Brothers and Laypeople participating on equal terms

The first meeting of the Preparatory Commission of the future International Marist Mission Assembly took place at the General House from the 1st to the 6th December. The members of this Commission are: Erica Pegorer (Province of Melbourne), Dilma Alves Rodriguez (Province of Brasil Centro-Norte), Chema Pérez Soba (Province of Ibérica), Alphonse Balombe fms (Province of Afrique Centre-Est / East Central Africa), John Y Tan fms (Province of the Philippines) and Brothers Pedro Herreros and Emili Turú, Presidents of the Laity Commission and the Mission Commission respectively, as well as Brothers Michael Flanigan and Juan Miguel Anaya, Secretaries of these Commissions.
Throughout these intense days of work and sharing, during which all joined the General Council for prayer, the plan for the preparation and development of the Assembly was organised. This plan will be presented to the General Council during its Plenary Session in January 2005.
The Assembly wants to be a part of the animation process that is being developed in the Provinces, as well as supporting the work of harmonisation and unification that is taking place in many Provinces that have recently experienced restructuring. The International Assembly, which will take place in September 2007, will be preceded by a local phase at the Province level (throughout 2006), open to the participation of brothers and laypeople who are involved in Marist Mission and who identify with the Marist charism.
The International Assembly constitutes a new stage in the life of the Marist Institute, which offers brothers and laypeople the opportunity to reflect together, on equal terms, concerning the mission of the Institute at the present time and in the future, as well as on their own identity.
The process designed to prepare and realise this Assembly will provide the opportunity to ponder our own life of service in the Marist mission and the convictions that nurture this, as a dedicated vocation. This will encourage a re-reading of the text ?In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat: A Vision for Marist Education Today? and a deepening of the understanding of the calls of the 20th General Chapter.
Finally, the suggestions and the recommendations that come from the International Assembly will be able to be studied by the participants of the 21st General Chapter (2009), if they decide to do so, and contribute to the process of outlining future directions for the Marist world.
The definitive plan of the Assembly and its distinct phases will be listed by September 2005, so that they can be presented during the General Conference.