Pastoral Visit of Br. Óscar Martín to the Province of Brasil Sul-Amazônia
From November 18 to December 22, 2023, Brother Óscar Martín Vicario, General Councilor, made a canonical visitation of part of the Province of Brasil Sul-Amazônia, in the territory of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Amazon region will be visited in 2024. The purpose of the visit of the General Councilors to their regions of competence is to accompany the work done during the triennium and to have moments of formation and rapprochement with the brothers, collaborators and lay Marists on behalf of the General Government of the Marist Institute.
During his stay, Brother Óscar visited nine cities, passing through the mission institutions as well as the Brothers’ communities in those places. The program included formative moments for Brothers and collaborators; dialogues with Brothers and Provincial Councilors; participation in the Provincial Council and other government meetings; inauguration of the Chapel of the Good Mother at the Provincial House of Porto Alegre; animation of the Provincial retreat and participation in the first profession of two Brothers.
For Brother Óscar, the experience of visiting the Province was full of blessings and discoveries: “I felt like a brother among brothers and I am sincerely grateful for the fraternal welcome. It was truly an opportunity to discover a Province full of vitality, but also with important challenges,” he said. Among the highlights, the General Councilor underlines the Marist fraternal life and the generous commitment of the brothers and laity, as well as the commitment to carry out the mission in various educational and social areas. “Let us hope that the Province will have the courage Champagnat had to make decisions and continue to make real its two priorities, which are centered on Marist identity and the care of life in solidarity,” says Brother Óscar. The Provincial, Brother Deivis Fischer, reinforced the feeling of gratitude expressed by the General Councilor during the more than 30 days of living together: “It was a joy to receive the visit of Brother Óscar. It was a sign of unity with the Institute, of animation and of the closeness of the General Government to the Province. It was a fraternal and joyful presence that provokes us to be always very attentive to our life, vocation and mission, in fidelity to the foundational charism”, affirmed Brother Deivis