These are moments of learning and rapprochement between the Bishop of the Algarve and the Algarve's Catholic communities. But they can also be moments of innovation. Dom Manuel Quintas recently completed another Pastoral Visit, this time to the parishes of Faro, and was very satisfied with the results of this tour. In 2012, Lagos and Aljezur followed, in a total of 10 parishes.
Dom Manuel Quintas was the guest of the week before Christmas on the radio program “Impressões”, jointly organized by Sul Informação and by Rádio Universitária do Algarve.
“It was very positive for me that we decided, with the priests of the parishes of Faro, to stop holding meetings by parish, but rather to gather together in the same night, such as those who belong to social-charitable groups or those who participate in the life of the parish community», considered Dom Manuel Neto Quintas.
For the Bishop of the Diocese of Algarve, these extended meetings "were very positive", as they allowed lay people who give part of their time to the Church "to realize the richness that constitutes in their communities". “The meetings were enriching not only for me, but also for the groups themselves,” he continued.
“I also had the opportunity to realize the great generosity with which so many people are committed, in a very dedicated way, to activities that concern the lives of parishes. This is an encouragement for me in my mission as Bishop. That's why Pastoral Visits are always enriching, first of all for me, but also for those I visit, since I try, with my presence, to unite and congregate», he considered.
The dynamics achieved in Faro allowed the Algarve bishop "to call for a joint pastoral, that is, to join initiatives." “It is important that we work in complementarity at all levels and also at the ecclesial level”, believes Dom Manuel Quintas.
As usual in Pastoral Visits, Dom Manuel Quintas took the opportunity to be present in several Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS) of Faro, namely “the House of the Boys and the House for the Protection of the Girl”, among others. «As I have already visited Faro in a longer way, I wasn't so concerned about visiting all the institutions», said the Bishop of Algarve.
“It is part of my mission as Bishop to travel through the diocese in a longer way, passing through the parishes. Through this close contact, which allows me greater knowledge, my message naturally acquires greater realism, as it starts from the knowledge of reality», he explained.
“These Pastoral Visits also include listening to people, meeting groups linked to Christian communities and I try to visit people who are sick or bedridden. I make these visits with great pleasure and I always learn, especially from people who take care of the elderly, the bedridden and the sick,” he added.
Photo: Sunday Sheet
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