Vatican II – a New Vision for Our Catholic Church
St. Peter’s Square in Vatican CityAmong the many salient events that framed my life, living in Rome during most of the Second Vatican Council ranks near the top. Being in the presence of so many bishops, theologians and other church leaders confirmed my desire to have a more active part in our Church which, the Council told us, is by her very nature fundamentally missionary.
It was during those formative years that I informed my superiors that I was ready and willing to minister “in the missions”—a process that, for me, would expand over the next five years. Prayer, reflection and preparation helped me realized that I had been a missioner from the time of my baptism. My “going out” to minister and serve was just another means of witnessing to my baptismal reality.
Vatican II – A Truly Life-Changing Event
This year, on October 11, the Church will mark the 57th anniversary of the opening of that life-changing event we call Vatican II. The four council sessions, which ranged from 1962 to 1965, were times of intense introspection mingled with a deeper sense of dialogue. Some 2,400 bishops brought to the Vatican an experience of the Church alive in a wide variety of cultures and traditions.
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