Meeting of the General Council with the Youth of Brazil and Cono Sur ? 1
In the city of Luján, next to the sanctuary of the Patroness of Argentina, a meeting was held of young people from Brazil and Cono Sur with Brother Seán Sammon, Superior General and his Council. This meeting is happening prior to the extended General Council meeting that will bring together the General Council with the Provincial Councils of both Marist regions. The Marist regions are functioning groups of provinces whose countries have similar characteristics that permit them to apply principles of common governing.
On this occasion, Brother Seán and his Council have set out to listen to the young people from the region of Cono Sur, made up of the Provinces of Cruz del Sur, Santa María de los Andes and the District of Paraguay as well as the region of Brazil consisting of the three Brazilian Provinces and the District of Amazonia, with the idea of reflecting and sharing on the reality of young people in these regions of the Marist world and their Christian commitment in face of the challenges that they find in their own countries as well as on the Marist vocation of brothers and laity who share the same mission. To accomplish this they have brought together some fifty young people from the ages of 18 to 30 to live with them from the 20th to the 24th of October 2008. The meeting is coordinated and run by the Vocation Bureau of the General Council with the help of the vocation directors of each province.
On the 20th the participants arrived at the Marist house Luján, coming from their respective countries using air or bus transportation. Brother Alberto Aparicio, from the Province of Cruz del Sur, assisted by a team of brothers and lay people, organized the welcoming of the visitors. On the 21st they got to know some of the Marist works in Buenos Aires and the most significant ones in the city. The Colegio Champagnat, in the center of the city, and the Marcellin Champagnat Community Project, in the outlying district, were the places that welcomed the visitors. At the first place, Brother Magdaleno, its director, welcomed the young people and their companions showing them the various aspects of the Colegio. At the community project were Brothers Jorge Dittler and Joaquín Zamponi who, assisted by some of their colleagues, explained to the young people the social action that develops through the health center, the workshops, the chapel, the dining rooms for the youth of the barrio, etc.
The Plaza de Mayo, the Casa rosada, the Cabildo, the cathedral and the facilities of the Boca completed the program of visits to the city. Rain was an inseparable companion during half of the day.
From the first moment, these young people coming from such different countries knew how to create an atmosphere of cordiality, happiness and simplicity. Music is a common language that unites. The Marist charism helps to overcome the difficulties of language or culture. The welcome from the brothers and lay people of Argentina, attentive to the smallest detail, facilitated from the first moment a ?family? meeting. In the next few days we?ll offer a chronicle of what is happening in Luján.