The future of the province of Canada
Due to the falling number of Brothers, the province of Canada faces a great challenge: that of assuring that the mission may be able to continue. The challenge is that the lay Marists commit to continuing with the Charism of Champagnat. Therefore, it is in this context and to the service of the continuity of the Marist life, that a Provincial Assembly has been programmed for next November.
Since the process involves the General Administration, the Region of Arco Norte and the Province of Canada, the organizing committee is made up of representatives of the General Administration, the two Councillors: João Carlos do Prado and Ken McDonald; representatives of the Province of Canada: Brother Gerard Bachand, Brother Félix Roldán and two lay people, Mrs. Patricia Deslauriers and Mr. Christian Boutin;, the process is also supported by a facilitator, Mrs. Silvia Gollini Daum. And also the Brother Vicar General, Luis Carlos Gutiérrez Blanco, responsible for regionalization.
The purpose of the first working day was to determine the objective of the assembly., it was also necessary to define the collective meaning to be given to this assembly. Following a day of discernment, the committee formulated the intentions in these terms: "Together, we believe in a renewed and vibrant expression of the Marist charism. The objective of the process is to mobilize those currently involved and those in the future so that they happily commit to the charism expressed in new forms of fraternity that is strengthening the knots of confidence".
The contents of the second day were centred in the reorganizational aspects of the process in their group, from those present to the next meeting of the committee programmed for August of 2019.
Among the tools adopted to support the objective, was to choose a method of consultation that would be open to reaching the biggest number of participants in the Marist life of Quebec and in the region. The expectation of this consultation is that there be a vast mobilization project that facilitates the discovery of new ideas initiated for the future of the Province.
During the two days of meetings in the General House, the conversations were always thoroughly reinforced by a favourable environment for reflection looking toward the service of the mission. The committee worked in a climate of fraternity that naturally allowed fruitful exchanges.
This is only the beginning of the process. The committee asks for a guarantee that this important initiative will give encouragement to Canada and the global body.
The proposal of the General Administration is audacious and it is filled with recommendations and we thank them for believing in a future for all our Brothers and lay Marists.
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Mrs. Patricia Deslauriers and Brother Gerard Bachand