Reorganizing or restructuring?
On Sunday, 19 August, brothers and sisters from the different communities of the capital gathered to celebrate our second intercommunity meeting at the Marist School of Guatemala Zone 6.
People from all the communities but Coatepeque were present.
We began our meeting with the Eucharist, which is celebrated on Sundays at 8:30 am at the School. Then we went to the school library and started singing and praying.
After Mass, the Provincial Brother gave us some input to reflect with a PowerPoint presentation focusing on the calls of the documents that came out of the last General Chapter and the Provincial Chapters, outlining the ideas on how to reorganize the communities, which was the core theme of our meeting.
We have been given a document: "Vita religiosa e cambiamento: nuove dimensioni per la riorganizzazione degli Istituti" (Religious life and change: new dimensions for the reorganization of the Institutes), by Sister Pina del Core, FMA, who, based on the calls to this dimension that there have been for years and with a look to the future, asked us what is the "solution" that we envisage to this change in religious life: reorganizing or restructuring? To give us some orientation, she mentioned what is happening within virtually all religious congregations and institutes: aging, desertions, lack of vocations and the multiplicity of works. This panorama moves us and leads us to seek possible solutions, which entails the risk for the institutes of undermining their charisma, if we do not pay attention to how we "redefine" things. Therefore, it will be vital to cherish a clear vocational identity and a consistent mission.
We have been given some questions for personal and group reflection: we have been asked about the feelings that this issue generates in us and our personal attitude to it. We have also deepened our concerns, suggestions and contributions to make to the Commission and the Provincial Council about this theme, which will be the core topic both for the Provincial Assembly and the Provincial Chapter.
After sharing, the Provincial Brother Hipólito, gave us some news on the latest developments in the province: the sick, deaths, brothers on a mission abroad and other data.
Finally, after calling on our good and tender Mother with the Marian prayer, offering her all our work, thoughts, desires and projects, we went to the dining room to share a delicious lunch, gladly prepared by Br. Ángel Merino, along with an informal chat among us at each of the tables.
We said goodbye to each other with the joy of having met again and wishing all a safe trip back home.
We deeply thank the Marist School community for welcoming us so fraternally.
_____________________
H. Raúl Gomar