2024-01-06 02:00:00
The profile of the native catechist varies and there are no statistics on how many there are or where they are present. But “there are many, because the needs are many,” details the director of OMP in Spain.
The missionaries look for, if possible and necessary, a person who can “lead the Christian community that cannot be attended to in an ordinary way,” explains Father Calderón. This person must have “some preparation and a certain moral life,” and it is common for this person to be chosen for this task “who is, in and of itself, the leader of the population, the one who acts as a bit of ethnic leader of the community, because He is the most respected person and with the most moral authority,” he adds.
“They are always good and pious people, with a certain prestige in their communities and with love for their people,” summarizes Father Calderón.
In addition to his personal qualities and position, “the missionary must take care of his religious formation so that he can help the rest of the community,” so it is common for native catechists to be gathered once or twice a year for this purpose.
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