On January 24, 2026, we gathered the group of lay Christians to plan activities for this year, considering the pastoral challenges, in partnership with the Council of Lay People of the Archdiocese of São Paulo (CLASP), which has been consolidating itself as an important space for listening, articulation, and lay participation in the life of the Church and society.

The first meeting was attended by eight lay Christians from the Belém, Brasilândia, Ipiranga, Santana, and Sé regions of the city of São Paulo.

Throughout the year, the council will hold planning and evaluation meetings, formative moments, celebrations, and gatherings, seeking to strengthen communion among different expressions of the local Church. These activities allow us to align actions, share experiences, and build joint proposals aimed at both the internal life of ecclesial communities and the social action of Christians.

We are in tune with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, which reaffirmed the role of the laity as active subjects in the Church's mission, and we engage in dialogue with other organizations that coordinate similar initiatives in various parts of Brazil, as well as with the initiatives of the Lay Network (Latin American and Caribbean) and the We Are Church International, so that we may advance in Christian witness to challenging realities.

More than an organizational space, we seek to cultivate a spirituality embodied in urban reality, calling the faithful to a commitment to social justice, solidarity, and the defense of life. In its recent actions, the group has highlighted the importance of memory, listening to ecclesial communities, and Christian engagement in the face of the wounds opened by inequality, pandemic, and social exclusion.

For those who closely follow this journey, this space represents a concrete step towards a more participatory and co-responsible Church, where men and women not only collaborate but help to reflect on the nuances of pastoral action and exercise their Christian vocation.

Thus, we continue to affirm our role as the organized voice of the laity, contributing to the dialogue between the Christian faith and the real life of the city and the challenges of our time.

Edson Silva
We Are Church, São Paulo/Brazil