Marist Province of « Brasil Centro-Sul »
The Ist Forum on the Laity and Shared Life took place in Curitiba on 8 November with the participation of about thirty persons, laity and brothers. The two other Provinces of Marist Brasil were also represented as well as the sector of Consacrated Life and Laity of UMBRASIL. The meeting’s principal objective was to improve the Working Instrument Itineraries of deepening of the Marist charism for the laity. The document systematises the third stage of the formation process for the laity of the Marist Group, called Deepening.
During this stage, which is optional, the person, whether a collaborator or not, has the possibility of discovering and cultivating his Marist vocation with the aid of communitarian projects and experiences. Moreover, Deepening forsees the creation of spaces of shared life capable of reinforcing the common vocation of lay people and brothers. Due to a methodology which gave priority to group work and plenaries for discussion, the Forum underlined the importance of setting up programmes which encourage and facilitate the engagement of laity, based on the multiple ways of living the Marist charism.
The proposal also reinforced the role of the Sector of Consacrated Life and Laity of the Province, as the provincial organization responsible for the creation, connecting and animation of spaces for the development of the Marist vocation. One felt among the participants the desire to take up a challenge: to envisage community experiences and processes of personal accompaniment for those who wish to deepen their adhesion to the spirituality and mission inherited from Saint Marcellin Champagnat.
At the end of the meeting, the participants gave a very positive evaluation of the Forum ; it was an excellent occasion for cultivating life in common and debate, and for proposing new paths for living the Marist charism. The numerous contributions to improve the Working Instrument will serve now to draw up a new version, to be published in 2013.
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Benê Oliveira, fms