From October 9 to 12, 2025, the XIV Vicariate Pastoral Assembly was held in the Mons. Felipe González auditorium of the episcopal residence of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tucupita, bringing together representatives from the various parishes, vicariates, zones, and pastoral teams that make up this particular Church of the Orinoco Delta, the heart of the Venezuelan Amazon.
With the theme “Life and Mission in a Synodal Key in the Vicariate towards the Second Centenary of Evangelization,” the meeting was a space for communion, discernment, and hope, where the ecclesial community reflected on its pastoral journey in light of the Synod and the missionary challenges of the region.
A path of communion and mission
The Assembly began on Thursday, October 9, with a prayer to the Holy Spirit and words of welcome from Bishop Ernesto Romero, Apostolic Vicar of Tucupita, who encouraged participants to live the meeting “as an opportunity to listen to the Spirit, strengthen communion, and renew the mission based on the values of the Gospel.”
On Friday, October 10, speakers Fr. Ramón Morillo, Peggy Vivas, and Bishop Romero himself offered their reflections on the meaning of synodality and the missionary character of the Church, inviting participants to be witnesses of hope amid the social and cultural realities of the Venezuelan Amazon. Subsequently, the working groups held dialogues and made proposals regarding the pastoral path of the Vicariate.
Grateful memory and pastoral commitment
On Saturday, the 11th, Monsignor Romero communicated with deep feeling the death of Brother Gerardo Relloso, FMS, a Marist missionary who served for almost two decades in the Vicariate and was responsible for the Secretariat of Catechesis. His dedication, witness, and love for the people of Tucupita were remembered as an example of missionary fidelity and evangelical commitment.
Eucharist and projection of the pastoral path
The final day, Sunday 12, began with the Eucharist presided over by Bishop Romero, accompanied by Fr. José David Narváez and Deacon Edwin Figueredo. In an atmosphere of fraternity, each parish, vicariate, and pastoral ministry presented its assessment of the activities and projects carried out during the year, strengthening the spirit of co-responsibility in the mission.
At the end, it was announced that the XV Vicariate Pastoral Assembly will be held from October 8 to 11, 2026, and that the Vicariate Chrism Mass will take place on Tuesday, March 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in the Parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen.
A living Church in the heart of the Amazon
The Apostolic Vicariate of Tucupita, located in the Orinoco Delta, continues its commitment to be a Church that walks with its people, promoting synodality, communion, and service in a territory where faith is intertwined with the life of indigenous, riverine, and urban communities.
“Synodality is not an idea, but a way of living the Church. It is walking together, listening, discerning, and serving,” said Bishop Romero at the close of the meeting.