II Marist International Mission Assembly
On April 12, the Marist Province of Brasil Centro-Sul held its Provincial Meeting in preparation for the II Marist International Mission Assembly (II MIMA). The event brought together around 700 participants – lay Marists, Brothers, young people, and collaborators from Paraná, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Goiânia, and the Federal District – at Santa Maria Marist School, Curitiba, to reflect on this significant moment for the Institute.
Participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences about the local meetings celebrated in their Units, and also discuss their expectations regarding the international stage to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 17 to 27, 2014.
Aware of the movement that is coming about simultaneously around the world, the Marists participating at the meeting made a point of devoting their time and commitment to one of the calls from the XXI General Chapter: take a step forward to establish a more vibrant relationship between brothers and laity.
The Provincial meeting was a very significant moment because it brought together all the apostolic teams of Brasil Centro-Sul.
The participants were welcomed by Brother Provincial, Joaquim Sperandio, and other leaders. The representatives of the Province in Nairobi were announced: Brother João Batista, Ernesto Sienna, and Ana Carolina Dias.
This event also included three panel discussions which gave a voice to many people engaged in the mission. The first was entitled “From Mendes to Nairobi: the paths we have traveled”. It was led by some participants of the first Mission Assembly held in Mendes (2007), who spoke about the achievements of that meeting. The second panel discussion prompted the participants to reflect on the relationship between Brazil and Africa, and was conducted by a number of people who are involved in this topic. The last was an “interactive panel” organized by Brother Lucas Ramos: the participants were divided into small groups to share their impressions about being New Marists in Mission as part of a social network.
To learn more about the conclusions, please access our II MIMA page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aimm.grupomarista