Director of the Secretariat of Solidarity visited the Province Star of the Sea
Br. Ángel Diego García Otaloa, director of the Secretariat of Solidarity, arrived in in the Star of the Sea province on 19th August, travelling directly to Auckland, New Zealand, where he visited social works and schools and discussed the possibility of some engagement of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Aotearoa/New Zealand which occurs next year. The same theme was discussed when he travelled to Vanuatu, where he met Br. Jean Marie, in Port Vila, and discussed the upcoming UPR of the country.
After that, Br. Ángel Diego visited the Marists in Australia. The Rosalie Community hosted him in Brisbane, and he was able to meet with Australian Marist Solidarity at Ashgrove. Then he went to Sydney and had a busy itinerary including visits to Marist180, an Association of St. Marcellin Champagnat meeting, Mascot visit, Lavalla200> in Mount Druit, Mass at St Joseph’s College and a meeting with Br. Peter Carroll, Provincial.
From Sydney, Br. Ángel Diego travelled to Santa Teresa, where he visited other Marist Missions. The objective of this visit was multiple. On the one hand, the Secretariat of Solidarity wanted to know in situ the reality of the Marist mission in the Province, especially in relation to solidarity and its different areas of action. Secondly, to be able to go deeper into some of the projects that the Secretariat is promoting (UPR of New Zealand and Vanuatu). It is also intended to deepen relations with key actors in the field of solidarity (Marist180 and AMS). Finally, to offer and welcome lines of collaboration between the General Administration and the Star of the Sea Province and its concrete solidarity presences.
Concluding the visit, Brother Ángel Diego highlighted “the great work being done in the area of solidarity, remaining open to new actions and collaborations. The disposition of brothers and lay people with whom I have been able to share towards the different areas of solidarity (rights, social works, ecology, work with indigenous peoples…) I think it is very positive and very much in line with the calls of the XXII General Chapter”.