Internacional Forum | Meeting in Rome – November 2022

The participants in the 3rd phase of the International Forum on the Lay Marist Vocation, held in November 2022 in Rome, have written a letter to the Marists in their region. Below you can download and read the short texts.

Letter of the Region of Africa

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We are grateful for all the support received from all the Administrative Units and the Institute and all the people who supported the development of the Forum with their services. We were delighted to have been in contact with the General House and with the Church during our visit to the Vatican.

The African Region participants identified the following issues that should be part of the message to all Marist of Champagnat:

• Lay Marist vocation is a new flavor to Marist charism and spirituality in some Provinces.
• To be patient and supportive with the lay Marist vocation in some parts of the Africa region as they are moving at their own pace.

Challenges identified:

• The region has serious problems of communication.
• Movement and travel is difficult from one country to another.
• Financial difficulties in the Provinces affect the activities of Lay Marist.

May Mary our Good Mother continue to enlighten our Marist vocational journey.

Letter of the Region of América Sur

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During these days we have gathered in Rome as lay women, lay men and brothers coming from different parts of the Marist Institute. We have come with open hearts, following the intuition of Champagnat, who taught us to have unlimited trust in the intercession of our Good Mother.

The word that has struck us most during this meeting is RUAH (Spirit), the breath of life, the breath of God. We have spoken a lot about sensing this prompting, which has made restless and inspired us to continue our journey with audacity.

In this face-to-face stage of the Lay Marist Vocation Forum, we have come together to reflect on and share the richness of our experiences.  This will continue over the next few years

We have the joy of communicating 4 items of good news to you

• The Marist vocation is a precious way of living out Champagnat’s charism, bringing the Gospel to life in Mary’s way, as lay people or brothers.
• We believe that it is necessary to undertake a process of formation and accompaniment so that this lay vocation may be relevant, meaningful and prophetic in today’s world.
• We are all invited to commit ourselves when we know that our time has come.
• We look forward to good times ahead when the Church and the world will recognise that the lay Marist vocation is a way of life that makes us happy.

We have a journey to make and determine together, open to the gifts of the Spirit, with an attitude of acceptance and docility like Mary.

We lay people and brothers who have participated in the Forum warmly invite you too to make the lay Marist vocation your life project in the present and in the future.

Letter of the Region of Arco Norte

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The International Forum on the Marist Lay Vocation has been a great opportunity to celebrate together, as Brothers and Lay Marists, our Marist Vocation as a Gift of the Spirit.

Such is the joy in our hearts that we desire and dream of revitalising the Marist charism through formation processes and programmes that take into account our diversity in terms of cultures, life rhythms and languages.

What a blessing to know that we are more and more Marists, all heirs of Champagnat’s charism. This feeling also invites us to consider organisational structures to continue to journey together as one vast Global Marist Charismatic Family.

Letter of the Region Asia

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Dear Marists of Champagnat in ASIA.

We are blessed to have lived the experience of the International Forum on Marist Lay Vocation where Brothers and Lay around the globe gather to share the wealth of our stories and the richness of our experiences of living Marist life. 

We live the same values, dreams and hopes. We shared our stories; we have reflected together, proposed different ideas, discussed, and dialogued. It was for us, a sacred space of encounter, being fully aware of the presence of Ruah, the breath of the Divine, gently guiding us in all moments of our experience.

We were faced with and received the challenge to keep alive the Charism of Marcellin in our world today, particularly in our context in Asia. We, however, embrace among us the richness of the diversity of culture, faith, and tradition.  And it is in this diversity that we celebrate Marist life with you:

“Come to the table. You are welcome to celebrate life as we gather at the Table of La Valla. We are a family.  We are Marists.”

We continue to believe that this is our call, our vocation, to be Marists of Champagnat today: one family amidst diversity, zealous partakers in the Divine mission.

And so, we go forth …caring for and generating Marist life in whatever we can.

Come, journey with us, with Mary and Marcellin.

Letter of the Region of Europe

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What are you thirsty for?

When you feel that your journey makes sense. When you feel that you walk together with others. When you feel that with them you carry a message of hope, because you believe in the goodness of people. When you feel that you are family with those who share your path. When your way of being in life is that of Mary and Saint Marcellin. This is your place; this is your table. Together we have dared to explore what God is doing in our lives, in each other, in our global family. Together we want to continue to offer to children and young people and to society the gift of our charism, because the spirit continues to move among us and inspire us. Sharing stories, talking, listening to all the voices, celebrating, dancing, co-creating in our forum, in your forum. We have been dreaming together, brothers and lay people, of a better future for our global family and for the world that awaits us.

Get up, let´s find the water from the rock, and let´s build something new together. Join us!

Letter of the Region of Oceania

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As we voyage into the new Star of the Sea province, we do so with a heart that is full of joy to embrace the vision of what it means to be a Lay Marist.

We are men and women, committed to being Marist. We have a deep desire to belong in community with each other whilst we live out vocation.

By sharing our stories, we will learn to understand each other and the diversity of the Star of the Sea province.

We come with open hearts to share bread in communion with each other. As we move forward from this forum, our mission is to promote the Lay Marist vocation within each of our local contexts. To make Jesus Christ known and loved in the way of Mary.

We are brothers and sisters with our own rich histories and diverse stories. Part of this shared history is the relationship which we have with the Marist Brothers, who we will continue to journey with, as companions to deepen our Lay Marist Vocation.

Our vocation is to simply deepen each of our calling to be Marist.