Society
Of The Divine Word

Under the theme “He called those He wanted to be with Him and to be sent out to preach…” nearly thirty participants gathered to fulfill the purpose of the meeting: to help lay partners deepen their vocational call as lay disciples and missionaries in a wounded world, to radiate the light of Christ and transform it through their witness of faith and good works, following the example of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Several months of joint preparation at the Pan-American level gave rise to growing excitement and expectation. By mid-2024, the Mexico Province (MEX) had been asked to host the event, given its long 34-year history of the Lay Partner Movement – the Auxiliary Missionaries of the Divine Word (MAVD).

Our dear coordinator, Félix Ortega, who was still in office and who passed away in February of this year, had begun the planning process. After his passing, Juan Manuel Ahuatl took over as coordinator, and together with myself, Fr. Ignacio Migoya, SVD, MAVD advisor, we accepted—though with a sense of unworthiness—the responsibility of organizing this gathering, knowing we had the full support of the MAVD Coordinating Team and the entire movement.

“See – Judge – Act”
Months of preparation allowed us to design a detailed program following the “See – Judge – Act” methodology.

We began with an overview of the situation of the Lay Partner groups in the PANAM Zone, organized by Province or Region, in order to situate ourselves in the concrete missionary realities of different countries. Participants from Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, the Brazilian Provinces and the Amazon Region, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, each of the U.S. Provinces, and Mexico made creative presentations about their work.

Following these reports, one morning was dedicated to a continental analysis based on the 19th General Chapter, with input from a specialist speaker, complemented by reflections from Fr. Juan Weibel, Provincial Superior, and Fr. Nevil, the Zonal Coordinator. An entire afternoon was then devoted to the Generalate’s vision of the role of the laity, during which Fr. Marcelo, Secretary for Missions at the Generalate, gave a talk entitled “The Vocation and Identity of the Divine Word Lay Partner.”

The first phase, “See,” concluded with a lively and unforgettable intercultural evening, featuring creative stands from each country, followed by an international celebration with traditional dances and mariachi music. The next day included an excursion to the town of Tequila, where participants visited two distilleries and toured the city. Members of the National MAVD Meeting, who were gathered in another area of the same house, joined these activities as well.