VI Plenary Assembly of the CLM: A spiritual family at the service of the Church
The VI Plenary Assembly of the Christian Life Movement (ACLM), held from July 21st to 27th in Medellin, Colombia, was a meeting of grace and renewal for the delegates from ten countries. During these days, the participants lived an experience of spiritual family that not only strengthened their faith and commitment, but also encouraged them to take this experience to their localities, reaffirming their mission to serve the Church with fervor.
As Alberto Posada, the new General Coordinator, points out, the VI Assembly has been “a gift from God, a moment of meeting for the members of the MOVE who are delegates from the places where we are, to analyze the life of the Movement, to see where we have come from and where God is sending us to evangelize.”
The moments of Eucharistic Adoration and the Holy Mass were the spiritual heart. In these spaces, the members of the MVC found in Jesus the source of unity and strength to renew their apostolic commitment.
A profound family experience
According to several participants, the Assembly has been a space of great communion where the essence of family penetrated the hearts of more than one of the assembly members. The members of the MOVEC have considered these days as a blessing in which they found other people who want to live the same life.
Our brother Juan Carlos Tuppia shared: “The profound experience of family and of being part of this portion of the Church left me with a beautiful experience of consolation that enriched my Christian life and my vocation. I left with a renewed desire to serve the apostolically mission of the Church in the MVC, especially in the aspects linked to the integral formation of its members.”
As Christian Marín of MVC Philadelphia said: “The Assembly was a joy and the certainty that I am part of a family of many people who fit in one house. I am returning to Philadelphia with a happy heart.”
Deacon Craig Kinneberg, for his part, highlighted the unity and spiritual growth that was experienced: “My experience at the VI Assembly was to see and feel a united, joyful spiritual family in a process of maturity and growth. I saw people of diverse nationalities, speaking different languages, and with a desire to deepen their relationship with God and to proclaim the joy of the Gospel.”
A common mission
This Assembly also reaffirmed the common mission that unites the Sodalitium of Christian Life and the Christian Life Movement. Both share a deep commitment to the evangelization of the Church. This mission is lived day by day in the apostolate, the formation of its members and spiritual accompaniment, always seeking to respond to the needs of the Church and the modern world.
Our brother Diego Oga, from Costa Rica, shares: “It was a very edifying experience to be able to see our spiritual family growing in maturity and wanting to listen honestly to what God wants from us at this time.”
“It was an intense week and I really enjoyed the balance between moments of work, reflection, common prayer and moments of more fraternal sharing. Without a doubt, an experience of God to treasure in the heart,” he said.
Benjamin Oldani, from the Italian delegation, said: “What I remember most from the VI Assembly is the experience of being with my family. Despite the great diversity of countries and ages, there is a common feeling that brings us together as brothers, each with his gifts to give. Our call to the apostolate was at the heart of the meeting.”
Testimonies of renewal and commitment from the Plenary Assembly
During the Assembly, essential topics for the future of the MVC were addressed, such as comprehensive formation, the apostolate, belonging and commitment to the MVC, the institutionalization of the Movement and its internationalization.
These days have undoubtedly been a time of grace and renewal for all participants, who, united by the love of Christ and the protection of Saint Mary, return to their localities with a renewed commitment to live and share the faith.
Rony Macías, delegate of MVC Ecuador, highlighted: “Participating in the VI Plenary Assembly has renewed my relationship with God and Saint Mary, strengthening my call to be a witness of his love in the midst of the world and to be grateful for the gift of belonging to the Church from the Sodalit charisma.”
“I come to my town with the commitment to serve within the MVC so that we can live as a true apostolic community that has Jesus and Our Mother as its center,” he shared.
“It was a week of deep communion and presence of the Spirit,” Thibault from the U.S. tells us. “It was very special to gather as a family and discern together what the Lord is doing in the life of the MVC across the various countries.”
“I was happy to see how deeply the delegation from the United States connected with spirituality and with the MVC members from other parts of the world. I returned full of gratitude and with great expectations of what the Lord will accomplish in the apostolate of the MVC, both in the United States and in other regions of the world,” he said.
Mariela Pacheco from MVC Costa Rica shared: “These days I lived the joy of the community intensely, not to mention how I danced with Takillakkta (as if I were 20 years old). I met people from different parts of the world and I felt like lifelong brothers.”
[ You can watch Takillakkta’s concert here ]
At the end of the Assembly, all the members of the MOVEC return to their local communities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Italy, Mexico, Peru and the United States, with the challenge of being witnesses of God’s love in the midst of the world, carrying with them the certainty that they are part of a family.
Let us continue to pray together for the fruits of the VI Assembly!