Third term for West Central Europe provincial
The superior general announced that Brother Brendan Geary will renew his term as provincial of West Central Europe for a third time in a letter dated Nov. 10.
“The General Council has decided to appoint Br. Brendan Geary as Provincial, since we believe that he is the person who can best accompany the reality the Province is living at this time, giving continuity to all that has already been achieved in the last six years,” said Brother Emili Turú in a letter addressed to the brothers of the province.
Br Brendan began his first three-year term as provincial in Feb. 2010 and his second term in April 2013.
He will officially take up office for a third term during the provincial chapter, which will be held near Munich, Germany, at the formation centre in Freising from March 28 – April 1.
The superior general, general councillor Brother Ernesto Sánchez, 15 Brothers as well as 16 lay people, who have been invited, will participate.
“We need to continue to manage the diminishment in the Province, regarding the number of communities, care of the brothers, and careful use of financial and other resources,” said Br Brendan.
“It is important to respond sensitively to the needs of the Brothers, while assuring that there is viable leadership and management in local communities,” he told the general house press office Nov. 13.
He underscored that “this will increasingly involve the support and participation of lay people.”
“We need to continue to develop our work with lay people in the Province, and to find ways to sustain the mission that we are currently involved in,” Br Brendan remarked.
“Also, we need to find appropriate structures, possibly at European level, to ensure management and animation in the years ahead,” he added.
The West Central Europe province was founded in the year 2000 and the provincial house is in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
The picture above was taken in May, 2014, during Br Brendan’s visit to a kindergarten supported by Brother Hans Seubert on MFangano Island in Kenya’s Lake Victoria.