p. Leocir Pessini parla con p. Enrique Gonzales (viceprovinciale del Perú) e p. Juan Pablo Villamizar (superiore della Delegazione della Colombia Ecuador) all’ingresso del Centro Camiliano de Humanización y Pastoral de la Salud en Bogotá

The celebrations for the closing of the Camillian jubilee year in the communities of Bogota were many in number and involved all the various Camillian institutions and agencies that work in the local area: the ‘St. Camillus Seminary; the ‘Casa San José’ Theology College; the Camillian Centre for Pastoral Care; the San Pedro Claver community; and the Juan Yey Work were the animators of the celebrations of 20-27 July.

On 20 August, within the context of the celebration of the Eucharist, the solemn profession of the religious brother Diego Fernando Ceron Medina was celebrated.

21-24 August were devoted to the annual spiritual exercises which were held at the House of Camillian Spirituality and in part at the Camillian Centre for Humanisation and Pastoral Care in Health in Bogota (this was the first time that Camillian religious had this kind of experience at the House of Spirituality). Twenty men religious, the temporary professed of Bogota, Caili and Quito, and two sisters of the Daughters of St. Camillus took part.

The morning of 25 August was dedicated to an assembly meeting, chaired by the Superior of the Delegation, Fr. Juan Pablo Villamizar, in order to speak about various problems of the Delegation and to coordinate future activities.

26 August witnessed the presence of the Superior General, Fr. Leocir Pessini, who made a fraternal visit to the Delegation. The closing of the jubilee year and the fiftieth anniversary of the presence of Camillians in Colombia ( 1964-2014) were celebrated.

The most important moments of the jubilee celebrations were: the special and moving moment of the homily of Fr. Leocir, especially when he remembered the fiftieth anniversary of the priesthood of Fr. Adriano Tarraran (in the photograph he is to Fr. Leocir’s left); and when, after lunch, Fr. Juan Pablo Vollamizar went over the fifty years of the history of the Camillians in Colombia – this amacord moment had intervals with music typical of the regions where the Camillians work, namely Bogota, Medellin,

Il Cardinale Rubén Salazar (a destra), P. Adriano Tarrarán (al centro) e P. Leocir Pessini

Barranquilla and  Cali, not forgetting our presence in Quito in Ecuador.

Photo: Fr. Renzo Roccabruna, one of the first founders of the Delegation in 1964. In this photograph he is accompanied by Mrs. Maria Magdalena Chaparro who since that year has helped in the church and the hospital of St. John of God as a sacristan and cook).

Through the figure and the person of Fr. Renzo, also remembered were Fr. Emilio Stenico and Fr. Piero Merlo – at the present time resident in the Camillian community of Venice-Lido – and a prayer was said for Fr. Silvestro Caresia: all four of them were ‘founders’ of the Delegation.

At the end of the day, Fr. Luciano Ramponi, the Secretary of the Delegation, briefly described a series of works which were published on the occasion of Camillian jubilee year and the fiftieth anniversary of the Delegatio:

• Los Religiosos Camilos en Colombia ( 1766-1820  y 1964-2014) by Fr. Virgilio Grandi and Fr. Luciano Ramponi;
• Breve Historia de la Orden Ministros de los Enfermos by Fr. Giuseppe Villa;
• Fundación  de la Orden Ministros de los Enfermos by  Fr. Luciano Ramponi; and
• Boletín n. 45  “CAMILOS HOY”de la Delegación Colombia Ecuador by Fr. Luciano Ramponi.

P. Renzo Roccabruna, uno dei primi fondatori della delegazione nel 1964. Nella foto accompagnato dalla signora Maria Magdalena Chaparro, che da quell’anno aiuta nella Chiesa e nella casa dell’Ospedale San Juan de Dios come sacrestana e cuoca

On 27 August we met at the Juan Rey hospital in the south-western part of the capital of Colombia where Fr. Dino  de Zan de Luca had carried out his ‘mission on the mountain’ (3,100 metres above sea level). At 11.00 we celebrated the Eucharist in commemoration of the first anniversary of his death (28 July 2013). The Holy Mass was presided over by Msgr. Francisco Niet, the vicar of the pastoral area, with the presence of a large number of Camillian priests and deacons, our theologians and seminarians and many people of the locality who remember Fr. Dino with affection.

Murales inaugurato il giorno 27 all’ingresso del Centro médico y de Formación de la Obra en Juan Rey: San Camilo e p. Dino De Zan.

Photograph of the murals that were inaugurated on 27 August at the entrance of the Centro médico y de Formación de la Obra en Juan Rey: St. Camillus and Fr. Dino De Zan.

Photograph of Fr. Leocir Pessini talking to Fr. Enrique Gonzales (the Vice-Provincial of Peru) and Fr. Juan Pablo Villamizar (the Superior of the Delegation of Colombia Ecuador) at the entrance to the Centro Camiliano de Humanización y Pastoral de la Salud in Bogota

Photograph of Cardinal Rubén Salazar (on the right), Fr. Adriano Tarrarán (in the centre) and Fr. Leocir Pessini (on the left).

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