All moments were permeated by prayer, listening to participants, and discernment in the Holy Spirit. In addition to the council members and missionaries responsible for the regions, Father Silvio Scolpel, International Assistant of the Community, and Gabriella Dias, Communication Assistant, also participated.
“An intense participation full of love for the charism”
The Missionary Assistant of the Community, Kléber Marinho, gave a very positive assessment of the retreat, highlighting the depth of the discussions and the involvement of the leadership.
“Everyone’s participation was intense, with strong commitment to the Community’s mission. Contributions were high-level, and the involvement of the Council members and regional leaders was very good. This expressive participation reveals the leaders’ love for the Community’s charism and respect for our founder,” he said.
According to him, the objectives set for the retreat were fully achieved:
“Both in the foundations, the topics addressed, and the evaluation of the missions, we achieved the goals we had set. In this edition, with the more active participation of regional leaders, we reached a very high level of shared responsibility. We realized how effectively they have collaborated in monitoring the missions and in governing the Community.”
Regarding new foundations, Kléber explained that discernments are still in progress:
“It is not yet possible to present concrete results, but our desire remains the same: to seek places where the Community can develop intense apostolic activity, according to our charism, and respond to the needs of the regions where we should be more present.”
Among the most relevant topics discussed during the retreat, he highlighted the World Youth Day, the Shalom Convention, and youth evangelization, areas that, according to him, require “continuous attention and dedication, as they reflect the priorities of the Community’s mission.”
A bolder communication
During the retreat, one of the topics that stood out was the Community’s communication service. According to Gabriella Dias, Communication Assistant, participants recognized the need for Shalom communication to become increasingly bold, creative, and evangelizing.
“For me, it was a very enriching experience to hear about the missions and understand the contribution the Community’s communication channels can make to advancing evangelization. Our service on Instagram, the portal, YouTube, Shalom Radio, and many other fronts can help the missions a lot, because today people are very connected,” Gabriella emphasized.
She explained that this reflection generated a desire to further strengthen communication channels, making them more solid and capable of engaging with the contemporary world.
“Today, communicating is not just speaking, it’s also listening. We thought a lot about how we can listen to people, advise, and pray for them. This was one of the retreat’s greatest contributions,” she added.
After evaluating the missions, participants also selected new topics for reflection. One of them was youth evangelization, an urgency that the Community recognizes given the challenges of the present time.
“The Community already has a very strong evangelizing action with young people, but given the urgency of the world, we realized we need to go beyond what we already do,” Gabriella said.
According to her, this topic also connects with communication:
“Young people are not just connected; they are highly networked. That’s why we saw the importance of engaging the Youth of the Covenant Community in communication, opening new evangelization fronts aimed at other young people who are distant from God and the Church.”
The perspective of new generations
Herico Gabriel, the youngest member of the General Council, participated in the retreat for the second time. He was one of the four councilors elected at the last General Assembly to represent the Life Community.
During the meeting, Herico shared the renewed sense of belonging and mission in the face of the Community’s challenges:
“Faced with the graces, challenges, and needs of the Community today, a great sense of belonging to the Church, the Community, and the Work grows within me. I feel more missionary because of the urgent call of youth, the poor, and the Church. I want to be what God has called us to be: a response.”
He also highlighted the role of integration between generations within the Council:
“I realize I can contribute in two ways: being heard for the discipleship of the charism, gathering the founder’s wisdom to pour into the mission, and being the voice of the young people of the Community and the Work in the Council. I believe this helps the encounter of generations.”
Returning to the sources of the charism
Another member of the General Council, Marco Mencaglia (geographical representative of Europe), expressed the joy of attending the retreat in person:
“Attending the General Council retreat in person is always a great blessing. It’s a moment where each brother experiences being a Community member, being Shalom — in personal prayer, in the fellowship of meals, sharing, and learning about more than a hundred missions in Brazil and around the world.”
He also highlighted the special meaning of being in the General Diakonia:
“I feel the Diakonia as my home. It is a special place whose heart is in the beautiful Church of the Risen One, where we participate in daily Mass. As a brother living in Europe, I am deeply moved by this experience in the places where the charism was born. Returning to the sources fills me with motivation to bring this beauty to many young people on my continent.”
The unity of the charism
Even participating online due to a master’s program in Rome, Father Silvio Scolpel, International Assistant of the Community, highlighted the graces experienced during the retreat.
“I believe online participation did not compromise the retreat; on the contrary, I felt very touched by the graces. I saw in all brothers a sincere pursuit of the best, with uprightness, boldness, and prudence. But what touched me most was realizing that the ‘best’ is only true when built in communion.”
The priest emphasized that communion was the retreat’s strongest hallmark:
“The best does not override the brothers. It is a construction done in unity, love, and mutual respect. This was one of the greatest graces experienced. Additionally, I received the grace of expanding the mission’s horizons, with concrete indications for the international assistance service.”
From the source of the charism to the heart of the Amazon
Andreia Barros, missionary responsible for the Northern Brazil region, also saw her horizons broadened. She described the retreat as a milestone in her missionary journey.
“This retreat was a great blessing, a milestone for me as Northern Regional Leader. First, for witnessing the breath of the Spirit asking us as a Community to advance further in evangelizing all peoples. For us in the North, this is an even stronger call from God.”
Andreia recalled concrete evangelization actions with socially vulnerable people in the North:
“We have two human promotion houses in the North Region — one in Chaves, Marajó, and another in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre — where we work with children. These projects have missionaries and volunteers dedicating their lives, generating great fruits in the lives of these children, transforming them forever.”
“I leave this retreat confident that God wants more of our ‘yes,’ our growth, and our service. Expectations are as high as possible: advancing evangelization in the deep Amazon and in the hearts of the poor — not only materially but spiritually and morally,” she concluded.
A community in listening and discernment
During the retreat, the General Council and Regional Leaders also visited some mission fronts in Fortaleza-CE: Shalom Friends of the Poor Project, Shalom School, and Peace Space.
Amid prayers, sharing, and discernment, participants returned to their regions with renewed hearts and a desire to continue collaborating with God’s dreams for the Community and the Church.
“We leave here convinced that the Lord calls us to ever bolder evangelization, faithful to the charism and attentive to the signs of the times,” summarized one council member.
