MARISTS TODAY, CHALLENGED TO COMMITMENT BY CHILDREN IN POVERTY

Br.Roque Ari Salet is the new Director of the General Administration community in Rome. Born in Cerro Largo, Brazil, he is 62 years old. He was Provincial of Santa Maria Province for l2 years, Provincial Treasurer for 10 years, and has been a delegate to four General Chapters.

Having participated in four Chapters, where do you think the Institute is headed today?
More and more the Institute is returning to its roots. The heart of Marcellin is beating more and more insistently in the hearts of Brothers and lay people, leading us to show ever greater care for children and young people in need.

For the Church and society, what value is there in being a consecrated Brother?
A Brother?s vocation testifies to the fact that fraternity and solidarity are truly possible and know no bounds; that the person and message of Jesus Christ should be at the very center of our lives; that it?s possible to be happy, here and now, living the Beatitudes. A Brother?s daring in mission is another important feature of his vocation.

What are the characteristics of Marist spirituality?
It?s Marian, i.e., a way of relating to God that is simple, filial and filled with trust. It?s apostolic, a spirituality marked by solidarity with the joys and sufferings of the people to whom we want to bring the fully-alive person of Jesus Christ.

Schools, other ministries…, what is our Marist mission today?
Schools, including universities, privileged media for educating, humanizing, and training in solidarity and evangelization, cannot be made into an absolute. To be faithful to Marcellin, we must pay special attention to caring for impoverished children and young people, with trained personnel and sufficient financial resources.

There have been startling revelations about the exploitation of children; what?s your reaction to this?
The exploitation of children in its most varied forms ? the sale and consumption of drugs, panhandling, child labor, sexual abuse ? makes my blood boil. Children are the favorites of Jesus and they are utterly vulnerable. In my personal and corporate actions and decisions, I try to pay special attention to them.

How would you explain what we refer to as our shared mission as Brothers and Lay People?
For me shared mission means that Brothers and Laity together know, love, and radiate in our lives the pedagogical principles and particular spirituality of Saint Marcellin, and that we permeate our mission with these values, giving preferential care to children and young people excluded by society. As we do this, we can learn a lot from one another.

There seems to be a resurgence of vocations in Brazil. How would explain this?
There really is an increase of Marist vocations in our country. I think this is due to several factors: prayer for vocations in families, parishes, and religious communities; well-organized vocation programs, staffed by a large number of qualified people; Christian families that provide an atmosphere favorable to vocations; active support and encouragement of vocations within families; a clear Marist identity and a deeply felt love for the Mother of Jesus.

(FMS MARIST ECHO 39, March 2002)

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