Ad Gentes

Dear friends of the Lay Movement of Catalonia, I was very pleased to receive news of your annual meeting of Brothers and lay people which you are going to hold in Llinars this weekend. It looks very interesting, but although it is impossible for me to be physically present, I wish to express and share my feelings and desires by mail.

Here in Phnom Pehn, I have come to know a group of missionaries from the United States and the Philippines. They are called the Maryknoll Missionaries and include priests, Brothers, Sisters, lay men and women. For many years now they have been functioning in this communion of states of life, united by a common charism. They share the mission, helping one another, sharing faith and life, but each group keeps its own structure.

We Marists take part in the Eucharist which the Maryknoll Missionaries conduct every Wednesday. This helps me think of you and the whole Marist Family. It is like repeating your meeting of next Sunday every Wednesday.

After the Mass we have supper together, chat, joke, encourage one another and, frequently, you ? all of you ? pop up in the conversation. As often as I can, I speak of the Lay Marists, of how we are progressing in this path, little by little, without haste, but with the security that we are really in line with the Will of God.

I profoundly believe that the future of Religious Life and the life of the Church is passing through this way and that, in the measure that the Marist Laity grow and give life, so the number of Brothers will also grow. I feel in the depths of my heart that we are living in a privileged time, a new age which will be glorious, although now it does not seem so clear to us. We are in Holy Saturday? and Resurrection Sunday is very close. Let us continue, then, to journey all together, in Catalonia, in Cambodia, and throughout the world, looking for the new route, occasionally in the dark, but trusting in the Good Mother as Father Champagnat always did.

Marist friends of Catalonia, be assured that this Sunday I will keep you very present in my prayer and that I will raise a glass to toast you all, and though we have no ?Catalan champagne?, we will content ourselves with a beer ?San Miguel?? from the Philippines!

To all of you who will be meeting in Llinars this weekend: HOW GREAT IT IS TO BE MARIST! May Saint Marcellin and our Good Mother bless you all and fill your hearts with joy, hope, and enthusiasm to continue the journey with greater strength.

A warm embrace from Phnom Penh.

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Bro. Agustí Cassú