MIMA, Thursday: discerning priorities for mission
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At El Escorial, the participants in the III Marist International Mission Assembly began Thursday in prayer, giving thanks for the journey of the Marist mission, placing the work of the day in God’s hands.
After a time of meditation, Brothers Ben Consigli, General Councillor, and Jorge Gaio, Bursar General, motivated the work of the assembly by speaking about the path of vitality and viability of the Marist mission for sustainability, emphasising the situations in the Institute that need to be kept in mind. The Brothers began by asking the Assembly, What do we mean by vitality and viability for generating sustainability? And they highlighted the scope of each of them.
Vitality:
- Refers to the energy, passion, and dynamism that drive Marist organizations and individuals to live out their charism and mission with enthusiasm and purpose.
- Encompasses the vibrancy and life-giving spirit that infuses all aspects of Marist life, including education, pastoral care, and community living.
- Ensures that the Marist mission remains relevant, engaging, and responsive to the needs of the times, inspiring others to join in the mission and carry it forward with zeal.
Viability:
- Relates to the capacity of Marist organizations to thrive and flourish in the long term.
- Involves sound financial management, effective governance structures, and strategic planning processes that enable adaptation, growth and sustainability over time.
- Ensures that Marist ministries are able to fulfill their mission and serve the needs of their communities while remaining faithful to Marist values and principles.
Sustainability:
- Emphasizes the stewardship of resources and the responsible care of the environment, as well as the social and economic well-being of individuals and communities.
- Involves fostering practices that promote justice, solidarity, and the common good, ensuring that the benefits of Marist mission reach both present and future generations.
- Ensures that the impact of Marist ministries is lasting and transformative, contributing to the building of a more just and compassionate world in line with Marist values and spirituality.
They then indicated some challenges to sustainability, which in summary are: globalisation, external influences (economic downturns, political instability, natural disasters and pandemics), social changes (poverty, inequality, migration, environmental degradation and social justice), technological advances, and lack of discernment. They also pointed to other trends affecting sustainability: mission drift, developments in the educational landscape, demographic changes, economic and financial constraints, governance and leadership transitions.
Brothers Ben and Jorge called attention to resistance to change, by sticking to old organisational practices that do not help the mission. They concluded by stating that “addressing these challenges requires strategic planning, collaboration, and a commitment to Marist values and principles, as well as flexibility, adaptability, and innovation in responding to evolving needs and circumstances.”
Following this reflection, the group summarised the indications of the pre-assembly phase and each of the tables was given the task of selecting 3 priorities that should be taken up by the Institute as a whole.
The set of 33 priorities selected was the starting point for the afternoon’s work, the aim of which was to choose the 5 priorities on which the Institute will work in the coming years. Finally, through Conversations in the Spirit, the priorities were chosen and will be published in the final message of the Assembly, after being properly crafted.
The Eucharistic celebration crowned the day’s work.
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