II Mission Assembly of the Province of Brasil Sul-Amazônia
From September 9 to 12, the Province of Brasil Sul-Amazônia held its 2nd Provincial Mission Assembly. Representatives of all the mission fronts and brothers met to reflect and suggest priorities and points of attention for the future of the Marist mission.
Brother Deivis Fischer, Provincial and President of the Marist Network, presided over the opening. In his speech, he spoke about the identity, charism and mission that unite the Marists of Champagnat and about the needs of each historical period. “The mission also requires us to be attentive to what is happening around us, what are the joys and hopes, the reasons for celebration and pain of our contemporaries,” he said.
José Bittencourt, Provincial Councillor and coordinator of the Solidarity Area and of the Assembly Commission, led the first day of the event alongside Carla Goulart, from the social area.
Brother Ernesto Sánchez, Superior General, was also present via a video message, thanking everyone for their participation. He mentioned that the reflection and dialog that took place at the assembly were an important contribution to the province. Finally, he asked for Mary’s protection: “We place the assembly in the hands of Mary, our Good Mother, remembering that the institute is her work, as Marcellin Champagnat told us so many times.”
The second day focused on reflection and sharing on the emergencies and cries that arise from the mission fronts. Following the program, the delegates were directed to moments of individual reflection and group work, in which they listed five main emergencies based on the themes highlighted in the summary report of the pre-Assembly listening sessions. Among the main points shared by the groups were: promoting quality educational spaces, caring for our common home, forming a critical conscience, combating social inequalities, evangelizing children and young people, among others.
The third day was inspired by the phrase “A dream that is dreamt together is reality”. The meeting was led by Sílvia Medeiros, from the Institutional Communication Office of the Marist Network, and Valmir Pires, from the São Lucas Hospital. To inspire the day’s reflections, the participants meditated on the dreams that the Province had taken to MIMA III. The program continued with a cultural moment to motivate the participants to dream together and to illuminate the horizon of the Province.
The last day of the II Provincial Mission Assembly was marked by two important deliveries: a letter-message addressed to the Marists of Champagnat and five priorities for the next three years of the Marist Province of Brasil Sul-Amazônia, which are summarized as follows:
- To build an ecosystem of integral care
- To promote an evangelizing, integral and inclusive education
- To strengthen the Marist charism: spirituality, shared life and mission
- To foster collaboration and unity in the Marist mission
- To promote political advocacy as a path to social justice and human dignity.