The government of Columbia, with the collaboration of the World Bank, the United Nations, U.S. Aid, the European Union and other Columbian and international organizations, organized the First International Congress on Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration of Communities. The Congress met in Cartegena from May 4 to 6.  Our bishop was invited as a panelist in view of his broad experience with the topic, the result of years working as a missionary among the communities that ICERGUA serves. He was invited to inform the congress of specific cases in the context of a panel on “How to mitigate adverse effects of delinquency and organized crime on reintegration processes? What counter incentives enable legitimate avenues of social and economic reintegration to effectively compete and overcome illegal and criminal paths?”  There were participants from fifty-seven countries. The Congress was opened by the Vice President of Columbia, Dr. Francisco Santos, and was closed by the President of Columbia, Álvaro Uribe. President Álvaro Colom of Guatemala was also present and spoke.

Our seminary has been particularly blessed this year. At present we have forty seminarians. Four of them are doing the synthesis year, including the supervised pastoral practice (the eighth year of seminary education and seventh of the upper seminary) and who, God willing, will be ordained as deacons in July and as priests at the end of October. Five seminarians are in their sixth year. Two are in the fifth year, two in the fourth, three in the third, six in the second, and six in the first.  Twelve are in the preparatory year. The seminarians come from diverse cultures and ethnicities: seven are K’ekchi, seven are Kakchiquel, two are K’anjobal, two are Acateco, two Poptí, two Pocomam, one Tzutuhil, one K’iche’, one Ixil, and eight Ladinos. And from other countries: three are Salvadoraneans, two are Ecuadoreans, one is Peruvian and one is Columbian. In spite of this richness and cultural and national diversity, one theme runs among them all and forms the basis of unity and integration: “My race is the human race; my city is the world; my mission is the whole Church.”

During the afternoon of Friday, May 8, Monsignor Eduardo visited the communities of Tzununá and Jaibalito. Both are located on the banks of Lake Atitlán within the municipality of Santa Cruz La Laguna. Their growth has been slow, but steady. Both communities are at present determined, in addition to their spiritual and outreach commitments, to complete the construction of their houses of prayer. The community of Tzununá has finished constructing the walls of its new church, and the next step is to roof them.  The community of Jaibalito has completed the internal construction and all that is left is to finish doing the façade.

In the morning of Saturday, May 9, the Trimestral Assembly met, consisting of delegates from the southern regions of Huehuetenango and Santa María Chiquimula, Totonicapán. The representatives of the various regions made a presentation on the situation in their areas:
Chiantla, Jacaltenango, Cuilco, La Democracia (including Santiago Chimaltenango), La Libertad, San Sebastián H (including San Juan Atitán), Santa Bárbara, San Pedro Necta, the city of Huehuetenango, Santa María Chiquimula (Totonicapán) y Concepción Tutuapa (San Marcos). In general the report was very positive, for in spite of the small difficulties they are facing, clear growth is reported in all the areas. There are new communities that are making alliance with us and many others are beginning.  The meeting stressed the importance of outreach commitment and the reaffirmation of the “Renewed Catholic” identity, implying the centrality of the Eucharist in all of life, the commitment to mission outreach and to work together so that the events that, according to the Scriptures, took place in the Early Church, may continue to be present in our communities.

On the afternoon of May 9 our bishop made a pastoral visit to the community of Mapá in San Sebastián.  This community made an alliance a few months ago. After intense preparation, beginning in November of 2008, 35 baptisms, 33 first communions and two marriages were carried out. This celebration has strengthened the community in its Christian life and Renewed Catholic identity.

On Sunday, May 10, in the morning, Monsignor Eduardo celebrated Eucharist in the community of Brasilia, zone 7, Huehuetenango. Within the framework of the celebration the daughter of a family that has recently joined the community was baptized.

On the afternoon of May 10, our bishop made his first visit to the new community in the municipality of Santa Bárbara, Huehuetenango. In spite of there being only a few members in the community, their enthusiasm and firm commitment to mission outreach, so that the road that they have set off on can reach to many more people, was obvious.

On Tuesday, March 12, the bishop had a meeting with representatives of the Renewed Catholic Community of “Los Guates,” San Juan Sacatepéquez. Father Santos Acosta Sol, who accepted direct responsibility for pastoral care for these communities, also participated in the meeting. The Eucharist had been scheduled for three months. The growth that has taken place in the San Juan Sacatepéquez was also reported.  A community in the village Los Pirires has decided to make an alliance with us and there are various communities in other villages with whom dialogue has begun.  The enthusiasm and commitment of all the faithful, the members of the community of Los Guates as well as those responsible for them, is clear.

As part of the call received by ICERGUA to unconditionally work towards the rediscovery and implementation of the Apostolic Tradition and the Faith and Organization of the undivided Church, on May the 19th, it took place a meeting at the Monasterio Ortodoxo de la Santísima Trinidad-Lavra Mambré located near Amatitlán. In the fram of the Meeting, it took place a symbolic exchange: Mother Inés, Abbess of the Monastery gave to our Bishop a copy of the recently published "Orthodox Catechism" and our Bishop gave here some of our Catechetical y Liturgical Books.

On the evening of May 21st, Bishop Eduardo blessed the Oratory of Saint Joseph. It is located in Guatemala City, at Jardines de la Asunción, zone 5. The Oratory is animated by Fr. Herberth Urrutia. Besides the Oratory Fr. Herberth is establishing the Fraternity of the Eucharist. It is a Fraternity formed by Christian Faithful, consecrated to deepen the love and adoration to the Eucharist. During the celebration, four members of the Fraternity received their habit. The Oratory is particularly committed to rediscover the elements of the Catholic Orthodoxy. Their building is decorated only with Icons.