or community centers approximately a kilometer from each other, so that people would not have to walk far to church. Church is an assembly of people who assume their baptismal vocation. The monks promoted and supported lay participation and responsibility in the administration of church property and activities. Each community was encouraged to form administrative and pastoral councils, not only of advisory nature but also executive capacity for community projects. Each community is responsible for providing it´s own support and improvements, to promote financial security and pastoral programs. They decide where and how investments are made. A priest is member of these community councils. Upon the creation of St. Benedict Parish in 2008/2009 this mission concept continued. The parish had its initial inspiration from the 5th Latin America Episcopal Conference in Aparecida [in which Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was an important voice]. The document produced by this Conference challenges and instigates the whole Church with it´s emphasis on discipleship and mission. Parishes are called to be a community of communities. We can say that we are already well advanced in this process, but still feel further steps need to be taken. Our new parish needs to discover it´s missionary vocation. We need to abandon complacency that celebrations are well attended, that we have good pastoral programs; and admit that there are many who are not reached and need to be invited and welcomed into our communities. We have a good group of people who take the lead in community work, but it is necessary to discovery others, so that the work does not stop. We noticed today some accommodation of persons in regard to their life of faith. Many have become Sunday mass Christians. To this scenario we invited Redemptorists missionaries into the two parishes. The objectives of the mission were: Promote greater involvement in community life, sacramental life and pastoral commitment. The missions began in our city with the arrival of two Missionary Sisters. With two kickoff meetings of 98 parishioners on March 13, and 78 on March 17, they organized a religious census to be taken among people in the 32 rural and urban communities. They orientated lay volunteers to visit homes of families to collect data, to explain the mission and invited all to participate. On April 28 a group of Redemptorists missionaries spent time in the parishes to begin the second phase. Lay missionaries were identified and orientated for each sector of the city where they met daily for an entire month preparing for the third phase of the missions. This third phase took place during June 6-20 with 16 missionaries priests present in all urban and rural communities. On June 23 we had a beautiful field Mass on the lawn of St. Benedict Church presided by our diocesan bishop, terminating with a procession with the mission cross, implanting it near the entrance of the church as a sign of this time of grace for our city. Now it is necessary that our communities continue their newly founded mission. It requires each of us to strive to make our parish a community of communities. We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to enlighten us in the ways of her son Jesus. D Rodrigo Perissinotto, OSB is pastor of St. Benedict Parish and Subprior of St. Joseph Priory in Mineiros, GO. Translated by Duane G. Roy