
Montagne Year
For five years now, some of the brothers of Habay-Arlon hold meetings with 5th grade students of our old school of Mouscron, the "Institute of the Marist Brothers," during their annual retreat.
Therefore, and for the occasion of the "Montagne Year," the school invited four brothers – Robert Thunus Yves Vanderplancke, Roberto Di Troia and Albert Andre – who "rose" from southern Belgium to this big town located in the north of the country, near the French border. Although the brothers already left the school 16 years ago, an outstanding "Champagnat spirit" continues to reign in this school. The school’s pastoral team supervised by David Mylle, teacher and permanent deacon, had prepared this event with great care and enthusiasm.
For two days – Thursday 5 and Friday, March 6 – we met with primary and secondary students in their classrooms. In this way, we were able to respond to questions from children and young people, who showed great interest.
Monseigneur Guy Harpigny, Bishop of Tournai, brought the encounter to an end with a Eucharistic celebration led by a choir that had been formed for the occasion. A hundred crosses, made by the elementary students themselves, were blessed during this occasion to have them later placed in all classrooms.
In the evening we returned home delighted and have thanks to the Lord, to Marcellin and to Mary, for this Marist dynamism, always present in a school where the brothers have sowed good seed for 110 years. All this is a good sign for new initiatives in Mouscron and other Marist schools in Belgium.
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Br Albert Andre