Party time for the General Administration
On February 20 all the Brothers of the General Council and the community in Rome along with the lay personnel of the House set time aside to celebrate the 58th birthday of Br Ernesto Sánchez, our Superior General, whose birthday is actually the 21st.
The celebration began with a Mass of Thanksgiving for his life and mission. This was held in the Champagnat Room. Then everyone moved to the dining room for lunch together.
During the Eucharist, four symbols related to the Superior General were presented: a photo of his family, the official photo of the General Council, the Strategic Plan of the General Administration, and a flowering plant as a symbol of life.
Br Ernesto thanked all present for making the special moment possible: “Many thanks to each of you. We decided to celebrate today when I could be here with you since I think that the feast of the Superior is, in a way, the feast of the community, of the whole house. That is how I think about it. I believe that a birthday is an occasion to thank God since life is a gift to be given to others and that is what I try to do. Tomorrow, I will be at a meeting with the Pope, focussed on others, children and young people. I will be there for 4 days and tomorrow I will be greeted by the Pope as he welcomes us. That will be a wonderful birthday gift.”
The Vicar General, Br Luis Carlos Gutiérrez, spoke on behalf of all present, “We are all happy to be here today for this celebration and to be together as a family, the family of those who live and work in this house, and we want to offer you all our love and affection for your birthday. You are the successor of Champagnat, our guide. You help us walk faithfully on our Marist journey and also lead our mission with its many expressions. It is a big responsibility and so this celebration is intended to encourage you in the responsibility you hold, to thank you for what you have already done and your hopes for the future… It is a privilege for us to be with you, to celebrate your birthday and we wish you all the best, in every sense of the word, in your service, in your life and in your mission in this year just starting and those to come.”