’’Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples...’’ (Mt 28,19)
This is the mandate to which, our community, wants to answer in a complete way. We do this
by offering a structure that is at the service of the New Evangelization!
We wish in fact that a diversity of people coming from countries all over the world, will be
formed in a way that develops a kerygmatic way of thinking that shows how to guides others to
an experience of the living Jesus and teach to duplicate it.
The dream of p. Ricardo of creating a ’’school’’ where many, especially young people, would be
able to learn how to announce the Gospel in a new and dynamic way is becoming a reality. From
October 11th to December 17th, 2007 there was in fact the international School of Kerygmatic
Evangelization at the University of Plzen. This is the fifth year that we repeat this experience.
This year the number of student has doubled since the previous years. What also has grown is the
universality because the students came from different parts of the world. The 27 students were
from Check Republic, India, Mexico, Ireland, Spain, Slovakia, Check Republic, Germany, Poland
and Italy. They shared their studies and life together for a period of 3 months. It was truly a
’’full immersion’’ in the kerygma. Personally, after years of formation at the university of Rome
this step was for me a returning to the essential and to what is fundamental. It was for me an
experience of Jesus dead and then Risen! This is what really changes ones life at the end! Many
information were given, and that is very useful and they help to grow, but what is always fundamental
is the same: Jesus has died and He is Risen for you! This is the most beautiful news, the most
extraordinarily effective announcement. Man has an extreme need of the Good News of Jesus in order
to listen to it and accept it in his heart. That is the reason why the Kerygmatic formation is more
than ever needed in order to learn what to announce and how to do it in a most efficacious way (so
that it touches peoples hearts). The methodology used is different from the one that is found in a
regular school. It is a methodology that is active and one is totally drawn in, one gets involved
in it and therefore experiences it. It is a hands on experience, not just a theory that one learns.
It looks at the needs of the person and gives a concrete answer.
One learns to evangelize by evangelizing, this the motto that accompanied us from the beginning
and that is what we did. Every Wednesday morning, we went out for two hours to evangelize in the
streets of Plzen, in groups of 3 or 4 people. What were the results? Great!! We went 5 times and
about 100 people received Jesus as their only Savior and Lord. This is truly a miracle, considering
the level of atheism in this particular area of Check. We were therefore able to practice the
evangelization and experience that the Kerygma is ’’power of God for the salvation of those who
believe’’ (Rm 1, 16). In these three months we also had a visit by Bishop Frantisek, with whom
we have already shared our methodology. Also the Indian Bishop Chakko came and stayed with us
for a few days. He invited us to India in order to start a school of evangelization there. I
thank the Lord for opportunity to make this beautiful and important formative experience. I
thank with all my heart the equipe of extraordinary teachers who were able to transmit the
kerygma and a way of thinking that is keriygmatic in a very scientific, organized and efficacious
way. Ricardo, Alvaro, Cinzia, Miriam and Adriano, gave not only the information but the lived
experience of the Gospel. In order to be able to answer the call of Jesus and evangelize in
the whole world, it is necessary to be formed in the Kerygma. This is the challenge that the
Lord gives to each one of us so that the precious announcement of the Gospel may transform
in a radical way the lives of people. I launch this challenge to you who are reading. Try
this experience and transform your life.
Cristina Vanuzzo
