JULY: INTENSIVE MONTH FOR BRAZIL MARISTS
Brother Seán Sammon inaugurates new Administrative Units

Two new Provinces (Rio Grande do Sul and South-Central Brazil), the new District of Amazonia, the Interprovincial Assembly of Brasil Norte and Rio de Janeiro, together with the 2nd National Marist Education Congress: events which indicate a very intense July for the Marists of Brazil. Brothers Seán Sammon and Luis García Sobrado took part in several of these happenings, accompanied by some Councillors General.

New Province of Rio Grande do Sul
Brother Roque Ari Salet took over as Provincial of the new Province in Porto Alegre on the 21st of July. This Province combines the previous Provinces of Porto Alegre and Santa Maria. Brothers Seán Sammon (Superior General) and Antonio Ramalho (Councillor General) took part in this occasion. Presiding at the Eucharist was the Archbishop of Porto Alegre, with the Bishop of Santa Maria as concelebrant. A fraternal meal brought together many Brothers, formandi, laypeople and friends of thee Marist Family. The Provincial Chapter took place in the city of Santa Maria from July 22 to 25. Members of the new council are: Brothers Lauro Hochscheidt, Acadio Heck, Solimar dos Santos Amaro, Gilberto Zimmermann Costa, Dionisio R. Rodrígues, Pedro Ost and Firmino C. Biazus.

New Province of South-Central Brazil (Brasil Centro Sul)
Brother Tercílio Sevegnani takes over as the new Provincial of this Province from the 22nd of July. It combines the old Provinces of São Paulo and Santa Catarina. The formal inauguration was presided over by Brother Seán Sammon accompanied by Brother Antonio Ramalho. The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Cutiriba was the venue for this event which was followed by a Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Curitiba, and a fraternal meal attended by many Brothers, formandi, and lay co-workers. Members of the new Provincial Council are: Brothers Afonso Levis, Clemente Ivo Juliatto, Dario Bortolini, Délcio Afonso Balestrin, João Carlos do Prado, Lino Alfonso Jungbluth, Luis Adriano Ribeiro and Renato Guisleni.

New District of Amazonia
This new District, made up of 35 Brothers and juridically attached to the Province of Rio Grande do Sul, began its existence from July 28 when Brother Joao Gutemberg M. C. Sampaio took over as Superior. It comprises missionary communities of Western Amazonas estblished by the various Brazilian Provinces in the states of Amazonas, Rondônia and Acre. The inauguration was preceded by the annual retreat animated by Brother Claudino Falchetto and followed by the First District Chapter in the presence of the Provincial, Brother Roque Ari Salet.

Rio de Janeiro and Northern Brazil (Brasil Norte) hold an Interprovincial Assembly.
Some one hundred and thirty Brothers from both Provinces, engaged in the process of restructuring into one Province (by December 2003), met together from the 19th to the 23rd of July in Apipucos (city of Recife) in what has been since 1911 the Provincial House of Brasil Norte. The motto of this first common assembly??brotherhood without borders??encouraged the participants to mutually accept one another in the richness of their differences.
Brother Luis García Sobrado, Vicar General, placed the challenge of restructuring in the context of refounding religious life in north-central Brazil. The twelve criteria which emerged were enriched by the reflection of the participants. During the course of these days information about the history of each Province was exchanged and the different styles of life and mission current in each Province were shared. Brother Pedro Herreros, Councillor General, also participated in the Assembly.
The Brothers Provincial: Afonso Murad and José Artur Cardoso, and their Councillors, continue the pursuit of restructuring along with their Brothers.

2nd National Marist Education Conference ? Olinda, Pernambuco ? 15th to 18th July
More than 2000 people rendezvoused in the Olinda Convention Centre as participants in the 2nd National Marist Education Conference in commemoration of the first centenary of the Brothers in Brazil?s north and north-east. Large conferences, themed conferences, and exchanges of experience constituted the pedagogical aspect, centering on ?knowledge in favour of life?, very much in harmony with the lines of the last General Chapter. The cultural programme was filled with events of great quality and beauty. The more than 130 Brothers attending were invited to prayer and supper in the Provincial residence of Apipucos by the Province of Brasil Norte which was hosting the event. The Congress lalso emphasized solidarity and social education.

GENERAL COUNCIL BULLETIN ? DECISIONS
1.- Nomination of Brother Juan Miguel Anaya Torres, Province of Bética, as Procurator General accredited to the Holy See for a first triennium starting 1st of October 2002.
2.- Nomination of Brother Dominic Paul Pujia, Province of Poughkeepsie, as Director of BIS (Bureau of International Solidarity) for a first triennium.
3.- Brother Superior General, with the consent of his Council, approves the introduction of the cause of Caononization of Brother Basilio Rueda, 9th Superior General of the Institute.
4.- Nomination of Brother Ernesto Sánchez Barba, Province of Western Mexico, as executive secretary of the Commissions of Religious Life and Vocations, for a first triennium, starting 12th of September, 2002.
5.- Nomination of Brother Miguel Ángel Sancha Montes, Province of Madrid, as translation-secretary for Spanish, for a first triennium, beginning September, 2002.
6.- Nomination of Brother Guy Palandre, Province of Beaucamps-St. Genis, as executive secretary of the Commission on the Evangelical Use of Material Goods, for one triennium, starting September, 2002..
7.- Nomination of Brother Juan Arconada Polvorosa, Province of Central America, as Administrator of the General House, Rome, for a first triennium, starting September 2002.

OPENINGS IN THE NEAR FUTURE ? NEW MARIST PRESENCES
Three new communities will be created from next September:
1.- Dessau, Germany.
Composed of five Brothers involved in local Church and city activities, such as an ecumenical biblical project, school ministry, working towards a youth project, prison visits, support of post-school students with learning difficulties.
2. Habay-la-Vieille, Belgium.
This community will devote itself to spiritual discerrnment, and will be composed of four Brothers. It will also give attention to the relations between Brothers and lay partners according to the thought of the last General Chapter.
Both these communities belong to the Province of East-Central-Europe.
3.- Rubí, Spain.
This community, composed of three Brothers, will dedicate itself as a house of welcome for at-risk youth who, having been legally released from the custody of public administration structures, are looking for support in deciding their future.
This community belongs to the Province of Cataluña.

OFFICE OF THE ECONOME GENERAL ? TWO MEETINGS OF INTEREST
1.- Brother Yvon Bédard, Econome General, met with the Provincial Bursars of Spain, Italy and Portugal in Carcavelos (Portugal) from the 19th to the 21st of June. The objective of this meeting was to clarify the various financial decisions approved by the last General Chapter.
Also participating was Brother Antonio Martínez, who will take up the position of Econome General in January 2003.
2.- Brother Yvon Bédard continued his meetings in Harare, Zimbabwe, from the 25th to the 27th of July with the Provincial Bursars of Southern Africa and Nigeria, to whom were added the Sector Bursars of Southern Africa. The topics treated ranged over stable patrimony, internal audit and the new statutes of Constitutions, Chapter 10.

PUBLICATIONS ? BOOKS RECENTLY APPEARING
1.- Just arriving in the communities is the official publication of the Acts of the XXth General Chapter which includes all the documents relevant to this important Marist happening..
2.- ?Religious Life in America: A New Day Dawning? is the new book in English by Brother Seán Sammon, published by Alba House belonging to the Society of Saint Paul. A new and hopeful viewpoint on religious life in the USA.
3.- ?Convergences? collects the letters exchanged between Brothers Basilio Rueda and Henri Vergés, beginning in 1971. Texts collated by Br. Alain Delorme and presented by Br. Seán Sammon.
4.- The Spanish-Portuguese language network of Marist Apostolic Spirituality has published a book: Your Heart in Every Thing. Texts selected by Brothers Mariano Varona and Vanderlei Soela. Destinado a hermanos y laicos.

IN BRIEF
– The humanitarian Association: ?Let Nobody Touch Cain? presented its 2002 Report in Rome on the death penalty in today?s world. The number of countries which apply the death penalty is diminishing, but the number of executions is increasing. There were at least 4700 executions in the year 2001 , of which 3500 occurred in China, which is followed by Iran, Irak and Kenya.
– The United Nations reports that the AIDS epidemic will expand and kill some 68 million people in the next 20 years. Of the 40 million currently infected, only 730,000 are receiving treatment. Scientists say that without resources, the epidemic will continue growing.

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