The Diocese of Sonsón-Rionegro and the Apostolic Vicariate of Mitú shared a mission experience that reaffirms the call to build a synodal Church, close to the people and committed to life in the Amazon.
Synodality becomes a reality when particular Churches walk together, share their gifts, and place their resources at the service of those most in need. This is demonstrated by the experience of missionary communion that unites the Diocese of Sonsón-Rionegro, in the department of Antioquia, with the Apostolic Vicariate of Mitú, in the heart of the Colombian Amazon.
This initiative, promoted by the Episcopal Delegation for Missionary Pastoral Care and the Pontifical Mission Societies (OMP) of the Diocese of Antioquia, seeks to strengthen the evangelizing presence in Amazonian territories through encounter, listening, and ecclesial co-responsibility.
A Church Walking alongside the Amazonian Peoples
The Apostolic Vicariate of Mitú carries out its mission in one of Colombia’s most vast and challenging regions. In the department of Vaupés, numerous indigenous peoples coexist, preserving an extraordinary cultural, spiritual, and linguistic richness, shaping a territory where the Church has learned to proclaim the Gospel through intercultural dialogue and respect for the identities of these peoples.
Under the leadership of Monsignor Medardo de Jesús Henao del Río, the vicariate promotes pastoral work centered on integral human development, the defense of life, care for our Common Home, and close accompaniment of indigenous communities.
The vast geographical distances and limited pastoral staff mean that many communities are visited by priests only at certain times of the year. In this context, presence, listening, and sharing in daily life become fundamental expressions of evangelization.
A mission that transforms those who live it
Between June 6 and 13, 2026, a group of 54 missionaries from the Diocese of Sonsón-Rionegro arrived in Mitú to participate in a shared mission experience alongside the communities of the Vaupés.
Priests, religious sisters, and laypeople were sent to various communities belonging to the parishes of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Paul the Apostle, and the quasi-parish of St. Laura Montoya. During those days, they made family visits, held gatherings with children and young people, provided support to the sick, led celebrations, taught catechism, and facilitated community listening sessions.
However, those who participated agree that the experience was much more than a one-time pastoral initiative. The mission became a space for mutual learning where both Churches shared their spiritual, cultural, and human riches.
The experience reaffirmed a conviction that resonates along the journey of the Amazonian Church: mission territories are not merely places where the Gospel is brought, but also spaces where the Church learns, allows itself to be evangelized, and discovers new ways of living out fraternity.
Synodality and Mission for a Church with an Amazonian Face
This experience of pastoral cooperation concretely expresses the calls of the Synod for the Amazon and the apostolic exhortation *Querida Amazonía*, which invite us to build a Church that is closer to the people, capable of listening, engaging in dialogue, and walking alongside communities.
Likewise, it reflects the spirit of a Church that goes forth, recognizing the value of geographical and existential peripheries as privileged places for encountering Christ and for the renewal of ecclesial life.
Under the motto “With Jesus, we row together toward fullness of life,” the shared mission between the Diocese of Sonsón-Rionegro and the Apostolic Vicariate of Mitú becomes a hopeful sign of communion and shared responsibility, demonstrating that synodality is not merely a concept but a concrete way of being Church in service to the lives of the Amazonian peoples.
In an Amazon region marked by major social, environmental, and pastoral challenges, initiatives like this one strengthen the building of a Church with an Amazonian, intercultural, and missionary character—one that walks alongside the peoples and learns from them while proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom.
