Pope’s pastoral visit to the Dominican Republic 10-11-1992
St. John Paul II
Santo Domingo, October 11, 1992
In the afternoon, after Hearing the Diplomatic Corps, John Paul II left the city to inaugurate the headquarters of a diocesan missionary seminary «Redemptoris Mater »of the Neocatechumenal Communities, which in Santo Domingo are very active. In total there are more than 300, with a total of about ten thousand people, who work predominantly in two poor neighborhoods,”Invivienda” and “Hainamoza”.
From the seminary, where some forty young people study, so far only the building called “Sanctuary of the Word” has been built. The one with the rooms and the chapel will emerge in a later time. Therefore, the Pope has been welcomed in the only finished building. After an initial song and a few words of welcome from the initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello, John Paul II has blessed the building and has led those present -Cardinals, bishops, seminarians and families of the communities – a few words of encouragement and good wishes.
Below we publish the words spoken by the Holy Father:
“It is For me, it is a special joy to be able to open in Santo Domingo, on such an important date, the archdiocesan missionary seminary “Redemptoris Mater”, that on the V Centenary of the arrival of the Good News in America,wants to be a contribution to the great work of the New Evangelization to what I have called the universal Church.
This center, which has received candidates to the priesthood from many countries across the continent American, Europe and other nations, must always be encouraged by a missionary spirit that is ferment in this archdiocese, in all the Dominican Republic, and that is projected to the whole world following the Lord’s command: “Go and preach the Gospel to all creature ”(Mk 6:15). This has also been stated by the Council Vatican II in the decree on ministry and on life priestly: «The spiritual gift that priests have received in the ordination does not prepare them for a limited and restricted mission, but for a vast and universal mission of salvation “to the last ends of the earth ”(Acts 1,8)» (Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 10).
The presence of seminarians of the most varied provenance on this island, which has received the seed of the evangelical preaching and from which the saving light of Jesus Christ to the rest of America, is also a sign of how to gates of the Third Christian Millennium, from this Seminary Archdiocesan “Redemptoris Mater” in Santo Domingo, with the grace of God, the new evangelizers who lead the whole world to Jesus Christ, “Way, Truth and Life” can be irradiated.
As I offer fervent prayers for Mary, the Star of Evangelization, to lead her divine Son to all those who will receive priestly formation in this Seminary, I impart to all with special affection my Apostolic Blessing ».
