This is the first time a missionary of Shalom Community makes Definitive Promises in Poland, the country of St John Paul II whose blessing played a fundamental role in the establishment of the Community in 1980.
Jose Carlos Pasternak, missionary of Shalom Catholic Community and a WYD 2016’ volunteer, has made his Definitive Promises in the Shalom Charisma as a Life Community member on Sunday 10th of January, the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. The Eucharistic Celebration was celebrated at the Resurrectionist Congregation priest’s house, where many volunteers coming from different parts of the world are lodged. In the homily, Fr Grzegorz Suchodolski, General Secretary of WYD 2016’ Committee, mentioned, in a brotherly and encouraging way, the historical moment that Shalom lives, as the first member of the Community makes his definitive promises in Polish soil.
The celebration was presided by Fr. Cristiano Pinheiro, Shalom’s International Assistant, who spoke about the importance of the Definitive Promises. According to Fr. Cristiano, the promises made produces a new and fruitful spirituality and apostolic work. It is when our lives become a tree rooted in Heaven, which will produce many fruits of eternity to feed many men and women, exhaling its perfume here on earth. The Gospel of the day, which described the Baptism of the Lord, says that “heaven opened itself”. The Eternity of God, once opened to the earth, receives the definitive “yes” of this missionary, before the Community and before the Church.
The offering of a young man’s life to the youth of the whole world was the main theme of the celebration. “Our Charisma was born out of the offering of a young man at the feet of a Polish pope. Now, a young man, fruit of that first offering, makes the same thing at the homeland of St John Paul II, for the youth of the whole world”, said Fr Cristiano, who was there also representing the Community’s General Moderator, Moyses Azevedo, according to the Rite of Definitive Promises in the Community.
“It was very meaningful to celebrate this moment in our first year of establishing the Community here in Poland”, said Michele Jordan, head of Shalom Mission in Krakow. “Great is the joy of a definitive ‘yes’ in our first year of foundation. We celebrate Jose’s definitive promises, not only in Polish lands but with the Polish people and to all of those to whom this has become a witness of joy, of a ‘yes’ totally given to God”, said Michele.
Missionary
Jose Carlos was raised in the city of Piraju, countryside of Sao Paulo (Brazil), and has become member of Shalom Community in 2001. He has lived as a missionary in Fortaleza (Brazil) for a few years and later was sent to Italy, where he lived for seven years. There, he served several Dioceses throughout the country. After living in Rome where the Community has another mission house, he was then sent to Poland, as part of the first missionary group to establish the Shalom Charisma there. He is also part of the Local Committee for WYD 2016.
Today, Jose works in the subscriptions’ sector, attending especially the Italian speaker’s pilgrims. Alongside with him, three other Shalom missionaries also work in the sector: Michele Magalhães, Ada Nunes and Thamyres Gonçalves, who works with pilgrims of the English, French and Spanish languages, respectively.
Click HERE to see more pictures.