Those responsible for Marist Europe give the region a push

Brother Superior General and his Council invited the Provincial Councils of Europe to a meeting at the Hermitage (France) from 13 to 16 March 2011.  This brought together the Councils of five provinces: Compostela, Central West Europe, Ibérica, L'Hermitage and Mediterránea. The region of Europe has a new configuration on the European map since restructuring. Now it covers 17 countries, distributed as follows:

• Compostela. Completed restructuring on 2 January 2004 and is present in Spain (Castilla + León), Honduras and Portugal
• Central West Europe. Date of restructuring:15 April 2000. Includes Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Holland and Ireland
• Ibérica. Restructuring completed on 26 November 2003. Currently present in Spain (Madrid + Norte) and Rumania, which was incorporated in the Province on 12 July 2003.
• The Province of L'Hermitage completed restructuring on 29 July 2003.It includes  Argelia, Spain (Catalonia), France, Greece, Hungary and Switzerland. The Swiss communities were incorporated into the former Province of Beaucamps-St. Genis on 30  December 1999 and then passed to the Hermitage.
• Mediterránea. Date of restructuring: 6 August 2003. Present in Spain (Bética + Levante), Italy, Lebanon and Syria. The communities of Lebanon and Syria were incorporated in the former Bética Province on 30 June 2000.

The brothers in Europe are distributed as follows: Compostela (227), Central West Europe (147), Ibérica (183), L'Hermitage (350) and Mediterránea (229). In total: 1,136.

Objectives of the meeting

The brothers propose during this time toanalyze the situation of the provinces of Europe and their prospects for the coming years, within the present context of the Church and Religious Life on the continent. To construct together, with realism and faith, a vision for Marist life in Europe, taking as starting point the calls of the 21 General Chapter as well as the progress made by each province in response to this call: What is the “new land” to which we are called to journey collectively in Europe? To define the main options for the future as Marist Europe for the next few years in accord with the vision formulated.

To proceed, they propose to adopt a methodology of participative typefacilitating maximum interaction, giving value to the richness of each group.To favour fraternal dialogue as basic attitude: what is the Lord saying to us for the life of the Institute and for our activity as leaders through an attentive listening.

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Read more:

1. March 12th: Those responsible for Marist Europe give the region a push
2. March 13th: Prophets of hope
3. March 14th: Marist Europe today – Realities and challenges
4. March 15th: In search of a future for Marist Europe
5. March 16th: Closure of the Meeting of the Extended General Council around the reliquary of Champagnat

Photos: L'hermitage 1 | L'Hermitage 2 | March 13th | March 14th | March 15th | Group

Participants
General Council
Antonio Ramalho	Emili Turú	Ernesto Sánchez Barba	Eugène Kabanguka	John Klein
Josep María Soteras	Joe Mc Kee	Michael De Waas
Compostela
Antonio Leal	Eduardo Montenegro	Máximo Blanco	Nicolás García	Oscar Martín Vicario
Raúl Figuera	Tomás Briongos
L'Hermitage
André Deculty	Gabriel Villa-Real	Jean Pierre Destombes	Jean Ronzon	Jaume Parés
Maurice Berquet	Miquel Cubeles	Pere Ferré	Xavi Giné
Ibérica
Ambrosio Alonso Díez	Alberto Oribe	Alfonso Fernández García	Carlos Martín	Ernesto Tendero
Moisés Alonso	José Abel Muñoz	Samuel Holguín
Mediterránea
Antonio Gimé- nez de Bagüés	Aureliano García	Damiano Forlani	Fernando Alés	Juan Carlos Fuertes
Juan Ignacio Poyatos	Onorino Rota
West-Central Europe
Brendan Geary	Maurice Taildeman	Robert Thunus
Translators and comunications
Alain Delorme Translator	Antonio Aragón Translator	Jack González Translator	Salomon Neville Translator	Antonio Estaún Comunications