On the way to a new land

For the third consecutive year, the five European delegates of the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family came together, from 13 to 17 November, at Alcalá de Henares in the Provincial House of the Iberica Province, near Madrid.

Ana Sarrate – Iberica (Secretary)
Annie Girka – L?Hermitage
Carmina Romo – Compostela
Alejandro Martínez – Mediterranea (Co-ordinator)
Frank Aumeier – Central West Europe
Brother Pau Fornells – Director of the Bureau of the Laity (Assessor)
Brother Teófilo Minga – Translator

After a sharing of personal life in the Marist world since our last meeting, we evaluated the situation of the Champagnat Movement in the five provinces. Thus we had a complete enough vision to allow us to ascertain the strengths of the Movement as well as its evolution, but also its weaknesses and the challenges to be faced. We can say that the movement is a Marist lay reality well consolidated and growing.

Once the evaluation was achieved, we came to agreement on the following objectives:

– Reinforce communication and Communion between the provinces by opening up the records of each fraternity, by exchanging different items of news, magazines, subjects for reflection ?.
Be in contact with the other groups of lay Marists.

– Organise the European Assembly of the Movement which will be held at Guardamar de Alicante (Spain) from 4 to 8 August 2010. This Assembly takes place every 4 years; the last one was held in August 2006.

The specific objectives:

– Stimulate the communion and articulation of the European CHMMF.
– Become aware of the new realities born in the Movement during the last four years.
– Find new ways of « revitalisation » of the Fraternities to respond to the Call of God.

Our motto: « On the way to a new land »

In reflecting on our journey, we suggest the following points for the years to come:

– The year 2010 is rich in documents to be assimilated: those of the General Chapter, then those of the Provincial Chapters, the reflections for our Assembly in August, and we think of the first chapter of the document « Around the same table », the content of which recalls the message of the General Chapter.

– Wait until the end of 2010 to study the other chapters of « Around the same table ».

– 2013- 2014 to plan for a deeper reflection on our identity as a Movement and, perhaps, a revision of the Life Project.

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Mme. Annie Girka