TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — An intensive training session aimed at strengthening the Church’s network of listening centers was held Aug. 7–8 in Tegucigalpa, gathering 52 participants from dioceses across Honduras. 

The programme, led by Father Daniel Portillo Trevizo, Regional Expert for the Americas, was part of the Memorare Project, which coordinates national safeguarding efforts. 

Bishops, priests, religious sisters and lay men and women travelled from dioceses including Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Trujillo, Comayagua, Choluteca and La Ceiba to take part. Several participants came from remote areas, reflecting what organisers described as a growing national commitment to the culture of care. 

Volunteers from religious congregations and ecclesial institutions that operate listening centers also joined the training, which focused on developing protocols, strengthening intervention practices, refining criteria for the selection of pastoral agents, and building a coordinated network to provide safe and responsible listening. 

Dr. Portillo said listening centers must go beyond being formal structures. “They should be a concrete expression of the Church’s commitment to dignity and healing,” he told participants. 

The two-day session represents a step forward in the Honduran Church’s effort to establish a pastoral model of prevention with trained personnel, solid structures and a shared vision, organisers said. 

“The goal is that listening, justice and care may become visible signs of a Church that walks with, restores and transforms in the light of the Gospel.” – Father Daniel Portillo Trevizo