Representatives of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM) from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered from June 21 to 28 in Guatemala City to celebrate the 13th Continental Meeting. The event brought together national directors and members of national teams for a week of prayer, discernment, and shared work to reread the identity and mission of this Pontifical Work.
Under the theme “Identity and mission: rereading and projection in light of the new Statutes and General Regulations. A special look at the EYM,” the meeting offered a space to deepen the vocation and service of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network in this new moment of its history. In light of the new Statutes and General Regulations, participants reflected on the identity of the Network as a Vatican Foundation and Pontifical Work, the service of national teams, the role of the Eucharistic Youth Movement, and the strengthening of collaboration among countries across the continent.
Each day was marked by the celebration of the Eucharist, personal and community prayer, moments of silence, shared discernment, and group work. In this atmosphere, the General Regulations were welcomed not only as a guiding document for organizing the mission, but as an invitation to deepen the spiritual identity of the Network and the way its service to the Church is lived today.
Fr. Cristóbal Fones SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, highlighted that this process allows for the General Regulations to be reread through prayer and mission, helping to understand more deeply the service that the Network is called to offer to the Church and the world. In the same vein, Bettina Raed, International Vice Director and head of international formation for the Work, emphasized that “the mission of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is, above all, a spiritual experience.” She explained that the mission is born from an encounter with Jesus Christ and is strengthened in communion with those who share this same path.
This perspective on the mission was also present in the testimony of Fr Cristian Marín SJ, who encouraged the communities of Latin America to live this journey with faith and trust, especially in the face of difficulties and challenges. Drawing on the Gospel image of the boat being shaken by the wind and waves, he invited them to “lift their gaze and recognise the Lord” present in the midst of the mission, recalling that we should not allow ourselves to be overcome by fear, but trust in the One who guides the boat.
This experience was also the common denominator among the testimonies shared by the participants. Felipe Lima, from Brazil, expressed that one of the greatest fruits of the meeting was discovering that the Network is “a family, not only continental, but worldwide,” united by the same mission and called to walk synodally. Sr. Nancy Arratia Larios highlighted the importance of strengthening ties among national teams to collaborate better and continue bringing people to the Heart of Jesus. Adriana Guadalupe Cabezas Saldaña, representing the EYM, underlined the value of forming communities where each person can discover their gifts and put them at the service of the mission, while Maritza Pérez shared that this experience renewed in her the conviction that the Network’s mission is much broader and that communion impels us to keep “casting the nets” with hope.
Fr. Felipe Melo SJ, International Vice Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, stressed that walking together as the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network means building a true network of people. In a global context marked by polarization, this meeting was a sign of communion among countries with diverse realities, cultures, and challenges that, grounded in faith, sought to listen together to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Likewise, he underlined the importance of strengthening collaboration among national teams, promoting closer relationships between countries to share experiences, support one another, and grow together in mission.
The 13th Continental Meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to continue building prayer communities at the service of the Church and the world. Participants returned to their countries with the desire to strengthen the mission in their local realities, convinced that the entire life of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network finds its meaning when it helps people encounter Christ and, from that experience, respond generously to the needs of others.
