Seeking a new beginning

Brother Antonio Ramalho and Ernesto Sánchez, General Councilors had an encounter of exchange and formation with the Superiors of the communities of Central-East Africa (PACE), as part of the process of visitations and accompaniment of the Province.  The encounter took place from the 6 to 9 November in Mwanza, Tanzania, in a house for encounters close to our Postulancy and School of the city. 

The objectives of the meeting were: 

• The opportunity to listen and share on the present reality of the Province, in view of the next Provincial Chapter. 
• To share and deepen on the three central themes of the preparation of the New Centenary of the Marist Institute: Mission (Montagne), fraternity (Fourvière) and interiority (La Valla). 
• To support the Brothers Superior in their function as animators of community. 
• To share the experiences and concerns of the young Brothers (continuation of the 3 days of a similar meeting which was held in Nairobi, during the month of July). 

19 Brothers participated in the encounter, including the Brothers Provincial Councilors and the two General Councilors.  The participants greatly appreciated the methodology used, because it was dynamic, participative, and experiential and of great help to interiority.  Someone said: “The methodology has helped me in introspection but also to take the means which will help me and will help the Province to progress”.    

The fact of being able to be together and to deal with the provincial reality in an open and fraternal way was also stressed in the evaluation by several of the participants: “The value of coming together, sense of belonging…“  “I learnt a lot from my fellow brothers”. 

The nearness of the Marist house also allowed the group to be in contact and live with the school, with the Brothers of the community and with the Postulants.