The international team of the Camino Neocatechumenal is celebrating various days these days that mark the beginning of the year. In the course of the years, the past Friday, September 20 in the morning, Kiko Argüello, María Ascensión Romero and Fr. Mario Pezzi, held a private audience with the Pope Francis in the Vatican.

The initiator of the Way, Kiko Argüello, wanted to personally thank the Holy Father the opening in Macao (China) of the new Redemptoris Mater School for Asia, dependent on Propaganda Fide and expressly desired by the Pontiff himself.

Argüello has given His Holiness a drawing – made by himself Kiko for this occasion – of St. Francis Xavier, patron of the missions, the great apostle of Asia, who passed away at the gates of China, and whose incorrupt arm is venerated precisely in Macao, the place chosen for the new Redemptoris Mater in continuation with the work of the evangelization that the Church has been carrying out for five centuries. The Holy Father has welcomed the drawing of Saint Francis Xavier with joy and gratitude.

A couple of days before, at the end of the General Audience on Wednesday, September 18, Pope Francis wanted to personally meet and greet the formators and seminarians of this Redemptoris Mater before their heading to Macao. His Holiness encouraged them with these words: “I appreciate you a lot! A very important mission in Asia awaits you! Courage, go ahead!”

The Pope thanked Kiko Argüello for the evangelizing mission of the Way: “I am happy because you carry out the most important work of the Church, which is to evangelize, and you do it not with proselytizing, but through testimony ”.

At the same time, he has underlined the importance of the presence of the families on mission, who with their testimony attract pagans and those away from faith.

Francis has welcomed with joy Kiko’s proposal for a new sending of families on mission, which will take place next year.

At the end of the audience, which was a cordial occasion, Francis has encouraged Kiko to keep going, and to the entire Neocatechumenal Way to continue announcing the Gospel.