For a month, Bro Hervé Zamor, Superior General, accompanied by Bro Miguel Aristondo, Brother Assistant, made a complete tour of the Mennaisian Communities, Schools and realities in Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. An Assembly of the Mennaisian Family of the District was experienced with 70 Participants and a Statue of Jean-Marie de la Mennais inaugurated. Story and Testimony of a lively Month!
IN CHILE
After their stay in Bolivia – see the previous Article on this subject on the Website – the Superiors then left for Chile on Sunday March 26th 2023 to visit the three Communities of this Country
First of all, Culipran, a time with the Community of Brothers then the Educational Community where they shared with the pupils and visited the Installations of the School.
On Wednesday they went to Llay-Llay and there they found an Educational Community waiting for them with open arms. It really was a luminous visit! Bro Hervé spoke to us about the Mennaisian experience here and there. We thank him for his speech full of wisdom which filled us with joy in our daily lives.
Back in the Community of Culipran, they spent Sunday with the Mennaisian Community of Santiago de Chile. There, the welcome and the Mass was remarkable. Thank you for making us feel part of this big Family.
A Sculpture of Jean-Marie de la Mennais
On the morning of this Monday, April 3rd 2023, there was the Ceremony of the Inauguration of the Sculpture of Jean-Marie de la Mennais, in the presence of Brother Hervé. On Tuesday April 4th 2023, they left for Córdoba in Argentina, where they visited the Community and prepared the Assembly of the Mennaisian Family.
District Assembly with 70 Participants
There the Brothers and Lay people from the different Communities had met since the day before. They were nearly 70 Participants. This was the first District Assembly since its birth at the feet of Mary of Luján, in July 2019.
The Families together, were able to reflect and pray on the Documents of the Chapter entitled: The Peripheries, the Vocations Pastoral Ministry, the Young Mennaisian Adults and the Mennaisian Family. It was a demanding job, because it waited to arrive at one or two lines of force for the triennium. And so, it was.
We ended up writing the challenges expressed, to be taken on as bearers of life:
“We, the Mennaisian family, want to listen actively and have an open outlook.
We want to live in Fraternal Communion, supporting each other because we are only one Body, different and complementary at the same time. In all Humility, we recognize our Strengths and Weaknesses and commit ourselves personally to the Mission.
We want to move forward with courage towards New challenges, undoing and redoing structures, and we want to meet new members who feel involved.
We, the Mennaisians, live a Logic of Fraternity, it is our Vocation and our Mission.
We accompany and support this experience which implies a renunciation of an individual rhythm to move forward as a Team, as a Single Body, opening paths towards young people who will live this Fraternity in listening and trust.
As a family, we recognize that God alone is the Leader and the Animator of our body, this is why we make prayer a priority and we will deepen Spirituality, this will allow us to go to meet the other as the example of Jesus, creating bonds of Charity and Service that push us to go beyond borders in actions that transform and transform us”.
IN ARGENTINA
Since the first days of April, the Major Superiors have been visiting Argentina. They began with the Institute of Our Lady of the Rosary in Bialet Massé, where they joined the young students, the members of the Membership, the Management Team and the Mennaisian Family gathered in Assembly during Holy Week. Beautiful experience of family, Congregation.
They then went to the Saint-Paul-de-Lujan College in Cuyo. This is where they celebrated Easter Sunday in Community and then started the week with a time shared with the students, the Educators and the Mennaisian family. They also visited the “Escualita” and immersed themselves in the Mennaisian life of the place.
From there to Buenos Aires and then to Teodelina of Villa Gobernador Galvez. They shared the last hours with Brother Benjamin, the Community of Brothers and the whole Educational Community. The Meetings were varied and fruitful, especially with the Secondary School Students, as well as with the Parents of the Mennaisian family, the Management Team and dear Brother Benjamin, who silently welcomed them and left in peace. San Damian also welcomed them warmly.
They then returned to Buenos Aires to visit Cardenal Copello College and to finish their Tour of the Country. They saw and shared the life of the various levels of the Educational Work, with the pupils of the last year, the Mennaisian parents, the management team, especially with Enzo Carollo. Rich, simple and warm Meeting as well as sharing with the Community of Brothers and Young Beginners.
IN URUGUAY
Our Brothers witnessed the Mennaisian presence in Uruguay. They shared the Life, Prayer and Reflection of the Community of Brothers of Maldonado, of the Children and Young people of Dionisio Diaz.
They also visited and immersed themselves in the vibrant reality of La Mennais College in Montevideo. They met the Educators, the Students, the Management and learned about the experience of the service called “la marmite”. The life of the Community was presented to them in all its aspects and a Meeting with the young people also took place”.
