East Asia Province

Around Ten Lay people joined the brothers' community in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, for an evening of orientation and sharing on Marist Life last November 30, 2017.  The process began with each participant raising questions and expressing feelings about their experience of Marist life.  Some shared the need for more opportunities to get to know more the brothers and their mission and how to live Marist life in the day-to-day teaching ministry.

What followed was the sharing on Vocational Itinerary embodied in the document Being Lay Marists with a presentation of the Marist Life and Mission of the Institute.  Agnes Reyes facilitated the input and reflection process.  Br. John Chin, Br. Joachim Heng, Br. Anthony Cheng and Br. Paul Saw gave encouraging support through their presence in the gathering.

Prior to the meeting with the laity, the PJ community with the added presence of Br. John Heng from Sibu, Sarawak, met on November 29, 2017, for the sharing of updates from the Secretariat of the Laity particularly on the document Being Lay Marists and on the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family. It is within the thrust of the East Asia Province to establish the CMMF in places where it has not yet existed.  The newly-released statement from the General Chapter was also taken up during the meeting.

With the vitality felt among the participants of this gathering of lay and brothers, practical steps forward are now being thought of to ensure that Marist life and mission grow roots among the laity in communion with the brothers.