Looking after our Young People
Each Autumn, the Marists of Canada, Brothers and lay people, take time to share their reflections on the vitality of the Marist charism in a province where the contribution of the lay people is becoming more and more important. It is not only the sustainability of the work, but the sharing of the Marist values in areas where the Brothers are no longer visible. To this end, the Province has a Commission of Provincial Animation (CAP) formed especially for lay men and women of all the ages, who carry out this mission through several activities. Acting on behalf of the Provincial Council, Brother Félix Roldán is the delegate for this commission.
This year, the meeting took place in Valcartier, the home of a Marist Project dedicated to helping young people with difficulties to be reinstated into the school system and continue their education.
The organizers wanted to consult with the young people who are involved in different activities provided by CAP. Almost fifty Brothers and lay people – among them two General Councillors, Brothers João Carlos del Prado and Ken McDonald, – were challenged by around fifteen young people who came along to show how, by means of different activities and commitments, they are encouraged by our Marist values to live their lives at a level appropriate to themselves. For most of these young people, it is after a first experience in the school setting (Collège Laval, of Marcellin Champagnat High School) that projects are developed which helps them to move on: social activities in their own environment, in the Marist social works of the Province, in Marist encounters, whether interprovincial or international, in prolonged experiences of voluntary work. We know that the Marist charism is based on three pillars: spirituality, fraternity, mission (commitment): we can see that among the young people of our community, most often it is the mission that becomes the entry for the other pillars.
The testimony of these young people reflects the investment of educating and educators in our communities, the members of CAP, the support of the Marist Province of Canada and of the AMDL (Marist Association of the Laity): also nourishes the conviction that the Marist charism is " bread shared" by people of all ages and talents. The forum organized by the CAP team demonstrated this very clearly: many thanks for that.
