MIMA, Friday: dreams, guidelines and strategies for mission
Photos | Video on priorities: Marisa Temporão | Diogo Galline | Video of the day | Other info
The Region of Europe led the opening prayer at El Escorial on 12th April, the fifth day of the Marist International Mission Assembly, in memory of St Marcellin Champagnat, who, when facing up to reality, looked beyond it … The day was devoted to refining priorities and establishing dreams, guidelines and strategies for the future of Marist mission.
Six priorities had been defined on the previous day. These can be described simply as follows: (1) education that evangelises ; (2) the rights of children, adolescents, young people and women; (3) Marist spirituality; (4) the active participation of children, adolescents and young people; (5) caring for family relationships; (6) caring for our Common Home. These priorities will be included in the final document, together with orientations and strategies. The document will be accompanied by a message to all Marists in Champagnat and the participants will determine the best way to disseminate the results in their respective regions. The first part of the morning was devoted to dialogue on the chosen themes, trying to define them more clearly.
The next stage was devoted to dreams. Marcelo de Moraes, who is helping to facilitate the proceedings, emphasised that participants have to imagine “elucidating dreams”, i.e. not just any dreams, but dreams related to the chosen priorities. The preparatory commission has read the reports sent by the Administrative Units and identified 63 dreams. It was up to each of the 11 groups, through personal meditation and conversation, to identify those that relate to the priorities and to select three priority dreams to respond to the prioritised challenges.
The afternoon was devoted to the task of suggesting guidelines and strategies that could be pursued at the level of the Institute to address the priorities validated by the Assembly. The starting point of this exercise was the synthesis produced from the input received from the provinces. Following the same path, individually, in groups and in plenary session, the participants were invited to revisit the work done on our current reality and dreams and to indicate ways to bring these to fruition. The various suggestions were collected and the discernment process will continue on Saturday.
The work ended with evening prayer, which was led by the Europe Region. After dinner, there was a cultural evening, with presentations by the Administrative Units of America and Asia.
Participants
119 people, delegates from the Administrative Units, members of the General Administration, representatives of networks, of Regions and other invited people, were called to take part in the III Mima. They are people committed to Marist life and mission, capable of sharing the process lived in El Escorial locally. Here you have the complete list.
