Oratory
The Padre Camilo Oratory is a small space that invites us to meet the Lord, and hand in hand with Him, to move forward with joy towards the fullness of life along the path of peace.
Sometime after, dear Father Camilo left for the House of the Father, in January 2010, Father Ignacio expressed an ardently kept wish: "I have been thinking that we should leave Camilo's room to make it into a chapel. It's what I'd like." It was then that we opted to have the help of a Guide who suggested removing all the shelves, painting the walls, removing all the furniture and cables in sight, leaving the room clean in order to be ready for its new function.
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At that time, we contacted the well-known and talented mural artist Rosa Guzmán with father Ignacio so he could ask her to be a part of the project.
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Rosa enthusiastically accepted to undertake the task of creating the mural in the chapel and got the main ideas directly from Fr. Ignacio. The first thing he said to her was that the only Presence that had to be in the chapel was that of the Tabernacle. His clear idea was that everything there should move one to prayer and contemplation. The use of minimal elements, such as a light for the tabernacle, and a very evocative mural that calls to silence, perhaps having only a few sentences. In short, something discreet and without distracting ornaments. Rosa promised to present sketches of her proposal; we were all very happy to have someone of that artistic caliber, voluntarily working on our little chapel.
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The sketch turned out to be something beautiful, evocative, perfect, as Father Ignacio wanted it to be. Gently undulating mountains, white clouds rising in a blue sky, that followed the same undulations. Here and there, white stars can be seen. The phrases chosen by father undulating next to the hills "The Lord is here and He calls you" and “In the Silence of the Presence.
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Presiding over the wall facing the Tabernacle, Rosa reproduced Saint Francis of Sorrento; an iron sculpture that Father Ignacio discovered one day while visiting that city. He was dazzled to the point of making a great effort to find a professional photographer in the city. Taking him to Sorrento so he could photograph a series of beautiful and inspiring pictures of the statue, which he kept as a treasure. He especially asked Rosa to paint Francisco as represented in that sculpture, as radical as he was, with an extreme thinness and a torn habit, totally forgotten of himself.
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As something special, we asked the artist to add in some discreet place, slight butterflies to represent father Camilo whose spirit flies through the fields of the Lord.
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Meanwhile, our efficient Guide gave herself the task of searching all over Santiago for models of tabernacles, chalice and everything we would need for the chapel. Finally, with skill and good will she designed a model that she made herself with the help of her brother. She also painted the door of the tabernacle according to the model that Father Ignacio liked the most, in a series of images that she showed him. Her help, as stated above, was essential to the task.
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So, step by step, she took to the chapel what was minimally necessary: the candle-shaped light for the tabernacle that simulates a lighted flame, an old pedestal to place the Bible in a prominent place, the tabernacle beautifully and neatly finished, completely lined with white velvet and with its key, ready for its sacred mission. Days later, she brought the precious chalice and the ceramic patina in white and blue colors, especially made for us by a potter.
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The chairs and kneelers were sent to be made by an artisan from Melipilla, similar to the ones Father Ignacio had at his desk, small, made of wood and straw. Pillows were made to make a seat out of a piece of furniture that could not be removed, forming a cozy corner to immerse oneself in prayer.
Finally, with great joy this wish of Father Ignacio was fulfilled and the chapel was inaugurated on August 1, 2010 with the solemn celebration of the Eucharist by Father Ignacio; with the attendance among other people, of Guides, the National Coordination of Chile, the International Coordination, and the artists.
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May all of you be very welcome to this small and significant oratory, which invites us into meditation and to enter into communication with God.