Prayer Chain for the VI General Congress of the VDMF

Dear brothers and sisters of the entire VDMF,

As you know, the VI General Congress of the VDMF will be held from 30 August to 27 September. It is an event of vital importance for the VD throughout the world, since the Congress is a privileged moment in which the whole Fraternity, represented by the Congress participants, opens itself in a special way to the Spirit, so that the Spirit may guide and orient its growth and development, in fidelity to the founding charism and to the signs of the times.

The General Congress is the highest authority of the VDMF and has the competence to elect the President of the VDMF and the General Responsibles of the three branches of the VDMF. But in addition to this, the VDMF Congress is a vitally important event because:

• It seeks to safeguard and promote communion in fidelity to its own charism, as well as to foster the development and expansion of the entire Fraternity, in accordance with the sense of the Church and the signs of the times.
• It evaluates the development of the Fraternity, its apostolic activities and its own works, its assets and financial situation.
• It watches over the consolidation, structuring and expansion of the Verbum Dei Missionary Family and the various groups that make it up.
• It drafts the guidelines for the new six-year period, so that the new General Board can implement them.

This VI Congress has another characteristic which makes it even more important. In addition to what has already been said, the Constitutions of the VDMF will be revised at this Congress, with the intention of submitting them to the Holy See for final approval.

For all this, and seeing the importance of this Congress, I would like to propose to the whole Verbum Dei Missionary Family a chain of prayer so that the whole FMVD may open itself to the Holy Spirit and allow itself to be guided by Him, so that we may be in the Church a Gift of God for the world. I invite all members of the VDMF, all VD missionary disciples, all LCMs and all people who are fond of Verbum Dei to join in prayer every day during the congress at 12 noon, according to the time zone of each country. I am grateful for all the initiatives that may arise in the local communities to pray for this very important event for all of us. May God bless you all. I also thank the whole Verbum Dei Missionary Family for their co-responsibility and for the journey made together in missionary communion.


​Rodrigo Carrizo Moya
VDMF President

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​Father, you who create and sustain all things with your love, we ask you to make us artisans of communion, so that as we journey towards the Congress we may know how to welcome the diversity that characterises us as the Verbum Dei Missionary Family.
 
Jesus, human face of God, consecrate us to your Word so that the Congress may be prepared and carried out in profound fidelity to your voice, listening to each one of us and to the signs of the times.
 
Holy Spirit, you who open rivers in the desert, guide us in this time of discernment and decision, so that we may live, embody and offer our charism ever more fully, so that all the baptised may participate in the mission of Jesus entrusted to the Church.
 
Accompany us, Mary, with your loving motherly presence and intercession, so that this Congress may be a channel of hope in which God transforms us and makes all things new. 

​Amen.

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Visit the main Verbum Dei worldwide page for updates related to the upcoming congress at:
https://verbumdei.org/blog/eng_ordinary_congress_vdmf2024/