News - Prelature of Ayaviri - Vicariate of solidarity makes its annual retreat

Ayaviri, June 15, 2006 - In an atmosphere of fraternity and reflection the personnel of the Vicariate of Solidarity of the Prelature of Ayaviri made its first retreat of the year on June 13-14.

By way of lectures, dialogues and spiritual activities they sought to deepen in their understanding of the realities of Christian life and family.

Manuel Rodriguez Canales, professor of Saint Paul Catholic University, began the days of meditation by highlighting the vocation of every man and woman to love, and dealt further on with the difficulties that every person discovers because of sin which distorts the longings of the human heart.

Later on Fr. Juan Carlos Rivva turned the reflection towards the definitive answer that God offers man in the Lord Jesus, His Son, affirming that only in the encounter with Christ is it possible for the human being to truly respond to the vocation to communion which he discovers himself called to.

Bishop Kay Schmalhausen SCV, Bishop of the Prelature of Ayaviri was also present and directed the retreatants in a reflection on the centrality of knowing and feeling yourself a living part of the Catholic Church. "The Church is the community that the Lord founded. He Himself instituted the Church and only in the Church is the Christian life of each baptized person fully realized…That's why knowing yourself part of the Church means to truly love Her, to understand that She is our Mother, since she gave birth to us, cares for us and nourishes us. And all this brings us in turn to defend Her, as well as make our own Her mission of making the gift of the faith known to all people," he affirmed.

The retreat ended with a Eucharistic celebration for the intentions of the Vicariate and of each one of its members.