Welcome!

The Second International Meeting of the Association of the Miraculous Medal began October 23 in Casa Maria Immacolata, operated in Rome by the Daughters of the Charity. One hundred people are participating, representing 30 countries of the world.

Father Benjamin Romo, International Coordinator of the Association of the Miraculous Medal, presided over the opening evening Mass. With the Church we celebrated World Mission Sunday. In the homily, Father Benjamin urged the participants to have a double intention for the Mass: first that God will grant a missionary spirit to all Christians, and especially to the members of the Vincentian Family; and second, that God will enlighten the Meeting, so that it is a blessing for all the participants and for all the poor that they serve.

In the meeting hall after dinner Father Benjamin recalled that one of the commitments of the first Meeting four years ago was to promote the expansion the Association, and an example of it is it that in this Meeting 50% of the participants are lay people. “The Association continues to grow and the commitments continue to be met by the grace of God and the intercession of the Holy Virgin Mary.” He added these words: “Welcome to the Second International Meeting of the Association of the Miraculous Medal. We will conduct the Meeting together. The Preparatory Committee has done its best for this Meeting to come out well, but now that you are here, we all carry out the Meeting and I encourage you to participate fully.”

Father announced the members of the various committees for the meeting. He explained how the work groups for the meeting will be orgnaized by language: two English, two French, four Spanish, and one Italian. He also named the people who will support these groups.

Sister Mary Dono, D.C., Sister Servant of Casa Maria Immacolata, offered some words to the participants: “I want to welcome each one of you. Casa Maria Immacolata welcomes you and puts at your disposal, in the simplicity of its life, all that it has to offer. I wish you good work and a good spirit so that you will put together your ideas and your experience, with the help of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, mother of us all. In faith and love to Mary, may you accomplish all that you can! Be confident, and may our Mother's powerful support not be lacking! We are praying for you. Be confident, and have a good and joyful journey toward the heights!”

The session concluded with a prayer led by the delegation from Colombia, using video, music, and biblical reading. “We invite you to pray for the reality of the poor… starting from these images. Let them question us, the faces of the poor. Let us allow the image to be made a word… the voice of God… the voice of the gospel… in the silence tonight let us think of some questions. When was I anointed? What am I announcing? What news am I bearing? To whom am I sent to proclaim the good news of salvation? What is the year of grace that the AMM is proclaiming in my country, in my center? Let us allow these questions to motivate us during this Meeting.”

Alfredo Becerra Vázquez, C.M.

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