In an atmosphere of communion, listening, and ecclesial service, Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, OFM, President of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), made his first visit to the headquarters of the CEAMA Executive Secretariat, located on the premises of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) in Bogotá, Colombia.
The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen CEAMA’s institutional and pastoral mission, share guidance and challenges, and renew the commitment to accompany the local churches, peoples, and communities of the Amazon. The day included opportunities for dialogue between the President and the Executive Secretary, Marcelo Lemos, as well as a meeting with the Executive Secretariat team. The institutional agenda also included a time for greetings and dialogue with CELAM.
Along with Cardinal Steiner, the meeting was attended by Marcelo Lemos, Executive Secretary; Sister Carolina Forero, HJK, Assistant to the Executive Secretary; Viviana Granada, Administrative and Financial Director; Libia Beltrán, Administrative and Financial Assistant; and Fernando Rueda, Communications Coordinator.
Fr. Jesús Huamán, CEAMA Vice President for Priestly Vocations and a member of the Economic Council, also participated in discussions related to administrative and financial matters.
Bishop Martín Quijano, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Pucallpa and CEAMA’s Delegate Bishop, joined virtually from Lima, where he is participating in the Assembly of the Bishops of Peru. During this session, participants discussed details regarding Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Pucallpa on Sunday, November 15, particularly in light of the pastoral and ecclesial significance of this encounter for the Amazon region.
A Shared Journey Between CEAMA and CELAM
During his visit to CELAM headquarters, Cardinal Steiner greeted Fr. Eric García (Deputy Secretary General of CELAM), with whom he had a brief conversation about the paths currently being pursued by CELAM and CEAMA.
This gesture underscores the importance of continuing to strengthen coordination and communion among the ecclesial institutions that support pastoral processes in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in service to the Amazon region.
We Concluded the Meeting with a Sending Eucharist
The meeting concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Cardinal Leonardo Steiner. The celebration was a moment of thanksgiving for the journey thus far and, at the same time, a renewal of CEAMA’s commitment to a Church that listens, accompanies, and serves from within the concrete realities of the peoples and communities of the Amazon.
In his homily, the president of CEAMA invited the assembly to reflect on the Gospel dynamic in which “the last shall be first”, emphasizing the transformative power of this Gospel perspective and the need to open ourselves to new relationships, where service, listening, and fraternity take center stage.
This reflection takes on particular significance for CEAMA’s journey, as it is called to continue building a Church with an Amazonian face—one capable of walking alongside the peoples, recognizing their knowledge and experiences, and accompanying their quests and hopes. The communities of the Amazon are the first in the Kingdom.
At the conclusion of the celebration, Cardinal Steiner expressed his gratitude to the Executive Secretariat team for the service it provides to the local churches in the Amazon. He gave special recognition to the daily work carried out across various areas, which helps sustain CEAMA’s processes of coordination, accompaniment, and leadership.
We entrust our journey to Our Lady of Aparecida; we took a photo, confident that she accompanies us on our path of missionary service
Walking Together to Serve Better
The visit by the CEAMA president helped strengthen the ties between the Presidency and the Executive Secretariat, share responsibilities, and renew a fundamental conviction: CEAMA’s path is built on communion, participation, and service.
With this vision in mind, the Executive Secretariat continues to place its resources at the service of the local churches and the peoples of the Amazon, fostering processes that reflect synodal spirituality—where values such as closeness, listening, and shared decision-making are fundamental to an intercultural mission committed to life.
August 18 thus marks a new step on CEAMA’s journey: walking together, listening together, and serving the Amazon together, rooted in ecclesial communion and with our gaze fixed on the challenges and hopes of the peoples who inhabit this territory.
