“The Parish should be a Community that Lives a Culture of Encounter”
Lima, 20/08/13 (Sodalit News – Peru) Our Lady of Reconciliation Parish comes together to celebrate its 24th anniversary with various activities for the Sodalit Family. A brief recounting of the activities.
Last August 13th, the image of Our Lady of Reconciliation went out in procession through the streets of the district of La Molina towards Christ the Reconciler Church. Wednesday, August 14, the statue made a visit to the parish school Our Lady of Reconciliation, where the students, teachers, and administrators expressed their faith and devotion to Mary. That night the parish choir, together with a small orchestra, presented a concert in honor of Our Lady of Reconciliation in the church.
The following day, the float bearing the statue was welcomed at the parish Mary, Guide to Reconciliation where it remained until Saturday. At various points along the way the image of our Lady was received warmly by the different members of the Sodalit Family. Many CLM members demonstrated their devotion by carrying the hoisted image and singing songs. The Sodalits in formation received the Virgin with a song that was composed for the occasion. A member of the Marian Community of Reconciliation recited a poem dedicated to the image, and the Servants of the Plan of God also sang a beautiful song to the Virgin. The mayor of the district of La Molina, Juan Carlos Zurek, also paid homage to the Virgin during the procession. The day ended with a grand reception of our Mother that included music, singing, dancing, and fireworks.
Around noon Sunday August 18th, a solemn Mass was celebrated by the pastor of the parish Fr. Juan Carlos Rivva, in thanksgiving for the 24th anniversary of the parish.
Once again, as has been a tradition for some time, the parish extended a special invitation to the parishioners and to all the members of the spiritual family to participate in the traditional carnival that takes place in the park adjacent to the parish. “A parish is not just a building and its facilities, nor is it just a department for religious services,” explains Father Juan Carlos. He reminds us that, “The carnival is an beautiful opportunity to come together as a family.” This will allow us to help, “with the necessities of the parish and of the most needy.” Father ended his homily exhorting those present to be, “a community where each day we strive to live the Culture of Encounter”, making an allusion to the words of Pope Francis.
Many families will be able to share in the excitement of the parish carnival. There will be a children’s zone with inflatable games, trampolines, a cupcake workshop, a magic show, and a theater performance by the Convivio theatre troop. Additionally, there will be contests, games, Creole and international cuisine for lunch, and a game of Bingo awarding various prices and a blackout round for 1,000 dollars.
We invite you to visit the photo gallery of the arrival of Our Lady of Reconciliation in Camacho. You can find out more about the parish through its website or Facebook page.