Extended Council Meeting of the Santa María de los Andes Province
The Extended Provincial Council 2023 of Santa María de los Andes was held September 5-7 in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Together with the Provincial Council, the Life and Mission Councils of the three Sectors – Bolivia, Chile and Peru – that make up the Province participated.
The meeting had among its objectives:
- To contemplate the life of the brothers and lay Marists;
- To observe the journey made in the Marist mission, centered on the quality of education and evangelization;
- To analyze the achievements and difficulties;
- To project the actions as a Province until 2024.
In his speech, the Provincial, Brother Pablo González, emphasized that “the journey of the Institute challenges us today”. He then read a letter sent by the Superior General, Br. Ernesto Sanchez, to all Provincials, inviting them to reflect on five points of Marist life: Spirituality, Marist Vocation and Stewardship, Emerging Needs, Global Marist Family, and Reconfiguration.
The work of the council began with a moment of integration, which had as its central theme: “how to develop fraternal leadership”. The Provincial Perspectives, its outlook, and the continuity of the Province’s action plan were also discussed during the conference.
At the end of the last day, the council had a space to think about the South America Region, of which the province of Santa María de los Andes is a part, and the regional Strategic Plan for the region was presented.
The teams of each of the initiatives and networks, in which the representatives of the province of Santa María de los Andes also participate, were presented.
The meeting concluded with a traditional Bolivian cultural presentation.