Meeting of the International Commission of Brothers Today
The International commission of Brothers Today met on the 29th of January to the 3rd of February in the General House. Members present were Brothers Ángel Medina and Lindley Sionosa (Secretariat of Brothers Today); Br. Dominador Santiago, Province of East Asia; Juan Carlos Bolaños, Province of América Central; Anselmo Kim, Marist District of Asia; Br. Ebel Muteveri, Province of Southern Africa) and Antonio Leal (Province of Compostela). Br João Carlos do Prado, Link Councilor, blessed the commission with his presence as well.
Since there is a new appointment within the commission, the meeting began with some self-introduction. Each brother introduced himself and shared something about his apostolate. Br. Dominador, the new member, is the current Rector of the Marist Asia Pacific Center in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, due to his appointment as Provincial of Madagascar, Brother Tiamaro Alphonse is no longer a member of the commission. Br Juan Carlos will soon take up his role as Provincial of Central America; therefore, this was to be his last participation. The Secretariat of Brothers Today expressed its gratitude to the service rendered to the commission by Brothers Juan Carlos and Tiamaro.
The brothers talked about some significant events that had happened since their last gathering as well as the realities, hopes and challenges they are facing in their regions. Every member of the commission shared, learned about, comprehended, and felt empathy for the circumstances in every region, especially in formation. One of the challenges mentioned was the shortage of formators in certain regions, while on the other hand, some formators are not as active and passionate. Furthermore, one of the significant items shared is the hope to see the communities serving as houses of formation, where newly professed Brothers can live with senior Brothers and learn from them.
A substantial amount of the commission’s time was spent studying the draft document on formation for the Marists of Champagnat. A chapter-by-chapter analysis and reflection was done on the document. The suggestions and recommendations will then be sent to the Formation Guide Commission.
The commission concluded their meeting by talking about the future of the International Commission of Brothers Today. The members reflected on and shared the positive aspects and the challenges/frustrations faced by members as individuals as well as a commission. Suggestions on how to improve the way the commission functions were discussed, and the secretariat took note of the main points raised.