PRESENTATION

We, the indigenous peoples, thank you, O God of Life, God Father and Mother, for our faith, knowledge and celebrations, our myths and our histories. The non-Indians want to become disciples, share faith and theology, all towards a full maturity in the ever-present, living and dynamic God.

The indigenous peoples possess an ancestral wisdom and a rich experience of the living God, a God who is recognized as the Lord of History, Father and Mother of humanity, heart of the heavens and of the earth. A God who is life, tenderness and love, and who is closely united to the community, a God in harmony with the world.

The indigenous peoples are peoples who desire “to take again hope into their hands as the spiritual fountain of life… stirring up their wisdom to weave again the new fabric of their history”: a fabric that is being interwoven in the passing of the centuries, step after step, in an alternating of suffering and resistance, faith and weakness.

As Consolata Missionary Fathers and Brothers, and as Consolata Missionary Sisters, we have opted to humbly walk along with these peoples for decades now. We are conscious of the reciprocity of the values that we can offer and receive. Along with them, we desire to “weave” history so that “Life in Abundance” may become a concrete reality, a reality that is defense of their rights, self-determination and self-definition, valorization of their own spirituality and right to receive the Announcement of the Gospel, an announcement that is acculturated and liberating.

We believe that Fr. Joseph Allamano has been with us in this march, blessing us and sustaining us in all the efforts we have made to evaluate the different cultures in view of an authentic and advantageous dialogue.

This meeting took place in Roraima at the dawn of the new millenium. It comes after the one held in Roraima in 1990, and it stands protracted into the future. It trusts the Spirit who, today as yesterday, continues leading our two Institutes into clear options in this American Continent.

We are conscious that this is just another step, another trace along the way that we are treading. Many missionaries gave their best to open new paths and dream up new projects for the future. Other Brothers and Sisters have been called to continue on this same road to find the passing of the Spirit in History.
We entrust our hopes to the Mother of God, Our Lady Consolata, who always guides each one of her sons and daughters with tenderness and love. We ask her to teach us how to read in the present time the signs of her Son in the history of the indigenous peoples that we accompany as missionaries.

Fr. Aquileo Fiorentini, IMC and Sr. Angeles Martineo, M