Into the Deep: the Carcavelos meeting comes to an end
Photos | Videos | Other info
Sunday, July 30 was the last day of the International Gathering of Marist Youth in Carcavelos. On Monday the participants will go to the Marist Externato in Lisboa, where the Marist Festival will be held, with the presence of other young people who have come exclusively for World Youth Day.
The day’s activities began at 8 a.m. with a biblical meditation on the passage of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45). The Marist Missionary Sisters were in charge of motivating the young people that day. The Superior General, Sr. Georgeanne Marie Donovan, gave the first motivation, emphasizing the theme of love linked to Mary’s example. An invitation made with love leads to action, Sr. Georgeanne stressed. This was the case with the “pioneers” of the Missionary Sisters, who had the audacity to accept the invitation to be Christians in Oceania. In this regard, the Superior General recalled the history of the Congregation. Then, emphasizing the Marian spirit, she recalled how Mary was obedient, an obedience that translates into listening. It was only because of this that, when she was invited to carry the message of Christ to the world, she was able to say “yes”.
The second part of the morning was characterized by a tour on the Marist mission. Several rooms were set up detailing the missionary work of the 4 congregations and the young people, divided into groups, spent 10 minutes at each “station” discovering what Marists do around the world.
After lunch there was a panel in which the 4 Superiors General answered questions from the young people. It was a very rich moment of dialogue. The young people asked many questions. One of them was their concern to remain attached to the charism as they grow up and leave the institutional environment of the school.
At 17:00, the closing Mass was celebrated by Fr. John Larsen, Superior of the Society of Mary. At the end, the 4 Superiors General anointed the participants, sending them out to pass on the message received during the meeting.
Finally, there was a special moment of thanksgiving. Thanks are due to the Preparatory Commission that organized the meeting and to the host Province of Compostela, which spared no effort in welcoming the young people, especially the Marist College of Carcavelos, which was a place much appreciated by the participants.
On Monday, July 31, at 9:00 a.m., the participants will move to the Marist Externato in Lisbon, where they will spend the next few days with other young Marists who will be participating in World Youth Day beginning on August 1. On Monday, the Marist Festival will take place, which will be a moment of encounter with all the young Marists who are in Lisbon. It will also be the moment of the launching of the International Network of Marist Youth Ministry.
Participants
The meeting was attended by 223 people (109 women and 114 men). Most of them were young people involved in Marist family ministry, but there were also members of the councils of the four congregations and adults accompanying the young people. There were 163 young people distributed as follows: 10 linked to the Marist Missionary Sisters, 21 to the Marist Fathers, 7 to the Marist Sisters and 124 to the Marist Brothers. There were 61 coordinators: 8 from the Missionary Sisters, 6 from the Society of Mary, 4 from the Marist Sisters and 43 from the Marist Brothers.
