Hail and farewell

With the General Chapter over, the Brother capitulants have returned to their Provinces, leaving behind the memory of a period of extraordinary community and encounter. Those in Rome have returned to their customary occupations. A period has ended which has left a lasting mark on the lives of all.

The General Council did not give themselves a rest from work. Once the chapter sessions were finished, Brother Superior General called the old and new Councillors together for a week and they made a summary of the topics that require immediate attending to. They worked on the final draft of the Letter which the Chapter has addressed to the Brothers and Marist laity and youth of the world. They prepared the calendar of visits up to March 2010. They also spent a day with Mr. Bruce Irvine, reflecting on the experiences of the Chapter and the consequences for their work of animation and government.

A brief report on activities

After these intense work sessions, on 16 October 2009, the Superior General and his Council, following the pattern set by the previous General Council, met with the staff of the General Administration, Brothers and laity, to inform them about certain matters treated in these first sessions of the new Council.

Brother Emili Turú opened the meeting with a presentation on the images of Mary and Marcellin, which had been painted as inspiration for the spirit of the Chapter. The images speak of an attitude and life style which the Chapter has proposed for the Institute for the next eight years. Brother Antonio Ramalho invited those present to sing the ?Sub tuum praesidium? to ask for Mary?s protection. Then there was a viewing of the DVD produced during the Chapter by Brothers Toni Torrelles and Felíu Martín. This documentary, edited in the four languages, gathers together the most significant moments of the Chapter and a message from the new Superior General. Brother Ernesto Sánchez explained the methodology of dialogue and consensus used by the capitulants. And Brother Eugéne Kabanguka closed the round of interventions by giving a global view of the contents of the work of the Chapter.

New General Councillor

Brother Emili informed the members of the General Administration that, in the Council sessions just completed, they had decided to use the powers accorded to them by the Constitutions, to appoint one more General Councillor. Brother Víctor Preciado, appointed Econome General before the Chapter, will from now on also be a member of the General Council. In Br. Emili?s words, ?we believe that the human and spiritual qualities of Br. Víctor will enrich the Council, as well as his recognized abilities in the fields of administration and finance, particularly valuable for this time in the history of the Institute?.

At the same time, Br. Emili announced that Br. José María Ferre would become his personal secretary.