MSC COLOMBIA
MSC from the USA began working in the parish of Santa Margarita Maria, which is located in a poor, working class section of Bogotá, in 1969. Because the families in the area were very poor and schoolbooks were expensive, one of the MSC's first projects at the parish was establishing a library with all the textbooks children needed for school and where children could come to study. Since then, the MSC in Colombia have been involved in a variety of pastoral activities such as youth programs, teaching, family enrichment programs and social services. For instance, the MSC have a long history of volunteering at Fundación Vida Nueva (New Life Foundation), which works with prostitutes and their children to help them break the cycle of prostitution. MSC seminarians teach catechism classes to the children there.
At the MSC community house, which is located in a poor section of Bogotá, the MSC provide meals 2-3 times a day, every day, to everyone who comes to the door asking for food. A couple of years ago, the MSC also founded the Fundación Justicia en la Verdad (Truth and Justice Foundation) which builds houses and provides educational assistance for poor families in Bogotá and other regions of Colombia. Last year, through the Truth and Justice Foundation, the MSC were able to provide 43 families in Bogotá with the very first place they could call "home".
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere!
In Colombia Today
Today, in addition to Santa Margarita Maria Parish, MSC in Colombia are also involved in formation and provide direct assistance to the poor. The formation program (Casa Chevalier) is flourishing and 6 young men recently took their first vows (August 2008). As part of their formation, the seminarians studying at Casa Chevalier go on mission experiences to very remote areas in Colombia during their Christmas and Easter vacations. Seminarians also help manage the MSC farm, thereby helping to provide the food they eat.You Can Help!
| Just Back from the Dominican Republic |
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By Fr. Joseph Jablonski, MSC Fr. Luis Segura, MSC and I went to the Dominican Republic in late February primarily to visit with the formation directors there because we have four Colombian Novices and one Colombian professed student in formation there. It should be noted tht the Colombian Section of the MSC is part of the USA MSC Province. Fr. Dabaris Martinez is the Formator for professed students and so is responsible for the formation of Eduard Riascos, MSC. This year Eduard is preparing for final vows and so I went to talk with him about his decision and to listen to the opinions and evaluations of those who are in charge of his formation. He has been approved for final vows and we look forward to his perpetual profession on June 21, 2008 in Bogotá, Colombia. Eduard lives and studies in the capital city, Santo Domingo. While visiting the 500 year-old cathedral with Eduard, we happened to run into a group of lay people who congratulated him on the Lenten Retreat Day he had given there. Professed students and Novices in the Dominican Republic participate in pastoral works including visiting the sick, teaching catechism, working with Haitian immigrants and helping in parish ministry. The Novitiate is located some two hours from the capital, in the city of Santiago This year there are 12 novices and among them are 4 Colombians. They should be finishing their year-long-experience in July and will be preparing to take their first vows sometime after that in Bogotá. During the visit to Santiago, I was also able to visit with the new Auxiliary Bishop Monsignor Valentin Reynoso. Bishop Reynoso, better known as Plino, is an MSC who worked for many years in different positions of leadership and formation within the Dominican Republic Province. We are very proud of him being our first MSC bishop after 61 years of pastoral work by our Community in that country. Back in the capital, I was very impressed by the modern installations and some of the new equipment that had just arrived to our MSC printing company, Amigo del Hogar, which not only prints MSC materials, but also is one of the major printers in the country. If you would like to learn more about the MSC mission in the Dominican Republic, check out their website: http://www.misacordom.org/
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