News - Prelature of Ayaviri - First Annual Meeting Clergy of the Prelature of Ayaviri

Ayaviri, March 23, 2007 - A few days ago the priests of the Prelature of Ayaviri who carry out their ministry in the provinces of Melgar, Carabaya and Sandia, arrived in the city for their annual meeting.

In an atmosphere of fraternal union the meeting began with a morning seminar on permanent formation, centered on issues related to ministry to families, the defense of life, given by Carlos Beltramo and Neldy Mendoza, Licenciates and recognized national specialists in these topics and members of ALAFA Perú (Latin-American Alliance for the Family) and the "Institute for Marriage and the Family" of San Pablo

Catholic University in Arequipa respectively.

In the afternoon of the first day Fr. Miguel Garnet of the diocese of Cajamarca and representative of "Solidaridad Sacerdotal Santa Rosa", an initiative of the Bishops' Conference which seeks to facilitate a health insurance which provides for a dignified retirement for elderly priests. He presented this initiative and then presented steps for the preparation of a Pastoral Plan for the Prelature which hopefully will be completed in the coming months.

The meeting's second day saw the election of the new Presbyterial Council of the Prelature, the introduction of Percy Zegarra and Manuel Céspedes, the new directors of Caritas and ODEC, respectively. Both gave a brief exposition of the work they will be carrying out and made themselves available for whatever the priests needed of them.

The day and a half long encounter of the clergy with their Bishop included moments of prayer in common and the celebration of the Eucharist, and was culminated with a dialogue about different issues concerning the Prelature.