Caracas, Venezuela, Jan 26, 2009 / 11:07 am
On Saturday, the Archbishop of Caracas launched the Great Continental Mission in the Venezuelan capital, calling it “a golden opportunity to renew our ecclesial structure and community,” to revive the religious faith and practice “of our Catholic people, and to give new impetus to evangelization.”
Speaking at the parish of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Cardinal Jorge Urosa said the Great Mission “is a special grace” for the Church in Caracas.
“The strong secularization and religious indifference;” the scorn for the human person and human life; the loss of sexual mores; the decline in Mass attendance; and the weakening of marriage and the family demand “a new effort of evangelization and pastoral ministry - with new ardor, new methods and new expressions,” he said.
The cardinal explained that the first stage of the Great Mission is intended to motivate those in ministry and to recruit new evangelizers. This step will last from January 24 until Easter Sunday.
The next phase of missionary formation will last until the first Sunday of Advent and the final stage of evangelization will take place at the local level and last until the end of 2010. “We intend to carry out intense evangelistic action and ministry,” the cardinal explained.
He invited all of the faithful “to enthusiastically join in this activity,” as “disciples and missionaries of the Risen Jesus.” “We entrust the success of the Mission to the maternal intercession of our loving Mother, Our Lady of Coromoto,” the cardinal concluded.