The Diocese of Oruro (Bolivia) receives these days the devotees of the Virgen del Socavón, who participate in the pilgrimage organized by the Brotherhood Commission, which unites the Church in Bolivia with two dioceses of Germany.
65 years after this fraternity bond between the Church in Bolivia and the dioceses of Hildesheim and Tréveris, and within the framework of the Jubilee de la Esperanza and the 100 years of creation of the Diocese of Oruro, this call brings together a multitude of pilgrims around three days of activities, from July 28 to 30.
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The program includes visits to emblematic places and various pastoral actions. The first two days will be dedicated to training on the works of body and spiritual mercy, framed in the celebration of the Eucharist with the intention of achieving plenary indulgence.
The purpose of this pilgrimage is to strengthen the coexistence of faith and the experience of the works of the Church, through the encounter and communion.
In the inaugural mass of the pilgrimage, the bishop of Oruro, Mons. Cristóbal Bialasikhighlighted the opening of five holy doors in various emblematic points of Oruro: the Cathedral, the San Pedro prison, the Sanctuary of Socavón, San Gabriel de Mendoza, and the crypt of Santa Ignacia, the only holy Santa proclaimed in Bolivia.
These doors, he stressed, offer the faithful the opportunity to gain plenary indulgences in this jubilee celebration.
Mons. Bialasik highlighted the warmth in the reception of the large group of pilgrims and visitors, highlighting that although Oruro can have a cold climate, they are received with an open and loving heart to experience the presence of God.
He also anticipated that “during these three days we are going to pilgrimage to the sanctuary to obtain plenary indulgences, and so that we can really renew our faith, our devotion and our delivery to the Lord.”
The bishop also highlighted the meaning of the brotherhood, which is “the friendship that has to mark our life.”
When referring to the fraternal bond between the German dioceses and the Catholic Church in Bolivia, he said that “we have met to renew these commitments, these goals, and wish that we all come together to encounter the Lord, because without the Lord who are we?”.
In the light of the Gospel, he encouraged to “be like yeast” to grow the community of faith and “share this joy” with others.
“Today is not easy, I understand that the world is in trouble, our homeland is in trouble,” he acknowledged, and given the current challenges of the country and the world, he highlighted the importance of “living the values that the Lord teaches us” and instilling hope in the people.
“I wish you all the best for these days to be days of blessing, of joy, of peace, of happiness and that we really renew our faith in the Lord, doing or giving the testimony before us, deeply living our faith, pilgriming and praying for our people who need us so much, that he asks so much, precisely, the signs of hope,” he said.
Finally, Mons. Bialasik invited the faithful to strengthen their spirituality, visiting the holy places of the diocese: the crypt of Santa Ignacia, the altar of Santa Barbara – which houses the biggest image of the world of the Virgin Mary – and the Sanctuary of Socavón.
His homily concluded with a call to the faithful to renew their faith, to be authentic witnesses of the Gospel and walk together in the construction of a better future for the country.
Julieta Villar
I am a journalist, a graduate in Communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non -governmental organizations. Since 2016 I dedicate myself to Catholic journalism, first in the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as a correspondent for ACI Press for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.