Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends of the Missions and the Apostolic Vicariate
Nuflo de Chávez in Bolivia

October was for us the month of many visits. I spent few weeks in Poland and Germany, where I took part in the "Week of the Brotherhood" meeting. This "Brotherhood" - "Hermandad" between the Bolivian Church and the German Church in the Trier diocese has been lasting for 48 years. The bond with the Hildesheim diocese started 20 years ago.

When I got back to Bolivia I took part in several important events I would like to mention now.

1. Consecration of the St Francis of Assisi Pastoral Centre in Ascencion de Guarayos.

The consecration of the St Francis of Assisi Pastoral Centre in Ascencion de Guarayos took part on the day of St Francis of Assisi Celebrations. The Franciscan provincial thanked the parson of Ascencion , Fr. Bernard Falkus, for the idea and his involvement in this important work which supports evangelization and helps organizing all kinds of different pastoral events. Many people came to celebrate the consecration of the new centre - Brothers from the Assumption of the Mother of God Province in Katowice, Fr. Bonaventura Smolka from the St Jadwiga Province in Wrocław, Fr Felix Skrzypacz with a group of young people from Germany.

The district in which the new chapel and the pastoral centre was established was built in 1997, after a terrific fire, which had destroyed almost the whole town. People lost everything. At that difficult time Fr Bernard Falkus and Franciscan Tertiary Sisters from Austria organized international aid for them. This is how the new district came into existence. Unfortunately, there was neither a chapel nor a catechetical room. They decided to fill this lack in. Thanks to sacrificial help of different German and Austrian institutions this work could be completed.

In this place I would like to thank all of you, who supported the realization of this project through polish Franciscan provinces.

A few weeks ago we started the building of a new convent for the Little Servant Sisters in a town called Villa Paraiso. For this aim I allocated the offerings made by you to the Missionary Centre in Góra św. Anny. I would like to ask you for further support for this project which has important influence on pastoral work in the whole area of Villa Paraiso.

2. The visit of the Bishop from the Hildesheim diocese.

On 17^th and 18^th October we had Bishop Norbert Trelle from Hildesheim staying at our vicariate. He was received very warmly by the San Julian parish and - as he said later - "During 15 years of my Episcopal ministry it is the first time I have been welcomed so warmly". The Bishop thanked us for our brotherly attitude and respect for him. He also encouraged us to collaboration in the project financed by the "Young people for the "Culture of Peace" diocese in San Julien. The Bishop reminded us that genuine peace may be built only on Jesus Christ and brotherly attitude.

The parishioners from Concepcion and San Javier greeted Bishop Trelle equally warmly. The Bishop thanked young musicians for a wonderful concert which had taken place in Germany and representatives of the choir and orchestra thanked the Bishop for a warm welcome in Germany.

3. The Sacrament of Confirmation and fruit it bears in the parochial life.

The Sacrament of Confirmation took place in many parishes in our vicariate: Ascencion, El Fortin, La Asunta, San Julian, Cuatro Canadas, Concepcion, San Antonio de Lomerio. In all these places the Grace of the Holy Spirit was spilt.

In Cuatro Canadas Fr Gustaw Mazur and the Franciscan Sisters are involved in building new church. The construction is already roofed over but there is still a lot work to do. Similarly to the alive church. In general it is organized: it has a form but it should be restored and renovated all the time. It is a very important task for all worshippers. It depends on formation, assimilation to the "New Adam" and "New Eve". The ancient church lived in unity and brotherly love and lasted faithfully on fraction of the "Bread" and lived on the charisma of the Holy Spirit. It was the source of its zeal and beauty.

The time of draught at our area is coming to an end. It is raining a lot. The farmers are preparing the seeds to sowing. In the same way we should open ourselves to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to the nourishing power thanks to which such fruits like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness etc grow. (Galatians 5, 27).

With a heavy heart we notice that young people move away from the Church. They often do not participate in the Eucharist, they do not celebrate the Day of the Lord and their hearts become spiritual deserts. In this reality there arise such questions: how to arouse young people’s enthusiasm to imitate Christ? What to do to make their presence in the Church more active? How to provoke them to make them feel like missionaries and disciples of Christ?

While thinking about these questions I wonder how to use young people’s sensitivity to music, beauty, friendship, brotherhood and solidarity. I think that these values should be skilfully indicated in pastoral youth service.

Conclusion

I share with you my experiences and reflections with joy. I do it because I see you as my closest co-workers in realization of the mission that the Lord has entrusted me with. Your support means prayers, suffering, sacrifice and material support. I am very grateful for the received goods and I remember about you and your families in my prayers and in Eucharistic celebrations.

Dear Friends, the Liturgical Year is coming to an end. We are approaching Advent - the time in which we prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming. Our beloved Pope John Paul II often said that that we were living in the world of emigration. Its worst form is spiritual emigration, when a person cannot enter himself and avoids deeper reflection. I hope that Christmas time will help us to go deep into our souls to listen intently to the Voice of the Lord which is our conscience.

As in Bethlehem, God stays in our hearts and waits there for us together with his Mother. I wish you the ability to enter the way of prayer and to contemplate the meeting with the Saviour.

With Brotherly greetings
Bishop Antoni Bonifacy Reimann, OFM
Concepcion, 7^th November 2007

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