The Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, Cardinal Mario Poli, blessed the four images of the Virgin of Luján that began to tour the communities and mission places in charge of each of the Zonal Vicariates: Flores, Belgrano, Devotee, and Center, on 24 Saturday, the sending Mass was celebrated in the Metropolitan Cathedral.
In the homily, the Cardinal recalled that the Church wants to “respond to the missionary mandate” that the Holy Spirit encouraged, as it did in the synodal assemblies.
“It is a challenge that commits us all, with the conviction that together we are a mission,” he reflected.
“To walk the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires we need the light of Jesus’ gaze to illuminate and purify the eyes of our hearts, to teach us to see the reality of our people with the light of his truth and his compassion for all men”, Cardinal Poli indicated.
“The style of the Buenos Aires mission sets its sights on the way of carrying and announcing the living Gospel, as the Virgin did in the Visitation, she was the faithful missionary disciple who accompanies us on every outing,” he stressed.
“Brothers, sisters, together we are mission. Let us not be afraid to announce with joy that Christ lives and by the power of his passion renews everything he touches, makes it young, and also makes it beautiful”, he concluded.
“As a result of the archdiocesan synod that concluded in 2021, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Poli, has wished to inaugurate a missionary October by sending the entire ecclesial community with different missionary actions in our city,” explained one of the members of the October team. Missionary, Fr. Facundo Fernéndez Buils in dialogue with ACI Prensa.
“Cardinal Poli sent two members of the archdiocesan community, a priest (Fr. Matías Viñas) and a layman (Marcos Aragón) to go on mission. The destinations will be the Peruvian Amazon and the other in a diocese in Angola (Africa)”, he commented.
“During this month of October, the parish, movements and pastoral communities will carry out different gestures in our city visiting hospitals, prisons, missions in the streets in places of high traffic, where we will go out to the fraternal meeting”, he remarked.
“This phrase is not intended to be a motto, nor is it a slogan, for us it is the proclamation of a kerygma: a simple, clear announcement of the good news of Jesus,” added Fr. Facundo. At the end of the celebration, some representatives of the zonal vicariates received an image of the Virgin of Luján.
“Receiving this sending from communion and from the Eucharist is a caress to the heart. This path is marked by the presence of the Holy Mother, in difficult personal and community moments, she is a sign of presence, of love and of great hope”.
“Let’s all go out to meet this missionary October, let’s walk and walk,” emphasized the member of the Vicariate of Belgrano, Nora Rodríguez.