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2007 CODALC Meeting, Lima

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NEWS OF Dominicans in Latin America May, 2008
CODALC Meeting
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Joan Williams
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WORKSHOPS OF PRAXIS AND PREACHING

CODALC PRIORITIES 2007-2010: 
To Free Women's Preaching to be a Burning Torch and a Prophetic Voice Among Our Peoples

ACTIONS: 
- Strengthen the co-responsibility and inter-communication through “networks”.
- Work to promote Justice and Peace and Care of Creation at different levels: Congregations, countries, zones, CODALC, Dominican Family; in common projects.
- Look for new methods of preaching that speak to and from the poor.
- Propitiate mutual collaboration with brothers, sisters, laity, Dominican youth movements, cloistered sisters.
- Be conscious of, take on and appreciate that our body is a source and means of preaching and communication.
- Generate in each zone processes for the formation of teams of itinerant preaching.
- Share by means of the web page the experiences of the zonal teams so that they enrich and mutually strengthen us.

Rooted in these priorities and the emphasis of the Dominican Mission in Latin America and the Caribbean, CODALC has revitalized and reactivated the PRAXIS AND PREACHING PROJECT, which has its origin in an inculturated theology of the Dominican mission in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and the St Vincent Ferrer Province of Central America  ( at that time a Vice Province).

“In July of 1992, 500 years after the arrival of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these Amerindian and negro lands –joined with its lights and shadows-we realized in San Pedro Sula, the first workshop of Praxis and Preaching. Dominican men and women from various countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and the United States participated. From the beginning, Praxis and Preaching was, and continues to be a means of encounter for the members of the Dominican Family (Friars, Sisters, lay men and women) and for the Delegates of the Word of God in Honduras”. Brian Pierce, OP, Praxis y Predicación: Un manual para predicadores, Bonum 2008, p. 10)

This means that not only is it an intellectual act and a learning of techniques for the study, preparation and elaboration of a preaching, but also goes much further. It implies a deep lived experience, spirituality and a practice incarnated in the heart of our peoples in the light of the Gospel and the charisma of preachers.

Nevertheless, even though the priority emphasizes “liberating women´s preaching”, it does not exclude the participation of our brother friars and laity of the Dominican Family, being conscious of its responsibility and importance of achieving this liberating and prophetic project in our continent.

CODALC through the coordination of Sr Joan Williams O.P. in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, undertook the challenge and set in motion this priority. This year 2008 saw the realization of two workshops of “Praxis and Preaching” with the aim of covering the major part of the Latin American continent where our missionary family is present.

And so, from 15-23 of February 2008, the first workshop took place in the Retreat House of the Dominican Missionary Sisters in Lima, Perú. It was directed toward all the Dominican family present in the Southern Cone and Boliviarian zones. This workshop, we affirm, is the beginning of a Project of CODALC to “form and train preaching teams” that seek to extend themselves and affect the mission of the Church through the Order as one sole family and community bearing the Good News for our society today.

The participants present were from distinct places of these zones: Perú, Venezuela, Columbia, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and sisters from the United States who share mission in these countries.

During the dates of 3-11 of March of this same year, a second workshop was realized in the Formation Center of the Diocese of San Pedro Sula in Honduras; following the same objectives. Nevertheless, it was directed toward the Dominican region according to CODALC, of Mexico and Central America with the participation of one of the zones of the Caribbean.                                                                                                    

We call attention to the active participation of religious women and members of lay fraternities of Mexico; for Central America, religious women of Guatemala, lay fraternities of El Salvador and Nicaragua; one sister and one student friar from Puerto Rico (Caribbean Zone).

We extend our thanks to the congregations of the sisters, the lay fraternities and to our friars who were present to support this renewed endeavour of Dominican Preaching on the Continent. In a particular way, thanks to the Dominican team facilitating these inaugural workshops, who welcomed the request of CODALC: Sr. Doris Regan, O.P. and Sr Joan Williams,O.P, Claudia Banegas (lay Dominican), Fr Brian Pierce, Fr Carlos Irias, Fr. Oscar Vasquez and Fr Alberto Wulfele(who supported us in every moment, but for reasons of health was not able to be present). They have kept alive the spirit and the project of Praxis and Preaching from Central America” in their trajectory that now reaches 17 years of support in announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Sr Doris Regan O.P.
Translator

Original in Spanish
Oscar Vasquez O.P.

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