ARGENTINA, Lilita and Carlos Ricciardi •
From January 27 to February 4 of this year, the Archdiocesan Youth Mission of the Archdiocese of La Plata for young people aged 14 to 25 took place in the city of Villa Elisa (14.7 km from La Plata) under the motto “Let us proclaim greatness in its simplicity”. —
We learned about it through the announcement made by Father Guillermo Khidir at the Sunday Mass in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. At the end of the service, we asked him how we could help. He told us that we could help with food or a financial contribution… but that the mission was for young people up to the age of 25. We told him that unfortunately we were about 612 months over that requirement, but that we would try to attend some Masses and visit the operational center of the mission, the parish of St. Aloysius Gonzaga on Calle y e/52 and 54 of Villa Elisa, with its pastor, Marcelo Cerniato, and write an article about the mission for schoenstatt.org.
Archdiocesan Youth Mission of La Plata
Around 200 young people on a mission
The youth mission of the Archdiocese of La Plata was organized by the youth pastoral with its advisor, Father Emiliano Chávez, and a group of young people from the aforementioned pastoral. During the mission, Archbishop Gabriel Mestre stayed in the parish of San Luis Gonzaga and accompanied the young people in their missionary work.
Around 200 young people of both sexes took part in the mission and lived in the retreat house next to the parish and in the Colegio San Francisco, with sisters and lay people helping to prepare the meals.
The youth mission was divided into 4 centers: Christ the King wayside shrine, Our Lady of Fatima parish church, Schoenstatt wayside shrine and St. Aloysius Gonzaga parish church. These are the places where the youths were able to develop their missionary task and visit the homes and businesses in each of these areas.
Youth Mission
Visiting and listening
Ariana, Lautaro and Father Jose Maria Iturreria at the Villa Elisa wayside shrine
The youths went on mission in the mornings and afternoons with an average temperature of 35ºC, which was oppressive, but at the same time showed us their vocation to serve in the proclamation of the Word of the Lord. Ariana Luján, one of those responsible for youth ministry, and Trinidad, in charge of one of the four centers, told us that young people from different neighborhoods of La Plata, from different groups and movements participated in this 14th youth mission in our region. The task was to visit the homes with the rosary, holy pictures and the picture of the Blessed Mother. As Fr. Emiliano said in one of the Masses, “some welcomed the missionaries and others did not, as those of us who have been on mission know very well, how some listen to the Word of the Lord and others do not listen or do not want to listen…”.
Ariana and Trini told us that the people who received them were very happy to be visited, to listen to them, to say a prayer and sometimes to have their homes blessed. In many cases, it was an opportunity for people to talk to each other, express their reality and pray together. During this time of mission, many people were in prayer and adoration for the fruitfulness of the youth missions. At the end of each mission day, a Mass was celebrated in each of the four centers. Encounters with the children and youth of the area took place in the square of Villa Elisa and in the centers chosen for the missions.
The missionary of two missions
Iván was also at the family missions in Maipú
We also met Iván again, 17 years old, a missionary from Punta Lara, who, like many other missionaries, had been to the family missions in Maipú a few days earlier. He arrived without knowing anyone and found a home, a family, brothers and sisters in the missions. He was touched by the simplicity of many people and by the fact that he was able to experience the problems of others first-hand. He remembered the emotion of a man who told his story with tears in his eyes. We asked Iván, after these missions that were so powerful and passionate for him, what he dreams of… He thought about it and replied: “One is not to leave the country and the other is to be a spark that ignites people in their love for Christ, to be a good Christian.
Certainly this type of message will not appear in the mass media, newspapers, magazines or television channels and will not receive the distribution it deserves, because it is good news without sensationalism. But it is a joy to be able to say that young people who could be on vacation, in the swimming pool, or simply relaxing, are taking advantage of this time of heat to go on mission to bring Mary and Christ into homes…. “Proclaim greatness in its simplicity” and listen to others, to those who are alone and who may share their needs and problems with them.
We invite all those who participated in the mission to send us their testimonies and experiences that they had during these days of mission. Thank you very much!
Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Gonzalez during the celebration of Mass at the wayside shrine
We have consulted the website of the Archdiocese of La Plata and the parish of San Luis Gonzaga
Original: Spanish. Translation: Maria Fischer @schoenstatt.org
