Florence Cathedral was the setting for a deeply significant celebration for the Church in the Colombian Amazon: the 100th anniversary of the death of St. Joseph Allamano, founder of the Consolata Missionaries. The commemoration became an act of grateful remembrance, spiritual renewal, and reaffirmation of the missionary commitment in the Amazonian territories.
The Consolata Missionary Family chose this place because of its profound historical significance. The celebration also coincided with key anniversaries in the ecclesial configuration of the region: 75 years since the establishment of the then Apostolic Vicariate of Florence (now Archdiocese), 40 years since the creation of the Diocese of San Vicente del Caguán, and 13 years since the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Leguízamo–Solano. These particular Churches have been accompanied since their inception by the Consolata, in a process marked by the mission ad gentes and insertion into the depths of the Amazon.
The Eucharist was presided over by Monsignor Omar de Jesús Mejía, Archbishop of Florence, and concelebrated by Monsignor Francisco Javier Múnera, IMC, president of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia; Monsignor William Prieto Daza, Bishop of San Vicente del Caguán; and Monsignor Joaquín Humberto Pinzón, IMC, Bishop of Puerto Leguízamo–Solano. Priests, missionaries, lay people, and faithful from Amazonian communities participated in this solemn moment of thanksgiving.
Grateful memory and missionary roots in the Amazon
During his homily, Archbishop Omar de Jesús emphasized the spiritual and historical significance of the date, highlighting that it is a celebration that unites hope, charity, and gratitude. He recalled in particular the arrival of the first missionaries in 1951, led by Bishop Antonio María Torasso, IMC, who ventured deep into Colombia to sow the Gospel amid great social, geographical, and cultural challenges.
In the spirit of grateful remembrance, he evoked figures such as Bishop Ángel Cuniberti, IMC, recognized for his structural vision, pastoral leadership, and commitment to the integral development of the Amazon region; and Bishop José Luis Serna, IMC, remembered for his dedication to building peace and accompanying the ecclesial maturation that allowed for the elevation of San Vicente del Caguán to a diocese.
These missionary trajectories—marked by parrhesia, courage, and closeness to the peasant and indigenous peoples—are part of the living history of the Amazonian Church, in tune with the spirit of the Synod for the Amazon and the synodal process promoted by the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA).
“First saints, then missionaries”
The Archbishop of Florence exhorted priests and missionaries to continue the work of evangelization from the heart of the Amazon, recalling that every mission is born of absolute trust in God and humble openness to his grace.
“Great missionary works are only accomplished through the grace of God and human openness to this grace.
First saints, then missionaries,” he said, emphasizing that holiness is the foundation of a fruitful and transformative mission.
In an Amazonian context marked by social challenges, violence, exclusion, and structural fragilities, the celebration was also a call to renew the pastoral commitment to the most vulnerable and to strengthen a Church incarnate in the territory.
Mary Consolata and hope for the Amazonian peoples
The Eucharist culminated with a prayer to Mary Consolata, placing in her hands the mission that the Consolata Family carries out on five continents and, in a special way, in the particular Churches of Florence, San Vicente del Caguán, and Puerto Leguízamo–Solano.
The prayer raised a cry for the communities wounded by violence, marginalization, and poverty, and asked for strength to defend human dignity, build justice, and promote a fraternal society where the fruits of the Kingdom may flourish.
At the end of the celebration, the Consolata Missionaries recognized the particular Churches for keeping alive the historical memory and missionary zeal in the service of the mission ad gentes.
An Amazonian Church with memory and future
The centenary of the Easter of St. Joseph Allamano was not only a historical commemoration, but also a reaffirmation of the Church’s commitment to the Colombian Amazon. From the grateful memory of those who sowed the Gospel in frontier contexts, the celebration projects a horizon of renewed mission, in a synodal and territorial key, deeply incarnated in Amazonian cultures and realities.
In line with the path promoted by CEAMA, this celebration reminds us that the Amazonian Church is called to safeguard its memory, strengthen its missionary identity, and continue walking alongside its peoples, defending life, dignity, and hope in the heart of the Amazon.