New Marist community in Cuba
On Sunday September 23, Mons. Emilio Aranguren, bishop of the diocese of Holguín, Cuba, visited the General House. It will be in his diocese that the new community of Lavalla200>, will be opened in the Region Norte Arco, consisting of Brothers Jorge Gaio and Dionesio (Jong) Acosta, and the married couple of lay Marists, Ricardo Miño and Silvia Pérez.
The Brothers of the General House and the Brothers of the "Dawn" programme, together with the Superior General, shared the Eucharist and lunch with Mons. Emilio. Brother Jorge Gaio was also present representing the community of Lavalla200>.
Everyone was impressed by the simplicity of Mons. Emilio, as well as his passion for the mission and his vision for the future. During the homily, he spoke from the heart. He began by thanking the Brothers for all that he had received during his formation as a Marist primary pupil , referring as much to his religious values as to his academic formation. He pointed out that, during his time in prison as a young man, this sustained him and gave him strength, praying to Mary with the "Bendita sea tu pureza" and other prayers that he learned as a boy with the Marists.
Mons. Emilio is at this time the president of the Conference of Bishops of Cuba and he says that, of the twelve current bishops, three of them are Maristpast pupils.
Mons. Emilio played a key role in bringing back the Brothers to Cuba in 2001. He mentioned that at the moment there is a community in Cienfuegos and another in la Habana and that there is a Marist presence in the diocese of Holguín, for which he is very happy and thankful.
At the close of the celebration, Brother Ernesto Sánchez, our Superior General, thanked D. Emilio for his presence and for his great support of the Marists in that country. He gave him as a souvenir of this visit an Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, embroidered on cloth. After the Salve Regina, D. Emilio approached and kissed the statue of our Good Mother with great devotion, having commented how happy he was when celebrating the Eucharist for the first time at the same altar as that used by St. Marcellin, next to the original statue of the Good Mother that belonged to Champagnat.
During lunch, which was celebrated with great Marist spirit, there were no shortages of Marist anecdotes of the time when D. Emilio was a Marist student and in his recent meetings with fellow past pupils.
The occasion served as an opportunity to discuss a number of details with regard to the new foundation. It showed a great openness to dialogue, to sharing with the laypeople and an offer was made of resources, so that the new community could have a period of discernment to contribute in the mission of the Church based on our Marist charism.
Mons. Emilio invited the Marists of Champagnat to act together, to be an innovative sign of the Kingdom of God and to present the Marian face which is characteristic of the Marist vocation.