This summer, I had the great blessing of participating in the Claretian Spirituality Encounter, of the Misioneros Claretianos de Latino América (MICLA) 2026, which took place in Panama from July 8 to 16. It was an experience I will carry in my heart forever.
The Claretian Spirituality Encounter, titled “Mystical Missionaries for the Americas,” certainly sounded “mystical” in itself, and without any expectations and with an open heart, I embraced this invitation with great enthusiasm, accompanied by Father Francisco Javier Reyes, CMF, Prefect of Formation and Vocations; Father Eddie De León, Provincial Vicar and Prefect of Personnel for Mission; and Arturo González, Vocation Outreach Coordinator, representing the USA-Canada Province.
A family reunion
From the moment we arrived, we enjoyed a familial gathering with priests, brothers, Claretian family and lay women and men from provinces throughout Latin America, the Antilles, and Rome, along with our Superior General, Father Matthew Vattamattam, CMF, and Fr. Carlos Sánchez, CMF, General Prefect of Spirituality and Community Life.
Every day we began by praying together in the chapel at 7:00 a.m. sharp, thanks to the bell-ringer, Mari from the Cordimarian Filiation, who helped us stay on schedule by ringing the bell always on time. Each province took turns leading the 7 a.m. prayer and the 6 p.m. Mass. It was a very enriching experience—not only spiritually but also culturally—as I learned new hymns, symbols, and rituals that connected me to and renewed my faith and my Latin American culture.
“I felt profoundly called to the Claretian mission, just as I did 25 years ago when I first met the Claretian missionaries.”
Sandra Navarro, Assistant Director, Communications, USA-Canada Province
Celebrating Mass outside the retreat house, led by the Claretian missionary community from Argentina
Called to listen, believe and trust
Every day was one of deep discernment; I felt profoundly called to the Claretian mission, just as I did 25 years ago when I first met the Claretian missionaries.
And this question echoed within me: “What does God expect of me as a lay missionary? What else can I do to respond to the realities of my community, in my country, in my family, with my friends and neighbors? How can I do more?”
And the call was not just for me; we all received an invitation to serve in a new way. We were reminded that more is always possible and that the mission is to BE, not to do— and to have a heart as open as that of St. Anthony Mary Claret 177 years ago. Our response to that call is to:
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- Be willing to place God at the center of our lives.
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- Cultivate our spirit, our inner life, so that we can look at the reality around us through God’s eyes and see that God is present in everything and everyone—we just need to open our hearts to see it.
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- Place all our senses at God’s service: our ears to hear God’s will and be led to God’s purpose, and our ability to feel for and within others so that we may live out what God is calling us to do.
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- Trust that if God calls us, God will give us the abilities to face the future. God empowers us with gifts that enable us to be synodal.
- Include everyone, everyone, everyone, even those who do not believe. Moving toward a new way of being Church.
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Speaker, Liliana Franco, ODN
A warming celebration
During these days of spiritual discernment, prayer, reflection, and familial sharing, we also had the opportunity to visit the Kuna community, one of the indigenous communities where the Claretians serve in Panama. We celebrated Sunday Mass with them. The warmth of their humanity surpassed even the heat of that day—and boy, was it hot! I had never experienced such heat in my life!
They welcomed us all with great kindness and hospitality in a simple, beautiful chapel in Chumical. We sang and prayed in their native language with great joy and embraced one another during the sign of peace, sharing the brotherly love of our Creator. At the end, they treated us to a delicious plantain drink and showed us the handicrafts made by the women of the community to sell.
Seeing migration through a different lens
That day, we also had the opportunity to visit the cathedral where the Claretian missionaries served more than 100 years ago. Something that really caught my attention was a gigantic mural by the artist Aristides Ureña, titled “Come Gallina”—a work that depicts the harsh tragedy experienced by thousands of people who cross through the Darien Gap in search of a better life. My understanding of migration deepened not only by seeing this mural but also by listening about the Claretians’ commitment to migrant communities from North to South America.
At the close of the gathering, we heard very inspiring stories from Claretian missionaries who live out their vocation with radical dedication and love. One of these is the story of five Claretians in Haiti who decided to stay and support their people, rather than leave and keep their own lives out of danger. Haiti currently has no government, and its people are at the mercy of bandits who loot homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. But, steadfast in their calling, the five Claretian missionaries chose to remain where they are needed most.
That is what it means to live the mission with radical commitment and love—listening and discerning in the Spirit, going to the peripheries to encounter God.
The commitment and the call to be “Mystical Missionaries for the Americas” is great, and there is certainly much to be done. However, this beautiful experience helped me recognize and appreciate even more the work of our Claretian family and my lay colleagues on this side of the continent. Each and every one of them does their part every day to share God’s Word and love. I feel very fortunate to be part of this family and to fulfill God’s dream for each of us.
