The house in Bogotá, Columbia, was born on the 4th of October 2016 with the arrival of Matteo Invernizzi and John Roderick, who were previously in Chile. They were joined a month later by Carlo Zardin, previously on mission in Siberia. On December 9th 2016, the parish Our Lady of the Waters was officially assigned to the Fraternity of St. Charles. It is situated in the center of the city, in the Candelaria zone, which is near the sanctuary of Monserrate. The church, antique and colonial, was one of the first in the city, consecrated in 1690. It was first occupied by Dominicans and successively by a group of diocesan priests of Bogotá. Beginning in 1950, several universities, among which the prestigious Universidad de Los Andes, la Tadeo Lozano, la Universidad de America, began to transfer into the neighborhood, systematically they began acquiring old properties and to reconstructing them to be eco-friendly. Today, around a hundred thousand university students pass through the area every day. In the close future, many of them will have access to the numerous university residences that are being prepared.
Next to the modern university campus, there is the world of the old residents,
Many of whom are elderly and poor, and who on the slopes of the mountain had occupied a green space and had constructed a kind of autonomous neighborhood called La Paz.
The Church of Our Lady of the Waters, is found in the center of the suburb and is naturally presented as a place open to all these different realities. During the day, one can see passing by many students, professors and employees of the universities. During the evening, one sees primarily the families and the elderly who live in the area. On Saturday, or on feast-days, the area is filled with children the neighborhood of La Paz, who come to the church for catechism or for the Christmas novena.
Fr. Carlo directs the catechism and is following the numerous new relationships that have begun with the college students. He also teaches religion at the college of St. Riccardo Pampuri, which is located in the Southern part of the city. Fr. John accompanies those who have asked to be baptized, as well as those who are sick. He is also the chaplain of the Ginnasio Moderno, which is one of the oldest public schools in the city. Together we follow a group of young people. We meet weekly to do charitable work together with the sisters of Mother Teresa. Today Fr. Ruben Roncolato is the pastor, the leader of the house, as well as the director of the various functions of the parish.
