The pilgrim Church in the Colombian Amazon experienced a significant moment on March 4 with the canonical installation of John Mario Mesa Palacio as the new Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Leticia. The celebration took place at Our Lady of Peace Cathedral in Leticia, capital of the Amazonas department.
The solemn Eucharist was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia, Paolo Rudelli, who accompanied the beginning of the new vicar’s pastoral ministry on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.
The celebration brought together 19 bishops from different jurisdictions of the country, including pastors from the Ecclesiastical Province of Florence. Representing the presidency of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia was its vice president, Gabriel Ángel Villa Vahos. Also present were priests, religious communities, civil and military authorities, representatives of indigenous peoples, and numerous faithful who accompanied this moment of grace for the Amazonian Church.
Gratitude for 25 years of pastoral service
At the beginning of the celebration, the Apostolic Vicar Emeritus of Leticia, José de Jesús Quintero Díaz, expressed his gratitude for 25 years of pastoral service at the head of this particular Church, which he has shepherded since February 2001.
During his speech, he highlighted the continuity of the evangelizing mission and recalled that “the Good Shepherd continues to love the brothers and sisters of this ecclesiastical jurisdiction,” stating that this love is made visible in the apostolic succession that the Church experiences.
He also encouraged the ecclesial community of the Vicariate to accompany the new pastor with hope and to continue on the path of evangelization “with peace, optimism, and joy,” always trusting in Christ, the Divine Missionary.
A joyful event for the Church in Colombia
In his homily, the Apostolic Nuncio emphasized that the arrival of the new Apostolic Vicar is a significant event not only for the Vicariate of Leticia, but for the entire Church in the country.
He also thanked Monsignor Quintero Díaz for his pastoral service and recalled the historical links between the Apostolic Vicariate of Leticia and the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Osos, a relationship strengthened since 1989 by the decision of John Paul II in the context of the mission territories.
Monsignor Rudelli invited the new Vicar to exercise his ministry as an authentic pastoral service:
“May the episcopal ministry be truly a task of love: to shepherd the flock that the Lord entrusts to you today.”
He also highlighted the importance of the pastoral journey of the Amazon promoted after the Synod for the Amazon, which continues to encourage the evangelizing mission in the region.
A Church that forms missionary disciples
In his first message as Apostolic Vicar, Monsignor John Mario Mesa Palacio emphasized that the essence of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel and form true disciples of Christ.
“The Lord calls us all to holiness.
From baptism, we enjoy the same dignity as children of God and are called to participate in the mission of accompanying and leading God’s holy people,” he said.
The new Vicar emphasized that the Church is not simply called to increase the number of baptized, but to form disciples who know, love, and follow Jesus Christ, especially encouraging young people to respond generously to God’s call.
Walking together in a synodal Church
Monsignor Mesa Palacio pointed out that his ministry will be marked by pastoral closeness, mission, and synodality, understood as the journey of the people of God together.
“We will walk together, living synodality as a process of dialogue, listening, and discernment to discover what the Lord wants for this particular Church,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of closeness to communities, especially the simplest and the indigenous peoples present in the Amazonian territory.
Presence of CEAMA
Marcelo Lemos, executive secretary of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, also participated in the celebration, accompanying this significant moment for the pastoral life of the Church in the Amazon.
The beginning of Monsignor John Mario Mesa Palacio’s ministry thus opens a new stage for strengthening evangelization, ecclesial communion, and mission in the Colombian Amazon, in communion with the Holy Father and with the entire Church on pilgrimage in Colombia.