Bicentenary of the birth of St Peter Chanel (1803-1841)
On April 28th, the Marist Fathers Generalate celebrated the liturgical feast of St Peter Chanel, the bicentenary of whose birth in Cuest, France, on 12 July 1803, takes place this year. A Marist Father, he was a contemporary of St Marcellin. He was martyred on the island of Futuna in Polynesia because he had converted the son of the King. He is now the patron saint of Polynesia. A group of Brothers, headed by Br Sean Sammon joined in the celebration of the Eucharist and the festive meal after it.

Birth of a new Province ? the PROVINCE OF EAST CENTRAL AFRICA.
Br Sean presided over the opening of the first Provincial Chapter in the Province of East Central Africa, which was held towards the end of April in Nairobi. The Province takes in Congo, Rwanda, Centralafrican Republic, Kenya, and Tanzania. There are 97 Brothers, 67 of whom are African. The new Provincial is Br Eugene Kabanguka. The Chapter adopted three priorities: community life, the pastoral of vocations and perseverance and unity.

General Council
APPOINTMENTS
1. Br Onorino Rota, at the moment Provincial of Italy, has been appointed Superior of the General Administration community for a period of three years. His appointment takes effect once he has completed his present duties, at the start of the next course, when he will replace Br Mariano Medina. He was a member of the team which prepared the canonization, and has been President of the European Provincials? Conference, and was a member of the General Chapter.
2. Br Gilles Beauregard of the Canadian Province, has been appointed as French secretary/translator. At the end of August he will take over from Br Lucien Labelle. He has worked for many years in Africa, and at the moment, is taking part in the course on formation in Manzana, Italy.
3. Brs Clemente Juliatto (Brasil Centro-Sul), Alberto Oribe (Norte, Spain), and Ronnie McEwan (Central West Europe) have been appointed to a team to evaluate the running of the Generalate and of the Marcellin Association, which looks after Villa EUR. They will be there from 4th to 10th June, and this will bring to an end of the process of the evaluation of the services of the Generalate which began last year.

In spite of the war and the fighting
LIBERIA HAS NOT LOST HOPE

From time to time Br José Marìa Ferre writes to us about the Marist presence in Liberia. The beginning of this month saw a press release headed ?Joint Declaration of the Catholic Religious Congregations for men and women, in the Archdiocese of Monrovia.? This was signed by eleven congregations, and condemned the conditions in which the people of Liberia are living at present. The political instability in the country and the war that is continuing make the wished-for return to normality impossible

New Provincial Councils
1. WEST CENTRAL EUROPE
The second Provincial Chapter was held during Easter week in Goot-Bijaarden, on the outskirts of Brussels. A new model for the structure of the Province had been drawn up by fourteen previous meetings. The priorities had been set as: centring our lives on Jesus Christ, our presence in the world of today, and Brothers and laity working together.
The new Provincial Council, which will work with Br Jacques Scholte, is: Br John Hyland (viceprovincial), Br Maurice Taildeman (Provincial bursar), Br Winfried Schreieck, and Br Gerard de Haan. Br Peter Rodney, CG, represented the General Council at the Chapter.

2. PROVINCE OF THE PHILIPPINES
The Provincial Chapter was held during Holy Week, and the new Provincial, Br Manuel V. de Leon, installed, together with his Council Brs John Y. Tan, Rene A. Reyes, Caesar C. Fernandez, and Rustico S. Lumbo.

Belo Horizonte Juniorate, Brazil
CENTENARY OF MINAS GERAIS
April saw the celebration of a hundred years since the start of the Juniorate in Belo Horizonte, well marked by the Brothers of the Province of Brasil Norte, which also has its centenary at this time. At the moment there are nine student Brothers. Joining in the feast were Br Antonio Ramalho, of the General Council, and Br Ernesto Sanchez. This centenary is a call to us to give thanks for the legacy we have received and a call for a creative fidelity to the charisma of St Marcellin.

Translation of Book by Br Sean Sammon
AN UNDIVIDED HEART
Claretian Publications have just published the Spanish translation of Br Sean Sammon?s ?An Undivided Heart. Making sense of Celibate Chastity, originally published in English in the USA. The translation of the 157 pages of the book is the work of Br Carlos Martin Hinojar.

NEWS IN BRIEF
– From June next, the future province of Iberia (Madrid Norte) will take over the Marist work in Rumania.
– Argelia. During the period of adaptation, the work of discerning where and how our Marist word should be. At the moment, the choice is the diocese of Oran, unless some other decision is come to.
– Asia has been especially hit by SARS, necessitating serious steps to be taken, including indefinite suspension of classes, as has happened in Hong Kong and Singapore, in both of which we have Brothers working.

– The four Congregations which make up the Marist Family have a joint website in France ? the address is www.maristes-france.org
– St Joseph?s School at St Genis Laval this year marks the 150th anniversary of its foundation by three Brothers sent by Br François.
– ?Hearts on Fire Vocations Congress? will be celebrated from 16th-18th October 2003 in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, see www.catholicvocation.org/au/heartsonfire
– Chad: Br Pedro Huidobro has been nominated by the Bishop of the Diocese as Diocesan Administrator.
– America Central: The St Joseph Scholaticate, Guatemala, has moved to a new house with the object of bettering community relations, along with insertion and integration in the life of the parish.
– Province of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil At the end of April 27 Brothers, aged 21 to 31 years of age, from the Province of Rio Grande do Sul, took part in a meeting to exchange their experiences and to revitalize their religious and personal life. Br Antonio Ramalho joined them for the meeting.
-« The Marist District of Bolivia », a book of 167 pages written by Br José Delgado García, tells the story of our presence in that country from its foundation to the present.
– SED (Solidarity, Education and Dévelopment) is an ONG (a Non Government Work) promoted by the Marists in Spain. The campaign being run at the moment has as its theme: ?Recognize me – I am a woman, and I am from the South.?
-At the end of April, a total of 80 teaching coordinators and counsellors met in Santa Maria, Brazil, to discuss the learning strategies and ethos in our schools. At the same time, those in charge of communications had their own meeting.
– The BIS has sent out to various superiors in the Congregation and to other interested persons copies of their ?Info Projects BIS? nos.02-03.03
– The Italian Episcopal Conference renewed the National Council of Catholic Schools. Br. Onorino ROTA, presently Provincial of Italy, is among its members..
– The Marist Apostolate Spirituality Network of Latin America met at the beginning of May in Sta Cruz, Bolivia, to evaluate their work and plan for the future. Br Antonio Ramalho was present at the meeting.
– ?The Marist District of Bolivia?, a book of some 167 pages written by Br José Delgado García, recounts the history of Marist work in this country since its foundation.
-At Entracque, Italy, 33 Brothers came together during the Paschal triduum in order to ?put new wine into old bottles? – a clear reference to both the Resurrection and the restructuring. Later, a large group of young people came together in Guarcino (university students) and at Nocera Umbra (pre-university) to reflect on spirituality and listening to the Spirit.
– On June 1st will be held the 37th World Day for Social Communications, set up by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The theme this year will be: ?The media in the service of true peace in the light of Pacem in Terris?.

NOTE FOR THE ENGLISH EDITION
Br Gerry Brereton, USA, who usually does the translation for the English version of our documents, is at the moment at home to be with his mother, 89 years of age, who is in the final stages of cancer of the pancreas. We recommend them and the others of the family to the prayers of our readers.

101 Brothers are aged 90 or over
A total of 101 Brothers are 90 or over on the 18th April 2003. This group of Brothers, following the criteria of St Marcellin, represent for us a living memory of our history and a witness to fidelity.

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