"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you." Genesis 12:1
"For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it." Mark 8:35
In one of the municipalities most affected and deserted by emigration, such as Ribeira de Pena in the district of Vila Real (Portugal), we the Ad Gentes Institute missionaries, held a Missionary Week under the motto Migrants & Emigrants for the sake of the gospel. Since the discoveries, the country that "gave new worlds to the world" has also contributed to their population. There are Portuguese in every country of the world. Someone once said that the Portuguese have a very small cradle but a very large cemetery.
"Expanding the faith and the empire"
When we began to be a destination for immigrants of other countries, because despite being poor, we belong to a rich club, the European Community, we thought that the bloodletting of our country was over, but here we are faced with the current financial crisis and are called, and even invited by our government, once again to emigrate.
Soon after gaining the same geographical identity as over 900 years ago, which we still have today, with our backs to Europe, we set out to sea. For Camões, the legitimate interpreter of the soul of the Portuguese people, the ultimate reason that led us to venture out and leave our land, to go out to sea in search of new lands and new people, was always to "expand the faith and the empire".
In fact, our caravels, among noblemen and bourgeois merchants, also carried missionaries. One of the greatest missionaries of all times, St. Francis Xavier, traveled in our caravels toward India and later to the gates of China. We have therefore always been a country of emigrants and missionaries.
Migrants for the sake of the gospel
Like many other inland municipalities, Ribeira de Pena has fallen victim to migration, from the interior to the coast, from countryside to the city; the kind of migration that gave rise to the expression, "Portugal is Lisbon, the rest is just landscape".
Using migration as a metaphor for the New Evangelization, the first objective of the missionary week was to convey the idea or raise awareness that every Christian is a missionary, that is, a migrant who goes out for the sake of the gospel.
The week started with a sending off ceremony presided over by the bishop of Vila Real, Dom Amândio, who sent the missionaries, torch in hand, symbolizing the light of the gospel, to the various parishes in the municipality.
To end the week, the people from each of the parishes and villages in the municipality gathered at a different point, on the outskirts of Ribeira de Pena, and walked, praying the Missionary Rosary, to a strategic point where all the communities met. From that point, all the communities united, around 300 people, and began a Way of the Cross towards the Church of the Saviour where, to end the missionary week, adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was held.
Here -- faith is what saves us
In addition to the youth walk to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Guidance and the visit to the sick throughout the municipality, a different highlight of the week was the meeting in various cafes and bars in various communities. If Mohammed does not go to the mountain, the mountain goes to Mohammed -- If people do not go to Church, the Church goes to the people.
The topics of dialogues differed: in the more rural cafes, they focused more on the practice of religion; in the cafe Black & White, frequented more by young people, the dialogue centred on more fundamental and philosophical topics, the existence of God, the meaning of life, abortion, Christian religion versus Muslim religion... The experience was positive and bears repeating.
Emigrants for the sake of the gospel
In addition to migration from the countryside to the city, Ribeira de Pena has also been plagued by emigration abroad, with France being the most chosen destination. Today, the entire municipality has no more than 6,000 inhabitants. This has not stopped us from inviting the people to participate in the mission without borders, the Mission Ad Gentes, especially through prayer...
Using emigration as a metaphor of Evangelization Ad Gentes, the second objective of the missionary week was to renew Christ’s commission to "Go and make disciples of all nations", which is the motto of the diocese of Vila Real for this year.
Leaving for the unknown is difficult for both emigrants and missionaries, both feel the fear and leave in hope that everything will work out; the emigrant leaves to receive, the missionary leaves to give. It is also difficult to leave one’s country, family and friends. The motivations are different, the emigrant is driven by necessity, the missionary is driven by faith and love. While the emigrant goes to gain his life, the missionary goes to give his life.
Prayer of the Missionary Week
Lord Jesus Christ
You said to your disciples,
"Go and make disciples",
Send over us your Spirit
And renew in our hearts
Your missionary commission
To be messengers of the gospel
And prophets of hope and love
And this like Mary your mother,
A docile and obedient yes to your will,
By word and by example
Let us make disciples of all nations.
Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC
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