God Continues to Call: Our Students in Mexico
It was the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, who appeared to Saint Juan Diego (1531) and opened the hearts of the people of Mexico to evangelization. The Xaverians established the first school in Mazatlan in 1951, a school that propagated the spirit and life of Saint Guido Maria Conforti. The first Mexican students joined the Xaverian family soon after. There are about 14 mission centers and parishes, where Xaverians in Mexico prepare missionaries for evangelization to non-Christians. Today our Mexican brothers throughout the world.
With great joy and gratitude, we share with you the great gift of the vocation that God continues to carry out for the mission. During this summer we carried out our pre-seminars in Arandas Jalisco and San Juan del Río Querétaro. In both events, we had abundant participation, and with great hope, we launched the networks to awaken in the young people the sensitivity and the ability to perceive the needs of others, so that they can consider the project of being collaborators of the Kingdom of God.
In the pre-seminaries, we live moments of prayer, coexistence, sport, preparation, self-discovery, and especially of experience of God who manifests himself and calls himself through his Word and the witness of the missionaries. In Arandas we begin with reflection and personal self-knowledge, accepting God as Father and Creator, then recognizing Jesus Christ as our Son and Brother, and finally as apostles sent and guided by the Holy Spirit.
One of the activities that the boys liked the most was the Olympics because in an environment of healthy competition, they were surpassing themselves and learning to work as a team. The days were very intense but full of emotions and experiences that we will surely remember for a long time because they touched the depth of our souls.
In San Juan del Río we enjoyed a soccer tournament, themes, contests, and various activities that helped create a family atmosphere full of joy and energy that allowed the boys to generate friendship and fraternity. Among many activities, we had a trip to a ranch where we ate a tasty barbecue fresh from the traditional oven with its maguey stalks.
All the work done has the purpose of sowing in the young people the seed of vocation, God will germinate what has been sown so that they can respond to the project that has prepared them. Thanks to the animators and the entire team of Xaverian and Bienechores seminarians who supported our pre-seminaries to be a success. God keeps calling and we help him to be heard.