
Rio Grande do Sul Province
At Recanto Marista Medianeira in the town of Veranopolis, one hundred and eigh-teen Brothers of Rio Grande Do Sul Province gathered for a Provincial Assembly that ran from March 27 to 29. The Assembly was one stage in the preparations leading up to both the XXI General Chapter and the third Provincial Chapter.
The gathering came into focus at two moments especially. The first was when Brother Pedro Ost, representing the General Council, offered a conference on the topic, Evangelical Use of Goods. Brother Pedro has been engaged with this topic since last year and has presented the theme in many Provinces. The topic is quite relevant, generating, as it does, reflections go beyond material things. For example, the reflections touch upon (1) our intellectual goods and (2) our human resources, that is, the people who are part of the Institute.
March 29 featured a first of its kind event: lay people participated actively in the Provincial Assembly. The lay representation numbered fifty-three, coming from the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family, from Marist Youth Ministry, and from various Province-based organizations. The occasion provided an apt moment to inform the participants about up-to-date results of the initial consultation being held for the General Chapter.
In addition, the meeting offered that chance for the Brother Capitulants (Lauro Hochscheidt, Inacio Etges and Pedro Ost) to listen to the views of Brothers and lay people regarding the priority topics of the XXI General Chapter, i.e. the identity of the Marist Brother and the identity of the lay Marist.