Annual Meeting of the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family

The annual meeting of the fraternities of the CHMMF of the province of Brasil Centro Sur was held on the last weekend of July in Curitiba, Paraná. Those taking part were eleven Brother advisers and 98 members, men and women, from 19 fraternities.

The theme "living the Marist charism in the fraternities" is in harmony with the proposal of a “sustainable” apostolate: a common union. Union of hearts, union of ideas and ideals, of minds and actions inspired by the charism of Marcellin Champagnat, who in the surroundings in which he lived, chose to act and become involved with situation with audacity and love.

The meeting made very clear that being Marist is a life style, is to act with love in everything and with everyone, in the little things, and in the simple gestures of solidarity and care.

It reached its high point with the launching of the project Sustainable Apostolate destined to show the Marist way of living nowadays, with eyes fixed on history so as to promote initiatives in support of life and the planet, which cries out and begs for help.

Marked by dynamism and silence, reflection and the union of the participants, the project reflects the following activities of unity of the fraternities:

* Commitment of all in the promotion of a new world, because we have one heart and one spirit to attain the collective good and a sustainable life;
* Taking notice of and changing attitudes in relation to the family, the decrease of unnecessary consumption to which we are drawn by unbridled capitalism (before making a purchase, ask oneself about the real necessity of the product);

* Taking up again the ideas of the Project in the meetings of the fraternities, change of attitudes in each one, formation of an ecological conscience, work initiatives with little actions of reuse and recycling;

* Verification and distribution from the collection points of materials suitable for recycling and reuse (lamps, oils, paint tins, electrical fittings, etc.) in the home, in the school, in the workplace or in the city;

* Sustainable activity with the responsible bodies of the city;

* Sharing actions, attitudes, ideas, personal and collective changes in the fraternity / community in relation to human growth and sustainability, using the social networks and other new technologies;

Other actions will arise from the hearts of the members of the fraternities. The meeting has been simply the beginning of a great change. But, above all, it is necessary to emphasize the agreement reached by all: recycle ideas, words and thoughts!