Institute?s New Postulator General
The General Council appointed Brother Antonio Martínez Estaún, a member of the Marist Spiritual Patrimony, as new Postulator General for the Institute for three years.
He will be taking over the work of Brother Jorge Flores Aceves, of the México Occidental Province, who served as postulator for nearly five years.
“We thank Br Antonio for his willingness to serve the Institute at the general administration once again, as well as the Province of L’Hermitage, to which he belongs, the Brasil Centro-Sul Province, where he is currently working,” affirmed Superior General Brother Emili Turú.
This will be the second time he works for the general administration in Rome, where he previously served as director of communications from 2005 to 2011.
Br Antonio then went on to coordinate a course specialized in Marist charism at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Brazil, in 2012 before going on to work for a community in charge of ‘Marist Memorial,’ also in Brazil.
The postulator’s tasks include promoting the causes in their Roman phase for the title Venerable, Blessed and Saint, and maintaining ties with the vice-postulators who are following the diocesan phases.
It also includes maintaining ties with the Congregation for the Saints, the ecclesiastical authorities and postulations from other Congregations, as well as animating the Institute spiritually, making Marist models in holiness known by creating and circulating books, pictures, magazines or other documents and in animating sessions in the Provinces.
Br Antonio was born in Villayuda (Burgos) Spain, in 1940 and received his Marist formation was in Santa María de Bellpuig de les Avellanes.
He studied in the Instituto Jesús Magister in Rome and was Master of Novices in the Province of Catalonia.
He started the Easter celebrations for young people at les Avellanes, was responsible for Youth Ministry in the Province of Catalonia, has written various texts on Religion and has been a teacher of Religion and Philosophy in various schools.
In 1993, he moved to Loja (Ecuador) to teach in the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja where he was, for five years, Ministry Co-ordinator in the University and after this he was responsible for Province ministry in the Province of Ecuador before restructuring.
In 2003, he moved to the Universidad Marista de México where he co-ordinated the formation of teachers.