An international community

In 2013, the Marist Provinces of South Asia, Australia and the Marist District of Asia agreed to re-open the former novitiate of Tudella as an International Novitiate.

The novitiate of the Province of South Asia moved to Tudella in 1992. It began with novices from Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Indian novices first came in 2000. For some years prior to 2013 Tudella had ceased to function as a novitiate. 

In May 2014, the novitiate commenced with 2 novices from the District of Asia and 3 from the Province of South Asia, and an international staff comprising Novice Master, Br Nicholas Fernando (Sri Lanka), and team members Br Ranjith Perera (Sri Lanka), Br Peter Walsh (Australia) and Br Canisio Willrich (Brazil). In May 2015 the novices will have completed their canonical year and will be undertaking apostolic/community experiences in their various units.

In 2014, the Marist District of Melanesia applied and were accepted as another partner in the venture.

In May of this year, another 9 novices will join the 5 already in Tudella: 7 from the District of Asia and two from the District of Melanesia.

The current group of novices and team, with Br Sales Fernando replacing Br Ranjith, hail from five different countries and have melded into a very good international community. The language of the novitiate is English although on occasions Singhala, Urdu, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Spanish and “strine” can be heard.

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Pictured, left to right: Brothers Bao, Dulaj, Anthony, Sales, Canisio, Nicholas, N.M., Thuan, Emili Turú, Peter, Kamran, Rohail.