Marist youth laity in the Province of Brasil Centro-Sul

On March 18 and 19, in Curitiba, twelve young people took part in the meeting on Marist youth laity, which had as its objective the organization of the next steps of the movement in the Province Brasil Centro-Sul. It was the first face-to-face meeting of Marist youth in the Province since the beginning of the pandemic.

During the first day of the event, the young people were reminded about the essential foundations of the Marist laity and what inspires the journey of the groups, who continue together like the disciples of Emmaus, also inspired to be salt of the earth and light of the world.

The five essential elements of the Marist Youth Laity are:

• We are young (public)
• We live the Marist pillars (fraternity, spirituality and mission)
• Any path does not suit us (personal and community life project)
• We move (ongoing formation)
• We walk together (accompaniment)

João Fedel, responsible for lay activity in the Province, presented how the lay groups are organized in the América Sur region. Josmari Pauzer, Identity and Mission analyst of the Province, presented the space that young people can occupy in Marist life and mission. The participants also presented their local realities, virtues and difficulties.

During the meeting, the participants were able to have contact with young brothers and other lay people, in a rich sharing among all those who live the charism transmitted by Champagnat.

Reference Document of the Young Laity

One of the main goals of the meeting was to advance in the elaboration of the Reference Document for the Young Laity. The group worked on the elaboration of guidelines and orientations that will serve as a theoretical reference for the young laity, in order to facilitate the formation of new lay groups and the continuity of the already existing groups.

The document, which has been in preparation for some time, was taken for discussion and improvement during the event. Flavia Meireles Israel, one of the leaders of the meeting, emphasizes the value of the shared construction by young people. “The meeting was important in the process of writing the document to share, edit and engage the participants in the Marist Youth Laity groups.”

The Province’s youth expert, Diogo Galline, emphasizes the importance of the document produced by young people. “There is the desire that this proposal can reach the Marist youth, so that it can be a sign of welcome for those who intend to live the Marist charism in their respective life projects”, he affirms. After this stage, the material will be further refined and consulted with experts, with the future intention of being a reference and consultation document for young lay groups.