Missionaries of the Sacred

Around Christmas and Easter, members of the MSC Community in Colombia go on missions to remote areas of the country. We participate in these missions each year to help to counteract the violence, poverty and marginalization in which many Colombian communities live. We walk with and educate those whom the State has abandoned, and who are often affected by the guerrillas and the paramilitary forces and bring help on a spiritual level and hope for a better life.

This year, we will be traveling to communities in the Departments of Cauca, Cundinamarca, Casanare and Huila. Many of the communities are difficult to get to, some only accessible by a 3-4 hour walk. In order to arrive in time to begin the traditional Novena de Aguinaldo on December 16th, 19 members of the MSC Community in Colombia, including two priests, one deacon, eight MSC students who have taken first vows as Religious and eight postulants (students who have not yet taken vows) had to leave Bogota on December 13th and 14th.

The people in the communities we serve work as farmers and day laborers and have limited access to public health and human services. Most of the communities lack proper water and sewage systems. Many people have access to primary education, but they cannot go to the urban centers to continue their studies because the means of transportation are precarious and expensive.

The people always welcome us warmly. We visit families and get to know their life situations. The presence of missionaries reminds those in remote villages that they are not forgotten. Although their reality, their sufferings and joys, their hopes and illusions are ignored by many, God is listening and cares. The missionary is a sign of hope and encouragement to those who struggle for a more just society for all.

Missionaries encourage the faith of the people. The celebration of the Sacraments and especially the Eucharist (which is a rare event in their community), brings the people into deep communion with each other and strengthens them in their resolve to move forward always counting on God’s help. We bring the Good News to couples, children, young adults and adults, through religious education, community building, and prayer.

Let us pray that the love and mercy of God may be present in each community during this Advent and Christmas season so that the celebration of Jesus' birth may bear the fruits of justice, peace and harmony for all. Merry Christmas to all!

For more information, or if you would like to help, please click the link to contact Fr. Luis Segura, MSC.