Synod: A living dialogue with the people of the Amazon

Of the many delegates that have been attending the Synod for the Amazon over this past two weeks Kenyan Consolata Sister Mary Agnes Mwangi is one of those who has had first-hand experience of living among the people there.

She has come to the Synod to share her experience of a 19 year dialogue with them.

Her Amazon story began in the year 2000 when she traveled to the Northern part of Brazil where she learned the language and began engaging with the people.

Sr Mwangi's focus has been on intercultural dialogue with the indigenous population, as she says, “trying to come up with a method… as in an evangelization method.”

She describes how being a Consolata Sister signifies being a woman of dialogue and she goes on to say that she believes this is an “appropriate way to be a missionary” among groups of Indians in the Amazon.

Mission she points out, is about “dialogue as a witness of faith and also sharing of life, justice; that people may live and find themselves living their own spirituality that is very important to maintain; it has to do with the interrelationship, she says.”

Asked about what she would like to see coming out of the Synod, she answers,” I would like to see all of us move from this Synod with a strong decision and a disponibility (availability) to be among the people to learn their language; to share their life so that there can be this reciprocity.”