On July 20, 2025, we celebrated the 42nd Anniversary of the Claretian Lay Movement, and the Central American Region was responsible for organizing it, which was an honor and a commitment, which we gladly accepted.
On the day of the event, we began connecting via Zoom very early, and the platform was filled with more than 100 participants. It was a great joy to see so many beloved faces from different regions, countries, and continents; the atmosphere was one of true joy and fraternity.
The program began with opening remarks from the region’s Secretary of Formation and a welcome in the most relevant dialects of the native peoples of Central America. This was followed by a Claretian hymn sung by the choir, made up of several lay people from the region. Afterward, the opening prayer and reading of Gospel were held, beautifully echoed by Maricarmen Moctezuma from Mexico. At the same time, it was translated into French and English.
We moved on to the part where recognition was given to the five founders of the Movement, who signed the founding act. From there, the different regions were introduced: Betica, Northern Spain, the Antilles, Congo, the Central American Region, and others. The participants’ contributions were very timely and enriching, such as that of Jean Pierre from Congo, who showed us the large community of lay people in those regions of Africa, illustrated with photographs and videos.
Before the main event, there was another song: “Alma Grande Enamorada,” composed by a lay Claretian from South America. Next, we had the formation theme by Bruno La Hoz, Secretary of Formation of the Lay Claretian Movement, who presented the theme in a very graphic way: “Guarding the Gift, Living the Mission.”
We then received a speech from our Secretary General, who, after a warm greeting and thanks for the preparations for the anniversary, recalled three different moments in our history: A history with a past. A beautiful present in which nearly 1,600 lay claretians in 32 different countries and 151 communities strive to show the face of Jesus incarnate in his Church. And a history with a vibrant future, opening new horizons and perspectives to creatively confront the challenges facing our mission today.
Then we received a message of congratulations from our general advisor, Father Pedro Belderrain. We also received a message from the Provincial of Central America, Father Ismael Montero Toyos.
There were several speeches, followed by an outpouring of congratulations from more than three hundred people gathered on the platform and through social media, rejoicing at having shared in a great celebration. We close with the final prayer and the Claretian Hymn, sung by the choirs of the Central American Region, who so lovingly prepared this glorious 42nd Anniversary of the Claretian Lay Movement.
By Doris Mejía – LC Guatemala
