Brothers and laity of the fraternities of Brazil

From Sept. 6 – 9, the National Encounter of Leadership of the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family was held in Curitiba, Brazil, to strengthen the identity and path of the MChFM in Brazil in the light of the documents ‘Life Project in Fraternity’ and ‘Being a Lay Marist’.

There were 65 lay leaders and brother advisers, members of provincial coordination teams of the MChFM and members of the Commission of Consecrated and Lay Life of UMBRASIL.

The event was counseled by Marilza Schuina, who worked on Document 105 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil and explained its importance for the lay vocation.

June Alisson Westarb Cruz facilitated the understanding and vision of the provincial realities through the “SWOT” analysis. Edison Oliveira and João Luiz Gonçalves also collaborated with the presentation, underscoring the essential elements of the documents ‘Life Project in Fraternity’ and ‘Being a Lay Marist’.

The dynamics of the meeting promoted the integral and continuous interaction of the participants who raised various questions about the MChFM’s leadership formation processes.

The event also provided moments of coexistence and experiences to strengthen the relationship between brothers and laity; the celebration of the Year of the Laity in harmony with the Church of Brazil; the identification of implications of the documents of the Institute and of the Church for the vitality of the Movement, in addition to the synchrony in the context of Marist Brazil.

Sonia Vidal, adviser of Consecrated and Laity Life of UMBRASIL, indicated that the meeting showed the commitments of UMBRASIL in strengthening the leadership of the Champagnat Movement in Brazil, by creating spaces for sharing, reflection and joint formation between brothers and laity.

This was the third National Leadership Meeting of the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family, after its first meeting in February 2010 in Brazlândia and its second in May 2014 in Ribeirão das Neves.