MIMA III: discerning priorities and proposing strategies for our Marist mission
From April 8 to 14, the III Marist International Mission Assembly will be held in El Escorial, Spain. Its motto is “We are Global Family”. Known as MIMA, abbreviation of the English title, this will be the third edition: the first was in 2007, in Mendes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the theme “One heart, one mission”; the second was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014, with the theme “New Marists on mission”.
As stated in Article 119.3 of the Constitutions of the Marist Brothers, the International Assembly serves as a platform for exchanging experiences, capturing the current social panorama, discerning priorities and proposing future directions and strategies for our Marist mission worldwide.
4 processes will characterize MIMA III
Br. JosĂ© Sánchez Bravo, Director of the Secretariat of Education and Evangelization, presented the III Assembly to all the Marists of Champagnat, through a video message. In his words, he emphasizes that the participants will be involved in four processes: see the reality through the reflections received from Administrative Units; search of the priorities within all the needs that children and young people live in today’s time; identification of the dreams we have for the mission; proposal of guidelines and strategies to the institute that can be lived in the following years. “All material will be delivered to the following General Chapter. And it will also be shared in each one of the Administrative Units and in each one of the regions of the Institute,” said Br. JosĂ©.
Spiritual dialogue methodology
In speaking about the methodology, Brother José mentioned that we will use the methodology that characterizes the journey of the Church today, used in the Synod of Bishops regarding synodality: spiritual dialogue. This methodology consists of four steps: listening with the mind and heart to what touches each of us personally; the reflection made is offered to others so that it can be heard; echoes the words we have heard; building together the horizon to which God calls us.
In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat
An important moment during MIMA III will be the launching of the document on the Marist educational mission, which in its second edition will have the same title in the 4 languages: “In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat. Marist Educational Mission “, a document that gathers the history, the present and projects us into the future in our mission. This event will be held on the last day, April 14. The document will now be available on the Institute’s website.
All the details of MIMA III will be available at the following link or on social media with the hashtag #MIMA_III