International Meeting of Camillian Parish Priests and ‘Rectors’
Camillian Parishes. A Setting for Communion (koinonia), for Evangelisation (kerigma) and for Mission (diakonia)
San Paolo – Brazil, the Santa Fe Centre, 19-23 April 2017

Dear Camillian religious from the various continents of our Camillian geography: welcome to Brazil, to San Paolo, to my country, and to my home Camillian Province!

In offering my welcome to all of you, I would like at the same time to emphasise the importance of this third international meeting which deals with the ministry of our Camillian religious who are active in parishes, churches, rectories and sanctuaries. At the two previous events organised in 1985 and 2008, the question of the marginalisation of this ministry in the exercise of our charism characterised the tone of the debate. The general government of the Order was called upon to offer greater opportunities to meet and to explore matters at a theological and pastoral level in order to define in an increasingly better way the Camillian identity and physiognomy of parishes. The conclusions of the last meeting (held in the year 2008) wanted a meeting on this subject to be held every three years. A meeting of this kind should have been held in the year 2011 but nothing was organised in this direction and nine years have passed since the last meeting.

This third international meeting takes up a journey that has already been begun with a subject that is very stimulating and of great contemporary relevance: Camillian Parishes. A Setting for Communion (koinonia), for Evangelisation (kerigma) and for Mission (diakonia). In addition to reflecting upon, and examining, this subject, those taking part in this meeting have the precise and concrete task of drawing up statutes for Camillian parishes that will then be proposed to, and shared with, the whole of our Order. As was the case with ‘our socio/health-care works and institutions’ for which, in the year 2002, a document relating to their identity was created called Magna Carta, now is the moment to think of a similar certificate of identity for the parishes entrusted to Camillian ministry.

As the location for this meeting, Brazil itself has been chosen given that the Province of Brazil, within the context of our Order, is responsible for the largest number of parishes (10) and has already provided itself with statutes relating to the Camillian ministry in parishes. This has become an important instrument of reference and guidance for Camillian ministry in this area of ecclesial pastoral care.

This document will be the instrumentum laboris for the drawing up of guidelines for all the parishes of our Camillian world. READ HERE THE DOCUMENT