Anniversary festivities get under way

On February 2, l934, Brothers Macario Luis, Eugenio Luis, Ciro José, León Vidal and Félix Bernardino arrived in Montevideo, Uruguay in order to open the Santa Maria School. Thus, the year 2009 is a celebratory occasion marking the 75th anniversary of the start of Marist Brothers? presence in Uruguay.

The anniversary has been the occasion for creating a calendar of commemorative events that will be held in the course of the present academic year. The kick-off event, to take place at Casa San José, will be a general meeting for teaching personnel and support staff. After the Casa San José meeting, the full Marist Family of Uruguay will make a pilgrimage to La Florida. The final event will be a solidarity initiative that will bring together all those involved in Marist apostolic works in Uruguay.

In addition to such initiatives that involve the Uruguay Marist Family as a unit, each school will hold its own celebrations, sharing the anniversary joy with the families, graduates and colleagues connected to each educational center.

The happy circumstances offered by this Marist anniversary is a once in a lifetime occasion to strengthen the bonds that connect all the members of the Uruguay Marist Family, thanking God for the blessings that He has poured out upon the Marist Brothers? works in Uruguay. The 75 years have been filled with life, commitment and apostolic fruitfulness for the many Brothers and lay people who, in this beloved land, have sown the Marist seed even up to this very day. It is a land that awaits the Lord?s gift of abundant vocations, both to the Brothers and to the laity, so as to keep Marcellin?s charism alive amidst the children, adolescents and young adults of Uruguay.