On June 29th the Provincials of the Arco Norte Region met by videoconference: Brothers Gérard Bachand, Patrick McNamara, José Sánchez, César Augusto Rojas, Miguel Ángel Santos, and Hipólito Pérez, along with João Carlos do Prado and Ken McDonald as liaisons for the Region from the General Council, and Br. Tomás Briongos, Provincial of Compostela, for the Marist mission in Honduras.
Gregorio Linacero, Regional Committee Coordinator and Rodrigo Espinosa, Regional Committee Coordinator, followed up with each of the teams and regional initiatives.
Brothers Nice Garrán and Jorge Sánchez, coordinators of the regional Education and Evangelization Teams, shared the progress of both teams and their concerns.
The group felt inspired and challenged by the following reflection: “I think the best contribution we can make to the birth of this new era is to be consistent like the first Christians. To be what we are called to be. I believe that Religious Life still carries great relevance today, especially in this time of crisis. Although it may appear that we have nothing to contribute, the essence of what we are called to be is exactly what the women and men of today need.” (Br. Emili Turú, fms. What does the COVID-19 pandemic say about Consecrated Life?)
Throughout the conference session the following objectives were developed:
- Share the most significant areas of progress from our Provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Follow up on regional and continental processes and initiatives, especially the Education and Evangelization teams.
- Accompany the processes that are taking place in Marist life and mission in Canada and Honduras, also in the Montagne community of Holguín.
- Revisit the evaluation of the Brothers’ approach to Perpetual Profession.
- Confirm and formalize the appointments of the Regional Coordinator and the Team of Formators in the La Valla Interprovincial Novitiate (Medellín) for 2021.
Fraternally,
Hipólito Pérez, FMS