
Vitality of Marist Life in Asia Region
On March 31 to April 2, 2016, the Asia Laity Commission met at Marist School, Marikina City to discern together important concerns affecting the Marist life particularly of the laity in the Region. The meeting was intended to, among others, thoughtfully provide feedback on the Global Framework on the Itinerary of the Vocation of the Marist Laity, Initial formation for laity and brothers, and the theme on the bonding and belonging through lay association.
The Commission was in agreement that in looking at the formation content and process of the laity formation programs, it is important to contextualize it on the realities of Asia Region.
For this reason, the first day was devoted to looking at the Mega-trends of Asia that has implications to laity-brothers formation and with this, The Call to New Evangelization: The Church of Asia in the Next 50 Years, a paper of Most Rev. Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, OMI was presented and studied.
Reflections on how do we in Asia come up with an Asian sensitive and relevant formation framework of the laity, making them become more effective catalyst in the Asian Church and responsive to the challenges of the mega-trends of Asia were drawn out.
Fr. Jojo M. Fung, S.J. staff of the East Asia Pastoral Institute (EAPI), provided his expertise in accompanying this reflection process.
Output of the workshop was helpful in the plan of formulating key themes in the laity formation programs that is reflective and responsive to Asian context.
The meeting concluded with proposals to present to the Conference of Asia Leaders.