Lay leaders from thirty countries working with international lay apostolate movements have met in Rome to study the theme “Lay Mission and Vocation”. Source: Australian Cardijn Institute.
The October 9-13 conference was held to mark the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, including its path-breaking Chapter Four on The Laity.
On October 12, the 50 participants celebrated Mass at a Mass of Martyrs at the Domitilla Catacombs, recalling the many lay leaders and chaplains of the movements who have been martyred over the course of the past century.
There they adopted a message addressed to lay leaders at the Second Session of Synod on Synodality reaffirming the original 1965 Pact of the Catacombs for a servant Church of the Poor.
In their message, they also called on the Synod to clearly affirm the primacy of the baptismal vocation and the need to work to ensure that all lay people will become protagonists of a synodal Church and promote the formation of responsible citizens active in the world.
The following day, participants met again to celebrate Mass at the Church of St Michael Archangel in the Rome suburb of Pietralata, the parish chosen by Joseph Cardijn as his titular parish when he was made a cardinal in 1965.
FULL STORY
Lay leaders re-affirm primacy of baptismal vocation (Australian Cardijn Institute)
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