In Mar del Plata, Argentina
TWO FIRST PROFESSIONS
December 27 to January 2, 64 brothers from the Provinces of Córdoba and Río de la Plata took part in an interprovincial retreat, lead by Brothers Antonio Ramalho from the General Council and Antonio Peralta, Vice Provincial of Santa María de los Andes. The core topic for reflection was the 1st call of our 20th General Chapter, ?Centered on Jesus Christ.? The retreat ended with a celebration to mark the Foundation of the Institute, and with the First Profession of vows by two brothers from the Province. of Río de la Plata, Juan Pablo Massaro and Javier Sandoval, having just completed their studies at the interprovincial novitiate in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Province of China
NEW PROVINCIAL COUNCIL
The 12th Provincial Chapter of our China Province took place in Petaling Jaya, Malasia from December 13-16. Brothers Peter Rodney and Emili Turú also attended as representatives of the General Council.
The eleven delegates, representing the 36 members of the Province, decided that the priority for the Province in the next three years would to focus on ?shared mission with the laity in youth ministry,? while at the same time emphasizing the importance of ?revitalizing community life? and ?promoting vocations and formation.?
Brother Thomas Chin, Provincial, will rely on the assistance of his new council elected by the Chapter delegates: Joachim Heng, Robert Teoh, Anthony Cheng, and John Chong

Spirit of friendship on display
III NATIONAL ENCOUNTER OF MARIST YOUNG PEOPLE IN BRAZIL
400 Marist students involved in youth groups and social services, plus 60 brothers, and several lay moderators for vocation ministry coming from all of Brazil?s Marist Provinces assembled in Natal January 12-27. The gathering coincided with celebrations commemorating the hundredth anniversary of the Province of Brazil Norte. The theme of the meeting centered on revelation: revealing the face of God, of the environment, and of solidarity. The impressive cultural stamp found in the educational system of the Province of Brazil Norte was clearly evident in the music, theater, and warm coming together at our Marist secondary school in Natal.

Doyen of the Institute dies
BROTHER CONSTANT ARANDEL
Brother Constant Arandel of the Province of Notre Dame de l?Hermitage in France passed away on January 14th. He was 102 years old and had been a Brother for 85 years. Funeral services were held on January 16th in the chapel at Varennes.
The new dean of the Congregation is Brother Jesús Sánchez Cobian (José Leandro). Jesús was born on October 15, 1904 and belongs to the Province of Western Mexico.

?Presence mariste? magazine
HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY 1903-2003
The January-April 2003 edition of ?Presence Mariste?, Number 234, published by our Brothers in France, has a very interesting article on the historical consequences of the French government?s decision to expel religious from the country in 1903. The article provides the key for understanding the spread of the Marist Congregation around the world.

Greece: 2nd Catholic School Congress
HOW DO YOU PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL IN A MARKET-ORIENTED ENVIRONMENT?
The 2nd Congress of Catholic Schools has met in the Diván Apollon-Pallas hotel in Athens to discuss the topic ?How to evangelize through education in a market-oriented economy??
More than 550 teachers from 14 Catholic schools run by religious orders, including 200 from our Marist schools in Greece.
Etienne Verhack, Secretary General of the CEEC, an internationally renowned scholar in this field, gave the keynote address.

Joining hands in solidarity
OUR MARIST WORK IN ANGOLA
The aim of our Marist mission in Angola is to alleviate the devastating effects of the long civil war that pitted the government against the UNITA rebels and devastated the country. At the present time, the Province of Rio Grande do Sul has five brothers working in Luanda. During this summer break, two brothers and two lay people from that Province are giving a training course to 70 teachers in Kwito-Bié on interpersonal relations, educational development and our Marist educational mission.

Former General Councilor dies
BROTHER ROLAND BOURASSA
Br. Joseph-Roland Bourassa passed away at the age of 91 on January 22 in Iberville, Canada. He had been a brother for 74 years. He was a brilliant student, superb teacher, conscientious and learned, a joyful, down-to-earth Brother, blessed with a can-do spirit.
For years he taught in a Teachers? College: French, Latin, Greek, Philosophy and Pedagogy. He served as assistant principal at the Champagnat school in Montreal, national director of the Association of Marist Friends, Vice Provincial, Provincial from 1965 to 1967, Secretary for the General Chapter in Rome in 1967, where he was elected to the General Council. Returning to Canada in 1976, he became director of the St-Antoine Bookstore in St-Hyacinthe. In 1982, he was appointed head of the community at Pavillon St-Joseph in Laval and worked as a master bookbinder. At the Provincial house since 1989, he belonged to the Champagnat print shop team with responsibility for the Marist Bulletin.

Athens Academy
MARIST BROTHER HONORED
During a solemn ceremony on December 27th, in the presence of men and women from the academic and political world, The Academy of Athens honored, among others, Marist Brother Chrysologos, (Nicholas Valaris).
It was the first time that a Catholic religious has been awarded this recognition for social service. In choosing Brother Chrysologos, the Greek government has officially recognized the work of the Marist Brothers on the educational, social and philanthropic levels. Once more, our Founder?s desire to ?form virtuous Christians and good citizens? has been well and truly realized.

NEWS IN BRIEF
– Brother Desmond Howard, Director of the spiritual renewal program in Manziana, is now recovering from operations on both his knees. Brothers Sunanda Alwis and George Fontana have taken the reins for the course while Des is recuperating.
– On January 22nd at the Chapel in San Leone Magno High School in Rome, the burial site of Venerable Brother Alfano, a prayer service was held to commemorate his anniversary and that of Venerable Brother François. Many Brothers from the General House attended as guests of the school community.
– ?Reflexões PUCRS? is a magazine published by our Marist Pontifical University in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It strives to bring together and disseminate a broad spectrum of information related to Marist values, especially in the field of education.
– On January 22nd, the Pope named Dom Augusto Zini Filho, a former student of the Marist Brothers in Poços de Caldas, as Bishop of Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil. He was a postulant in Mendes, and is a great friend of the Brothers.
– The third annual Day of Consecrated Life will be celebrated on February 2nd.

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