Meeting of the International Commission of Brothers Today in Manziana
The International Commission of Brothers Today (ICBT) met face-to-face for the first time, after almost three years, on July 11-13. Held in Manziana, the meeting was first and foremost a re-organization since new members have been appointed recently. Furthermore, it flowed from the meeting of the Marist Life Area which includes the ICBT, the Extended Secretariat of the Laity and CMI which took place on July 8-9 in the same venue.
The ICBT is composed of Br. Óscar Martín Vicario and Br. João Carlos do Prado (Link Councilors), Br. Lindley Sionosa and Br. Angel Medina (Secretariat of Brothers Today), Br. Juan Carlos Bolaños (Central America), Br. Ebel Muteveri (Southern Africa), Br. Anselmo Kim (District of Asia), Br. Alphonse Tiamaro (Madagascar, representing Marist International Center) and new members: Br. Antonio Leal (Compostela), Br. Matthew Green (Australia) and Br. Fabricio Alves (Brasil Centro Norte).
In order to build communion among themselves, a dynamic was utilized to allow the members to share about himself in a deeper way. This was followed by a review of the nature and identity of the commission, its function, its place in the animation of Marist life, etc.
The brothers then reflected and shared on the realities of Marist life today, according to each one´s perception, both in the local and institute levels. They looked at the joys (using the green card), worries (using the yellow card) and the urgent concerns (using the red card).
Br. Óscar presented the Strategic Plan of the General Administration, with specific focus on the areas for which the Brothers Today Secretariat and the ICBT are responsible. Afterwards, they looked at the Ongoing Formation Programs that are organized for this year and a brainstorming on possible programs to be offered in the next few years.
The Year of Marist Vocations was also in the agenda. The commission spent time in reflecting on and talking about vocations ministry and conceiving initiatives that each one can implement in his region. The theme of initial formation was treated alongside the process of the development of the new formation guide which began in 2020. For this the ICBT members were also invited to make their contributions.
Towards the end of the three-day meeting, the plan for the next meetings was laid on the table. Finally, an informal evaluation of was done, where each one was invited to mention what they think were the significant aspects of the meeting. The formal evaluation, on the other hand, was made electronically using an online platform.
