In 2020, a few days before the quarantine was declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, the face-to-face missions had to be suspended for Holy Week. In 2021, the national office of Mission Youth decided to carry them out in three modalities:
- Missioning at a distance, through videoconferencing with the communities or via telephone where there is no internet signal.
- From his home as a missionary adorer living the Holy Week from the digital platforms with the activities that were planned for each day.
- As an outgoing missionary, where only some young people and families would do it in person in the most remote communities and following each and every one of the health recommendations.
During Holy Week 2021, more than 20 thousand missionaries registered in the various modalities of mission participated in the activities proposed by the Missionary Youth and Family in its virtual platform. Thirty hours of live transmission were available throughout the week.
For Barbara Herrera, national director of Youth and Missionary Family, it has been very painful that for the second year it has not been possible to have the MegamissionThis year the motto of the mega-missions was «Awaken and enlighten the world“, because we want that even at a distance we can bring a little light and hope to the communities and to the missionaries, who learn so much from the people they visit. It has been a lot of pain not to be able to make the visits, in social networks there are thousands of comments from young people and families who regret not being able to make a face-to-face mission”.
Sending Mass
On Saturday, March 27th, at the Chapel of the Anahuac University Mexico, Héctor Mario Pérez Villarreal, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico, celebrated the Mass of sending forth, keeping in mind the thousands of missionaries who this year went on mission from afar.
In his homily, Bishop Hector Mario said to pray for the sick and for all the communities, especially for those who will not be able to go on mission because of the pandemic.
To the missionaries, he said: “No one can deny the tragedy of this pandemic, but you must bring hope, convinced that it is an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ. We can bring a sign of hope. Few will be the villages visited, but everyone from home will have to be a sign of hope in one way or another, in a phone call or in a digital meeting”.
He added that this year more than ever they must bring a good dose of patience to listen to the people in the face of this pandemic, that the people need to be heard, so their presence must be joyful, calm, responsible and patient to bring the message that God lives among us and has come to save us. He concluded by saying that in this crisis of pandemic and political polarization, they have to bring hope, unity and love.
Bishop Hector blessed a missionary cross and a family representing all the Holy Week missionaries.
Closing Mass
On Sunday, April 4, in the Chapel of the Universidad Anáhuac México, the closing Mass for the Megamissions 2021. The celebration was officiated by the President of the Territorial Board of Directors of Regnum Christi in Mexico and Central America, Father Alberto Simán, LC.
In his homily, Fr. Simán recalled the importance of encountering the risen, living Jesus. «How much we do not know, but there is something deep in the heart that tells me, Jesus is alive, that is the experience that John and Peter leave us in the Gospel. They hear the words of the women when they are told that the body of Jesus is not there and they run out and arrive at the open tomb. John looks in, then Peter arrives, sees the linen cloths, what we know today as the shroud, and the Gospel says “he saw and believed”. It is the profound experience of faith that makes me see without seeing in order to believe».
He addressed the missionaries when he asked them “what moved you to go on mission, if not the living experience of someone who speaks to my heart and who leads me to see without seeing, in order to believe. And so the Church began”.
He continued: «Today, after more than two thousand years, the mission of the Church continues to stand here in each one of us. That same Christ who spoke among the apostles, has spoken to me and gives me that living faith that makes me say “I have not seen, but I believe”, that is why I live the mission of the Church bringing to others the good news of Easter, Christ is Risen».
Father Simán also referred to the special way in which these activities are carried out. Megamissions He emphasized the importance of taking the message of evangelization to all people: «perhaps not as in other years, when there are several thousand people here, hundreds of priests and today all of us, representing all of them who surely would like to have been missionaries, and many have done it through prayer, can say, “Christ is alive and I see and believe without seeing”.
