The Claretian Team for Missionary Evangelisation (ECEM) was founded in 1989 in the community of Alcalá de Guadaíra (Seville). Among the variety of ministries the Congregation embraces, ECEM stands out as one of the most significant and charismatic expressions of Claretian mission. It is a dynamic apostolic initiative, characterised by its specialised, itinerant and team-based work. Its mission is to serve local Churches by offering, from its missionary identity, initiatives and evangelising actions that help parochial communities enter into a “missionary outreach” to bring the joy of the Gospel to all. To that end, it offers extraordinary missionary processes and actions such as parish missions, missionary weeks, pathways for the formation of missionary disciples, dynamics of synodality and discernment…
Since 1992, ECEM has been based in the community of Almendralejo. In this city and throughout Andalusia, the Canary Islands and Extremadura, the members of this team live out their charism as an experience of the Spirit, shaping us in the image of Christ the Evangeliser, in the style of St. Anthony Mary Claret. We strive to be faithful to our unique vocation within the People of God: the Ministry of the Word, by which we proclaim to humanity the full mystery of Christ.
In the social and ecclesial context to which we are sent, we desire to be witnesses and messengers of the joy of the Gospel, open to the Spirit and ready to collaborate with Him in fostering new pathways and languages, creative methods, and eloquent symbols of the Kingdom (cf. EG 11).
For the Missionary Team, the explicit proclamation of the Word is its very reason for being. We are servants of the Word, and from the very beginning, we have taken great care to ensure that Scripture is profoundly present in the parish missions, missionary weeks, preaching, spiritual exercises, and both formative and synodal processes we offer. The materials for liturgical celebrations, missionary proclamations, Christian family assemblies, prayer schools, formation of missionary teams and pastoral agents, as well as the daily Gospel reflection we share online… all are rooted in the Word of God.
Throughout its thirty-four years of history, ECEM has striven—despite limitations and shortcomings—to nurture the biblical animation of its missionary and pastoral activity. We cannot yet say the same about biblical ministry as such, which remains a work in progress. Undoubtedly, we who recognise ourselves as servants of the Word by vocation are called to help all believers draw close to Scripture, so that its reading may be fruitful and strengthen the faith of Christians (cf. DV 21). At this moment, the challenge before us is to discern clearly what we can offer in this area, what processes and paths to propose, with which methodologies and materials. May the Bible group currently being led by Fr Miguel Archange Tigui, CMF, at our Pastoral Centre in Almendralejo (Badajoz), be—God willing—the first seed of a fruitful harvest in biblical pastoral ministry for our Missionary Team.
Fr. Pedro Cabrera Jiménez, CMF
