AMERICA/VENEZUELA – Gratitude for a missionary experience that changed one’s vision on life

Canaima – On December 25, Carlos Bobillo , a lay missionary of the Hakuna movement, will return home to Barcelona, Spain, after a three-month missionary experience in the vast territory of Canaima. This vast area is part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Caroní, characterized by immense biodiversity and a rich cultural heritage. Music, with its unifying power, and Eucharistic adoration are the two pillars upon which Hakuna is built, a movement born in the wake of World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro from the vision of a Spanish priest, Father José Pedro Manglano. “Making Jesus known in these areas is a laborious task for the diocesan Church, which only has half a dozen priests,” says Carlos, who since October 5th has been accompanying Father Xavier Serra, a Spanish missionary who has served the Pemón communities for 25 years. The Pemón are an ancient indigenous people who live in southeastern Venezuela, in the Gran Sabana, bordering the rainforest. These are pristine and boundless landscapes of rare beauty, where the objective difficulty of travel complicates access to the communities scattered across a territory of 80,000 km². It is an immense area where one can travel mainly on foot, by river, or in small planes. In the region, evangelization began with the Gran Sabana mission of the Capuchin Franciscans, supported by the Dominican friars, just over 100 years ago. That mission concluded some time ago, and now the diocesan Church is responsible for this territory. “Illegal gold mining has serious consequences for the lives of the miners, many of whom are minors suffering from health problems due to working in the mines, as well as addiction fueled by the promise of ‘easy’ money,” says Carlos. “The extremely high cost of living,” he adds, “also creates obstacles for missionary work.” In recent weeks, Carlos has accompanied Father Serra in his daily life, participating in celebrations, shared readings of the Word of God, catechism classes, musical rehearsals, and meetings with young people at the school. He has also helped with archiving, gardening, cooking, cleaning, and leisure activities such as swimming in the river or lagoon, or walking through the savanna. Each day, life offers elements of novelty and wonder to reflect on. “This mission is not easy, but Father Xavier, with his spontaneity, his closeness, and his friendship with the Pemón people, based on respect for the customs of these communities, has been able to unlearn, redefine his priorities, avoid the risk of self-absorption, and always keep in mind that mission can only be born from an encounter with Christ,” explains Carlos, who chooses the word “hope” to define the experience of the last few weeks. “Hope,” Carlos concludes, “is what I take away from what I am experiencing. And hope for me now also comes from having met Father Tirso Javier, a young Pemon priest with whom I spent a few weeks at the Kamarata mission, listening to him talk about his vocation.”

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