(ANS – Mavaca) – On Sunday 24 May, Pentecost and the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, the community of Mavaca experienced an event of profound grace and evangelisation: 46 brothers and sisters from this area of the Upper Orinoco received the sacrament of Baptism, becoming fully incorporated into the Body of Christ, under the maternal protection of Mary Help of Christians, patroness of the Apostolic Vicariate. The Eucharist was presided over by Bishop Jonny Eduardo Reyes Sequera, SDB, and concelebrated by Salesians Fr André Ahondju and Fr Alber Pacheco. Also present for the occasion was Sister María Eugenia Ramos, Superior of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Venezuela. Unlike other contexts where Baptism is experienced as the beginning of Christian life, Bishop Jhonny Reyes emphasised the unique significance this step holds for the Yanomami people. He explained that in this culture, it represents a moment of maturity in the faith, in which one consciously undertakes the commitment to live the values of the Gospel in one’s daily life. The entire day was, therefore, a testimony to the commitment of the Salesian Family in these ancestral lands.
Venezuela – A day dedicated to baptisms in the Yanomami Amazonian community
