Brothers of Compostela: against isolation, fraternity
With the permission of GarcĂa MĂĄrquez, we changed the title to “Love in times of COVID-19” or “Brotherhood in times of isolation”. Love is always creative, but it is even more so when necessity sharpens one’s wits. And in the face of the isolation imposed by the present circumstances, the Marist Brothers of Compostela have decided not only not to distance themselves, but to take advantage of the opportunity to come even closer.
Since the beginning of this crisis, besides the video calls with family and friends and all those related to work, the younger Brothers of the Province are taking advantage of this means to meet and to remember the most important thing of their mission: fraternity. These have been quiet and affectionate moments to share how each one is living this situation in his particular situation.
On Easter Day the invitation was extended to all the brothers of the Province of Compostela and twenty-four communities from different parts of Portugal, Spain and Honduras participated in the same call. The inter-provincial community of the post-novitiate in Madrid, the Brothers in formation in Guatemala (Ăngel Cuevas and Rui Pires) and MarĂa Bobillo, a member of the LaValla200 community in Atlantis (South Africa) also became involved.
After a greeting from the Brother Provincial, TomĂĄs Briongos, each of the animators of the different communities shared a celebration in honour of the Risen Lord. Besides being the first experience of video calling for some older Brothers, it was a truly moving moment; a very special family meeting.
The Easter season in which we are living must indeed remind us that, in the love of God, a love that overcomes death and whatever the distance, we are always united. May we continue to experience it and take advantage of this time of creativity and connectivity to promote fraternity and to be like the lovers of the novel by GarcĂa MĂĄrquez: “different and innovative, and therefore transgressors of the traditional order”.
