2017 – Bicentenary of the foundation of the Institute

Letter of Br. Emili Turú: La Vala: House of Light
25 March 2017
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The icon that will guide our third year, from August 2016 to August 2017, is the house at La Valla. The central celebration, as you can imagine, will take place around January the 2^nd, when we will celebrate 200 years of our foundation. This recently renovated house has three floors. Each of them has a symbolism we can link with the three years of preparation for the bicentenary.

As an immediate preparation for the 22^nd General Chapter, the third year will focus more on the part of the house that remained, until recently, hidden to visitors. It is a small underground space. To get there we must ‘go down’. It symbolizes that inner space in which each of us is inhabited by the Mystery. It is the space of interiority, the mystical dimension of our lives. We know that commitment to spiritual growth was a fundamental element for Father Champagnat: his deep spirit of faith opened him quite naturally to the Presence of God, whether in the forests of the Hermitage or in the noisy streets of Paris. To live like him involves cultivating silence, dedicating enough time to personal and community prayer, and listening to the Word of God, like Mary at the Annunciation. Like her, who kept and meditated everything in her heart, we strive to become contemplatives in action.

serious Resources

• 7 días en La Valla > Antonio M. Estaún, fms: Download PDF (2,5 MB) Spanish
• La Valla e a Mística de Marcelino Champagnat – Angelo Alberto Diniz Ricordi e Benê Oliveira, fms (PDF)
• La Valla, a House Full of Radiant Light – Joan Puig-Pey
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