COMMUNITY ANIMATORS AND BURSARS

As agreed in the provincial calendar of 2007, on October 20-21 in Brazlândia-DF, the second meeting of the year took place of the community animators, this time with the local bursars. In the two days of the meeting there were meaningful moments of topics discussed, group work, prayers, Eucharist and fraternity. Brother Claudino Falchetto (Provincial) directed a morning of reflection on the mission of community animators in these times of modernization and restructuring of the Institute, taking as the subject the first provincial priority of the triennium already under way: To revive in the heart of the Brothers the sense of consecration and dedication with a committed, prophetic and coherent religious life in the following of Jesus. Brother Joaquim Oliveira (councillor and provincial bursar) gave a presentation on the evangelical use of goods and made some suggestions to the animators and local bursars for the preparation of the community budgets for 2008. On day 21, in the first half of the morning there was a discussion on the Year of Spirituality and the document Water from the Rock, as well as a presentation on the activities planned by the Provincial Commission on Consecrated Life. These topics were developed by three Brothers belonging to this commission: Joaci Pinheiro (coordinator and provincial counsellor), Natalino Sousa (member of the Interamerican Network of spirituality) and Gentile Paganoto (president of the mantenedoras UBEE-UNBEC). There then followed a reflection on the work of restructuring and the pastoral accompaniment in the Marist units in charge of the provincial Commission on evangelism, represented by two of its members, Brother Iranilson Correia and Brother Vitor Pravato (coordinator). In the final part of the meeting there were various suggestions and some points were made concerning the good practices of the communities of the Province. In the evaluation, the participants highlighted as positive the times of prayer and celebration, the fraternal spirit, the clarity in the presentations and the pleasant atmosphere in Villa Champagnat, where the meeting took place. There were also comments about the absence of some Brothers, although these absences had been justified at the beginning of the sessions by Brother Claudino.