International Missionary Association (IMA/AMI) is an Association of Christ’s faithful, consisting of lay members, who, docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit wish to live the same missionary vocation in mutual complementarity, communion and fraternal collaboration, placing themselves at the service of the local church.
AMI was founded at Faenza (Italy) on December 8 ,1989 by Mgr. MarioBabini and Dr.(Miss) Maria Pia Reggi together with the first group of Italian and Indian missionaries. It was approvedfor the first time on March 2, 1991, by the Bishop of Faenza, His Exc.Franceso Tarcisio Bertozzi of blessed memory and finally on March 1st 2010 by His Excellency Claudio Stagni.
AMI consists of:
- Missionary Fraternity of Lay Consecrated Women
They commit themselves to follow Christ through the Evangelical counsels (Virginity for the kingdom of God, Poverty and Obedience)and their missionary life in the ordinary lay condition,either in their homeland or in other faraway countries. As a specific rule of life they follow also their internal regulation foreseen by the AMI statute. - Missionary Fraternity of Apostolic Group
They are married couples, but singles are also foreseen. They formally commit themselves to live the radicalism of the Gospel in their state of life, following the Gospel of Beatitudes and giving a missionary dimensionto the whole of their existence. They also follow a specific internal regulation. - Missionary Fraternity for Men(Secular Priests and Consecrated Lay Men)
The members of this fraternity also commit themselves to follow Christ through the Evangelical counsels and their missionary life,either in their homeland or in other faraway countries according to the Statutes, the common internal regulation and their own internal norms of life.(This group has not yet grown as the other two fraternities have.)
The members offer themselves for the service of the missionary task of the local church, both for evangelization and for re-evangelization. Their mission is to be a witness for the Gospel to the poorest in both developed and developing societies turning to the least privileged. They wish to welcome/receive every poor, not only the materially needy so that every brother God entrusts them may feel loved with the heart of Christ Himself. They desire to be educators of faith in the families, in the surroundings and in the field of work and in their personal relationship; to give the whole of their life a missionary dimension. Mission gives to all their existence meaning, style of life and characterizes their specific role in the church.
The members are engaged in different professional fields in both private and public sectors. Our Internationality underlines the commitment to become a meeting point and instrument of dialogue, of exchange of values and experience, of giving and receiving, among people and sister churches.
CHARISM
MISSIONARIES OF HOPE: with Welcoming Attitude and Internationality.
‘To be a witness to the call of the people of God: to holiness and mission, in the complementarity and reciprocity of the different situations and states of life in the church.
VISION
To establish the Kingdom of God initiated by Jesus Christ: the coming of a just and brotherly world until God is everything in everybody.
MISSION
Contemplatives in action: deeply involved with the world and its history, open to the different cultures,be a testimony to the love of ourFather, to His mercy and providence, an active life in the presence of God.
SPIRITUALITY
Trinitarian spirituality and Trust in Divine Providence.
Different forms of belonging:
- Permanent membership
- Fraternity of Consecrated Women
- Fraternity of Apostolic Group (Couples)
- Fraternity of Consecrated Men
Other:
- Missionary Commitment Group They are persons who share the same aim, objectives and methods of the Association and desire to partake in its spirituality and fraternal life. Membership to this group may be permanent as such. It may also be the first formal steps of persons who wish commit themselves as members in the fraternities.
- Volunteers and Supporters
- Youth, children, mission experience group, friends, benefactors
Where we are:
Italy, India, Tanzania,Eritrea
In India: Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Assam, Bangalore, Chandrapur
India Region: Headquarters-Kochi
ADDRESS:
AMI Regional House
ShenoyRoad , SRRA 44, Kaloor, Kochi-682017
Ph: 04842345975
Email: amicochin@gmail.com
In the Mumbai group, we have three consecrated women members.One is a ward manager in the oncology dept. in Holy Spirit Hospital, another oneis a social worker giving her service in asocial welfare Centreand the thirdis a retired social worker, who spends her time by doingfamily visits and prison ministry. At present there are two members in Missionary Commitment Group.About fifteen familiesare associated with AMI and we all meet together twice a month for advancing our spiritual growth to live a missionary life. We are engaged in the parish associations, cellsand SCCs. The membersvisit patients in hospitals and families who are sick and needy and visit children’shomes.The AMI Youth group also participates in these activities.
Contact address:
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION (AMI),
2A/21, Takshila,
Mahakali Caves Road,
Andheri East,
Mumbai – 400 093
Tel: 91-022-28363939
email : amimumbai9@gmail.com
AMI Website is: www.ami-ima.net