Lay Marists discuss their role in Argentina

Prior to the gathering of lay Marists from around the world that took place in Rome, another group met in Argentina to speak also about the laity’s role within the Institute.

The National Meeting of the Fraternities of the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family took place on May 2-3 in the Villa San José in Luján to speak about vocation, identity, spirituality and mission of the Marist Laity.

A press release from the Cruz del Sur province stressed that it helped them “to tune in to the call to promote together a greater vitality of the charism, brothers and lay people united, in a charism with a common call.”

“The meeting has impacted them profoundly and they have felt particularly motivated to revitalize their lay Marist experience,” said brother Joaquín Baron, province’s secretary.

“This year was unique in that the theme focused on Marist laity,” he added. “For this reason, Edison Carlos Jardim de Oliveira, head of laity and consecrated life of the Rio Grande do Sul province was invited to animate our meeting (alongside his wife).” 

According to the press release, the gathering highlighted that “spirituality is the deepest force that drives us to build a new dawn for the charism of Saint Marcellin, when seeking to establish a new relationship between brothers and the laity.”

The group discussed the fraternities’ proposals of how to make visible the mission to which they are called to during the year.

Mauricio Fuentes, from the Provincial Vocation Animation, spoke about the overall framework of vocational discernment for lay men and women.

The press release affirmed his talk helped create “a greater awareness of the identity and mission of the laity, under the perspective of the Marist charism as a legitimate lay experience” adding that the meeting was an “important milestone for the Marist laity in Cruz del Sur and a reason to revitalize the fraternities.”