Nigeria’s lay Marist reflected on the International Forum for the Lay Marist Vocation
Twenty Lay Marist and eleven Marist Brothers that comprised the Coordinators of Lay Marist in their various Fraternities of Nigeria met on 24th February 2022 in Marist Formation Centre, Orlu. The purpose of the meeting was to continue the reflection of the ongoing process of the International Forum on the Lay Marist Vocation.
The Provincial Superior, Br. Vincent Abadom who was represented by the Provincial Secretary, Br. Nnodu Onwutalu, in his opening remarks admonished Brothers and Lay on Marist Life, Spirit and Charism. He urged everybody to live the life of St. Marcellin Champagnat anytime and anywhere. He reiterated that the life is not for the Marist Brothers alone. He emphasized that we should see the life sharing as a gift from God to the Church. Br. Nnodu reminded that the Lay Marist Vocation is not a pious society rather should see it as a Vocation with commitment. He made it clear that the Province is highly interested on the Lay Marist Vocation.
During the meeting, the Brother Coordinators from various Fraternities gave a comprehensive report of the program of activities and how they are animating Lay Marist in their various centres/fraternities. All the Brother coordinators that spoke highlighted the importance of Lay Marist and testified the need to embrace the Lay Marist vocation with holiness, starting from family level to societal level. They equally emphasized on developing the Marist Mission from the grassroots and requested everyone to continue to show willingness to carry out the Marist Mission through living our Spirituality, teaching of Catechism to young ones who receive the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Confirmation which the Lay Marist are doing now.
The Provincial Chairman of the Lay Marist, Mr. Rufus Ozoh, commended the Brothers for the important role they play in encouraging Lay Marist Vocation. And for her part, Miss Julie Agbazuo, lay Marist, presented a comprehensive report of the Lay Marist Mission both in the schools/Fraternities down to the Provincial levels to the group.
The Provincial Coordinator and Animator of the Lay Marist, Br. Iwu Elias Odinaka, thanked everyone and gave in details about the International Forum for the Lay Marist vocation. He intimated the group about the Motto of the Forum which comprised “Welcoming, Nurturing, Living, and Sharing our Vocation”, and reiterated that the International Forum for the Lay Marist Vocation will be a process of dialogue and discernment to which all Administrative Units are invited and which will run over four years.
After the presentation by the Provincial Coordinator and Animator of the Lay Marist, the questions expressed in four objectives were distributed to sixteen Fraternities for further discussion, dialogue, sharing and discernment. The group will reconvene again from 1st to 3rd April, 2022 at the same venue (Marist Formation Centre, Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria) to summarize all the views of the Lay Marist from different Fraternities and come up with unified and definitive answers.