“Like a New Flame”
Under the title “Like a New Flame” and on the occasion of the Jubilee of the eighth centenary of the Dies Natalis of St. Dominic of Caleruega (1221-2021), the young people who make up the Dominican Youth Movement in Latin America and the Caribbean have organized a series of commemorative meetings as a special way of celebrating this event.
The MJD in Latin America and the Caribbean is made up of 71 groups and 1170 young people from eleven countries who, with their enthusiasm, commitment and dedication, contribute to the mission of preaching the Good News from the spirituality of the Order of Preachers in a climate of communion and fraternity.
Since August 2021 they have been meeting monthly around the table with St. Dominic. They have had three virtual meetings dedicated to the reflection on the presence of the Order on the continents, the social reality, and ecology, all in the light of the encyclical Laudato si’. In order to deal with these themes, which were discussed by the brothers and sisters, we were joined by members of the Dominican Family from different countries who collaborate daily with young people. Among them were Bro Ricardo Cuadrado (Prior Provincial of the Province of Central America), Bro Franklin Buitrago (Master of Students of the Province of Colombia), Susana Brittos (Coordinator of the Lay Fraternities of Latin America and the Caribbean -COFALC), Sr Andrea Recalde (National Councillor of MJD Colombia) and Mónica Villanueva (Cultural Director of the Pío Aza Centre). The members of the International Commission of IDYM and Bro Juan Ubaldo López Salamanca (Promoter General for the Laity of the Order) also participated in the meetings.
The next meeting will take place on November 26, 27 and 28, 2021 with the participation of the provincial promoters, on the theme of synodality, in the charism of the Order of Preachers lived in the unity of the community-apostolic perspective.
These meetings have a report that is prepared on a rotating basis by the coordinators of each country, in order to enrich the cultural diversity, contexts, challenges, dreams and perspectives of the MJD in the region. Finally, the aim of this journey is not only to celebrate together the jubilee of St. Dominic, but also to offer spaces for meeting, dialogue and formation among the members of different countries and to prepare the Plenary Assembly of the Coordinators of Latin America and the Caribbean that will be held in January 2022, when the gatherings will be finalized.
