With this title we began to take care —in January 1982— of the catechesis of Confirmation in the Parish of Loreto, Avellaneda. We developed a pastoral plan that consists of a series of announcements, lectures and group activities. The direction that we followed is exposed by the title. We believed advisable to exile the idea of "course". We thought that the faith is not something that is only conceived in the reason, through an indoctrination. It is a real knowledge of the Person of Christ alive, Savior, Friend and King, who enamors me, calls me and guides me. There are no teachers nor students. There are catechists who announce and young people who receive that announcement. We did not develop a "have to do"; but a: "how good is the Lord!".

We speak of process, because all the experience is shaped in a way that never finalizes and that jeopardizes me by life.

We say that it's communitarian because we made it in unity (that is not just to be together), sharing between all what God does in each one. We believe to fulfill therefore the mandate of Puebla: «Catechesis must take to a process of conversion and permanent and progressive growth in faith» (DP 998).

The methodology that we use is simple: We met all in the chapel of the School and began with a communitarian prayer. Soon the announcement or speech occurs and they are divided in groups, each one coordinated by two catechists. There the saying by the announcer is commented and the questions that he leaves when finalizing are responded. The conclusion is a plenary and a spontaneous prayer in common.

This form of prayer awakes in them the necessity to relate more brotherly. Usually can be heard phrases like: "how well are we here!", "I can't wait that Saturday arrives to meet with God and you", "I feel a very great necessity to tell everybody what is happening to me"…

Our plan looks for that the young person evangelizes itself and invites to evangelize, by means of the proclamation of the Word and the preaching of the truth on Christ, the Church and man. We integrated these concepts, that were the center of the process, with the suggestions that proposes the document of the Argentine Episcopate for the Youth Priority.

(N. of E.: here go lacking paragraphs).

And to see how they were living "in family" what they received Saturday to Saturday. It was an extremely positive encounter. We were, almost without realizing it, announcing the Gospel to these men and women who listened to us with extreme attention. Some of them, astonished, told the change that was occurring in their children: "now he studies more"; "she treats us better"; "the bed becomes done and the room is cleaned!". One could see them happy and thankful. We blessed the Lord by the work that was doing in these parents who, after long time, approached the Church again.

Many of the confirmed ones integrated the parochial groups (something that we considere necessary to assure the continuity of life and formation), and others continue with us the post-confirmation process, that is a new group in the parochial structure.

When beginning the year, 90 young people had written down themselves. In October, 80 remained faithful, concurring weekly and changing continuously in light of the Gospel.

In August we had the grace to give a Retreat of three days to these young people, in spite of the skepticism of many which advised us not to do it. The results were very good. When finalizing the year and after receiving the Confirmation from Mons. Di Monte, we celebrated a meeting open to all, in which testimonies and songs of the Lord were put in.

We also met with their parents, so that they knew what this process was. This meeting served to us, also, to evaluate our young people. We realized something very important and that included all the communitarian process: only by means of prayer in common it was possible to be clearing all those things that we could not do simply by lack of experience or because we did not know.

The opinion of other people in charge in the parish could be synthesized as: "… go ahead because it's not easy to see something like that". It calls the attention the high percentage that remains praying (50 percent), their effective insertion in the parish, and that they continue doing process. We believe that one of the keys is to present an alive God and not only to speak of Him.

The team that took ahead this process —besides the two of us— was a group of eight people. But we realized that indeed the Holy Spirit is who developed this work vivifying it in each heart.

This year 1983, 90 young people came to Easter, of who 60 remain praying weekly in three groups: Pre-prayer, Secondaries Initiation and Universitaries. It was an Easter of depth in which all were integrated. Thanks to that many invited and announced the received Sacrament, this year those that prepare to confirm are 200!, distributed in 8 groups in charge of 3 praying catechists.

We ask the Father to have docility to know how to listen to his will and to fulfill this service for the Church. We count also on your prayer.

«IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US NOT TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD» (Act 4:20).