Leaders of the Marist ministry attend a catechetical course

With the aim of deepening their Marist formation, 150 catechists and animators of the groups of the Marist Children and Youth Ministry (MYM) of Bolivia (Province of Santa María de los Andes) participated in a program of formation, which took place during the first week of July at the Marist College of Santa Cruz. The participants belong to the following pastoral movements: Marist Missionary Childhood, GAMA (Marist Friendship Groups) and MARCHA (Mary and Champagnat).

During the four days of formation, topics such as: Introduction to the Bible II and New Testament, Life of Marcellin Champagnat, growing in compassion and self-care, identity and spirituality of the MYM groups and developmental psychology were addressed. These themes helped to deepen knowledge, but above all they encouraged dialogue and reflection from personal experience, related to other themes, such as: the life of Marcellin Champagnat contrasted with one’s own life (his childhood, his call, work, study, the encounter with Montagne, the Society of Mary, La Valla, the Hermitage, etc.), the personal experience of encountering the Risen Jesus, among others.

The young participants animated with much leadership, the prayer spaces, the leisure activities, the formation in dynamics and the specific formation of each pastoral movement. This contributed to create an atmosphere of encounter, reflection and youth protagonism.

During the final evaluation, the participants summarized their thoughts and feelings in a few phrases: “To feel like a Marist family”, “To be filled by the enthusiasm of the other animators”, “To strengthen my vocation”, “To commit myself to be catechists next year”, “To learn”, “To know more about the Bible”, “To pray with the life of Marcellin”, “To understand my boys and girls, from their psychology”, “To share experiences”, “To return renewed”, “To commit myself to my spiritual formation”.