The Cochabamba Regional Novitiate welcomed six new novices
The Novitiate of the South America Region in Cochabamba, Bolivia, welcomed six new novices on February 2. Present at the celebration were the Provincials of Brasil Centro-Norte, Br. José de Assis Elias de Brito, of Brasil Sul-Amazônia, Br. Deivis Alexandre Fischer, of Brasil Centro-Sul, Br. Vanderlei Siqueira dos Santos, and of Cruz del Sur, Br. Horacio Bustos.
The new novices are: Jefferson Teixeira Barros, José Gustavo Felipe de Morais, José Tavares da Silva Neto and Vanilson da Silva Sousa (Brasil Centro-Norte), Edrixande França de Lima (Brasil Sul-Amazônia) and Walter Omar Petkus (Cruz del Sur).
The Regional Novitiate is directed by Brothers Rubens JosĂ© Falqueto (Brasil Centro-Norte), Master of Novices, Reinaldo Becerra (Santa MarĂa de los Andes) and Inácio Etges (Brasil Sul-AmazĂ´nia), who accompany the novices in their spiritual, community and pastoral formation.
According to Brother Rubens, “the role of the novice master and the formators is to support the young people so that they have a profound experience of God. What we experience in his love overflows into community life and the mission. In this way, we help the formands to live this experience of love and filiation with God through personal, pastoral and community accompaniment.
During the celebration, the novices said these words: “Moved by the love of God, I am here to experience the Marist way of life. I want to deepen my following of Jesus, who lives among us, and to understand what consecrated life is, to mature my life of prayer, to desire to live fraternity constantly and to assume the Marist way of life that Marcellin Champagnat bequeathed to us”.
JosĂ© Gustavo, from Brasil Centro-Norte, shared his perspective on the beginning of this new stage: “After the years of Pre-Postulancy and Postulancy, the time has come to live the experience of the Novitiate, a propitious moment to immerse oneself in the Marist charism and to feel deeply God’s love for us, which manifests itself in many ways along the way”.
Walter Omar, from Cruz del Sur, also highlighted the significance of the ceremony: “What we experienced at the entrance celebration was very meaningful to me. Starting the novitiate is an opportunity to continue deepening the Marist life that I want to embrace, with God’s grace, for the rest of my life. I feel this moment as an invitation to configure myself with Jesus, in the style of Champagnat, hand in hand with Mary, seeking to be a brother to all.”
During their admission, the novices received the Rule of Life and the Constitutions and Statutes, documents of the Institute of the Marist Brothers which will guide their journey.
The Regional Novitiate currently has 10 novices. In addition to the new novices, 4 young brothers have begun their second year of novitiate.