![\"Regnum](\"https:\/\/regnumchristi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MisionesCaracas.webp\")
A calling that becomes clearer along the way<\/h3>\n
Alongside these initial motivations, the experiences converge on something deeper: the sense of a call. Cipri, a professor at the Francisco de Vitoria University in Spain, who took part with his wife Ana and their children in the missions in Villafranca del Bierzo in 2025, expresses it clearly: it is not merely a human decision.<\/p>\n
In his case, the desire to live Holy Week close to Christ and as a family was joined by an apostolic conviction: faith is not something to be kept to oneself, but to be shared. Yet beyond these motives, he recognizes that there is something interiorly perceived\u2014something that moves a person to take the step even when difficulties arise.<\/p>\n
A community that endures<\/h3>\n
One of the most enduring outcomes of the mission is the community that develops over time. It\u2019s not just about spending a few days together, but about bonds that grow stronger and endure.<\/p>\n
Alejandrina Barraza\u2019s experience illustrates this particularly well. After losing her husband during the pandemic, the missionary community reached out to her in tangible ways: through prayer, compassion, and ongoing support. What had taken root in the mission then manifested itself as a genuine network of companionship and community.<\/p>\n
This sense of community is also evident in other experiences, where families highlight the lasting friendships and sense of belonging that come from sharing the same experiences of service year after year during the Holy Week missions.<\/p>\n Watching children grow is one of the most visible\u2014and at the same time, most meaningful\u2014rewards. Families consistently describe a similar process: children begin to participate at a young age and, over time, make the experience their own.<\/p>\n Alejandra Lezama, from Metepec, Mexico, puts it this way when she recalls how her children went from attending the missions with some reluctance to wanting to participate of their own accord, after discovering that personal encounter with God. In the Hurtado Valadez family, from Monterrey, Mexico, this process is also evident in their daughters, who have grown up in this environment and come to see it as part of their lives.<\/p>\n In some cases, this journey leads to more permanent commitments. Alicia Desesarte Vivanco, from Mexico City, recounts how her children grew up in this environment, first participating as a family and later in the Missionary Youth, to the point that one of them eventually discovered a different calling: he was ordained a priest in the Legion of Christ.<\/p>\n The missions create real encounters that leave a lasting mark. Desir\u00e9e Moreau, from Caracas, Venezuela, recalls her experience on Margarita Island in 2018, where the community\u2019s response became evident as people returned to the sacraments after many years and took an active part in the life of the Church.<\/p>\n Among the most memorable moments was when they accompanied a woman about to give birth and helped her get to the hospital. Later, they were able to baptize the child, forging a bond that went beyond the mission itself.<\/p>\n In other contexts, as the Rodr\u00edguez Fuentes family in Mexico City recounts, these encounters take the form of simple gestures: a conversation, a family prayer, or an invitation to return to the Church. In one such case, a visit led a person to be reconciled after years of estrangement.<\/p>\n Children also play an important role in these gatherings. As Cipri from Spain pointed out, their mere presence often opens doors and warms the hearts of those being visited.<\/p>\n A constant in these missionary experiences is the awareness that the mission is not only a service to others, but an experience that deeply transforms those who take part. Gast\u00f3n Iturralde, from Mexico, acknowledges that after a time away from the missions, returning allowed him to rediscover the meaning of Holy Week and renew his relationship with God.<\/p>\n On a more personal note, Carlota Molina, from Madrid, describes the mission as a place where she rediscovers the gift of self-giving and grows in a faith that becomes more concrete, evolving from something she receives into a lived commitment.<\/p>\n This experience is shared by many families who, over the years, come to realize that they receive more from the mission than they give.<\/p>\n The mission also involves specific challenges: changes in routine, discomfort, family logistics, or fear of the unknown. Cipri mentions, for example, the difficult weather conditions during her time in Spain and the challenge of living through it with young children.<\/p>\n However, these challenges are part of the journey. As Carlota Molina points out, initial fear does not prevent God from acting; on the contrary, it can become an opportunity for growth. Mission thus invites us to step outside ourselves and place God at the center, which allows us to put everything else in order.<\/p>\n Some families have been doing this for decades. Margarita C\u00e1rdenas, from Chihuahua, Mexico, began going on missions in 1999 with her five young children. Since then, the mission has become an essential part of her life, to the point where she cannot imagine Holy Week without going on a mission.<\/p>\n Similarly, the De Esesarte P\u00e9rez family, from Puebla and Guadalajara (Mexico)\u2014where various family members gather\u2014describes these years as a blessing that has been a constant presence in their family history.<\/p>\n This continuity allows us to recognize that the mission is not a one-time experience, but a journey that unfolds over time and leaves a lasting impact.<\/p>\n In a context where many families are seeking concrete ways to live their faith together, the experience of missionary families offers a clear path: integrating family life, community, and mission into a single, unified dynamic.<\/p>\n The stories of Alejandrina Barraza in Chihuahua, Cipri in Spain, Desir\u00e9e Moreau in Venezuela, Raymond and Malou in the Philippines, and Alicia Desesarte in Mexico City show that the mission does not end when one returns home. It remains as a call that continues to grow, year after year, in personal, family, and community life.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n![\"Regnum](\"https:\/\/regnumchristi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MisionesFilipinas.webp\")
Growing Together in Faith<\/h3>\n
Encounters That Make Faith Visible<\/h3>\n
![\"Regnum](\"https:\/\/regnumchristi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MisionesSpain.webp\")
The mission also transforms those who go<\/h3>\n
Going out of oneself to give oneself to others<\/h3>\n
![\"Regnum](\"https:\/\/regnumchristi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MisionesMonterrey-747x1024.webp\")
A call that spans generations<\/h3>\n
A Path Open to All Today<\/h3>\n