Via Latina 22 PERPETUAL PROFESSION IN THE SECTOR OF MEXICO PRIESTLY ORDINATION IN INDIA. News From the General Administration - Society of Mary

Transcription

1 Via Latina 22 News From the General Administration - Society of Mary PERPETUAL PROFESSION IN THE # March 2016 SECTOR OF MEXICO Bro. Manuel Azamar n Jan. 30, about O 250 people gathered at the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Querétaro, Mexico, to witness the perpetual vow profession of Bro. Juan Manuel Azamar. The Sector of Mexico is part of the Marianist Province of the United States. The chapel is under the direction of the Society of Mary and is part of a larger parish. Fr. Quentin Hakenewerth was the main celebrant and Fr. Raymundo Domínguez González, coordinator of the Sector of Mexico, gave the homily. Fr. Martin Solma, Superior of the Province the United States of America, received the vows, ably assisted by Fr. John Thompson, who did the preliminary questioning in Spanish. R-L: Fr. Marty Solma, Fr. John Thompson, Bro. Juan Manuel Azamar, Fr. Quentin Hakenewerth and Fr. Raymundo Domínguez González. Following the vow ceremony, those gathered enjoyed music, food and folk dancing. Bro. Juan s parents, along with other relatives and friends, made the 16-hour journey from his home state of Veracruz to be part of the celebration. Congratulations, Bro. Juan! PRIESTLY ORDINATION IN INDIA Newly ordained Fr. Rymond (rear) with Bro. Dennis Schmitz (U.S.) and fellow Indian brothers. ro. Josephraj Rymond became Fr. B Josephraj at an ordination ceremony in Bangalore, India. Archbishop Bernard Moras presided at the Feb. 3 ceremony at Holy Infant Church. Congratulations, Fr. Rymond! Fr. Josephraj Rymond

2 # March 2016 Page 2 PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR OF SPAIN he Superior General of the Society of Mary, Fr. Manuel Cortés, in his letter to all the brothers of the Province of Spain, writes: T I have the satisfaction of communicating to you that the General Council, in its meeting today, February 15, 2016, has unanimously appointed Fr. Miguel Ángel Cortés Soriano, SM, as Provincial Superior of the Province of Spain for a second mandate of three years, beginning September 12, We are grateful for Fr. Miguel Ángel s availability, his spirit of faith and his service to the Society of Mary. LATIN AMERICAN MEETING FOR TEMPORARY PROFESSED IN COLOMBIA Girardot, Colombia, February 4, 2016 Signs of Life and hope for Marianist Religious Life in Latin America The meeting of the Latin American temporary professed of the Society of Mary took place February 2 to February 19 in Bogotá, Colombia, with the theme of Youth on the Journey: Witnesses of Mercy. The seventeen participants, who came from Brazil (1), Chile (3), Colombia (5), Peru (4) and Mexico (4), were representatives of the new generation of Marianists in that part of the world. In an authentic climate of brotherhood and of our rich cultural diversity, this occasion gave us the opportunity to reconnect with former novitiate classmates, to exchange experiences of life as scholastics and as temporary professed, and to be able to dream together about other possible ways of Marianist life in each Unit. L-R: First row - Carlos Espinoza (CH), Nereo Ramírez (US-Mex), Nelson Mendieta and Wilson Rentería (CE), Percy García (PE); row behind - James Elie (CE), Luis A. Salazar and José Martín (PE), Francisco Muñoz (CH), Juan M. Azamar (US-Mex), Mauricio Salinas (CE), Julio César Mostacero (PE), Fr. Cecilio de Lora (CE), Juan P. Espinoza (US-Mex), Daniel Orellana (CH), Yarnirton Maturana and Fr. Carlos J. Barragán (CE), Victor F. de Aguiar (ES-Bra), Julio César Sánchez (CE) and Orlando de la Cruz (PE).

3 # March 2016 Page 3 Through the planned study and formation activities, and through the experience of going to the limits, both geographically and existentially in Ciudad Bolívar, we adopted criteria for life and action towards attempting a more faithful, happier, and productive Marianist religious life in the world as it is today, especially in Latin America. It was clear that, as Marianists, each one of us is a sign of life and hope, and thus is called to live and grow. It was also clear that freedom from the bonds of individualism, consumerism, weak fraternal life, accommodationism, is only possible to the degree to which our life is centered upon God, and to the degree that we are attentive to the cries of the God of life in the life of the world (the poor, community life, victims of war, the deterioration of the planet). A major outcome of the time we shared was the formation of a committee whose task will be to prevent the evaporation of the good spirit of unity and shared mission that has come out of the encounter. In addition, the participants have the mission of formally presenting to the CLAMAR meeting some concrete propositions for strengthening Marianist life in all of Latin America. May Mary and our Founders intercede before God for our Units so that, through the energy of this new generation, we might be able at every moment to be faithful, happy and productive in our consecrated Marianist life. Fraternally, Nelson Mendieta, SM (Colombia) In front of Parish Beato Chaminade, in Bogotá. Juan Pablo Espinoza (US-Mex) exchanges ideas with Fr. Cecilio de Lora (CE). Leisure time of the brothers during the two-weeks meeting. Informal time for the brothers.

4 # March 2016 Page 4 CONCLUSION OF THE YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE L-R: Fr. Francis Kim (KO), Giuseppe Salvatore (IT), Lambert Kouassi (IV), Denis Shamashanga (FR- CO), Jérôme Kanhou (IV), Innocent Chikwanda (EA), Alex Tuss (US), Peter Heiskell (ME) and Alphonse Edel (FR). MARIANIST RELIGIOUS FOR THE CONCLUSION OF YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE rom January 28 to February 2, 2016, as a fitting conclusion to the Year of Consecrated Life, the F Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life sponsored an event in Rome called: Consecrated Life in Communion. Joining the over 5,000 participants were the following Marianists: Innocent Chikwanda (East Africa), Lambert Kouassi and Jérôme Kanhou (Ivory Coast), Denis Shamashanga (Congo), Alphonse Edel (France), Giuseppe Salvatore(Italy), Francis Kim (Korea), Alex Tuss and David McGuigan (USA), and Roger Poletti and Peter Heiskell (Meribah). The Brothers were welcomed graciously at Via Latina 22 and their arrangements were ably coordinated through the generosity of Fr. André Fétis, Assistant General for Religious Life. All branches of consecrated life were represented: Apostolic, Monastic, Hermits, Consecrated Virgins, Secular Institutes, New Forms of Consecrated Life. Early in the program, Cardinal João Braz de Aziz, Prefect of the CICLSAL, highlighted our call as religious to be experts in communion. Throughout the days of talks, prayer, and events, this theme resonated again and again. At the papal audience on February 1, Pope Francis highlighted the word, closeness, saying that religious need to be close first and foremost to our own Brothers and Sisters in community. Bishop Marcello Carballo, Secretary for the CICLSAL, echoed this with a story about St. Francis notic-

5 # March 2016 Page 5 ing the grumbling stomach of a fellow brother -- he went to him and said, "I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat." We need to reach out to our brothers that way...to notice their suffering, take it as our own, and call the person to walk with us. There were frequent calls to re-read Perfectae Caritatis and Vita Consecrata, encouraging religious to live more deeply and apply more fully the treasure of teachings on Consecrated Life. Some events of the program involved all participants, while others focused on the type of consecrated life and/or language groups. Memorable moments included: an opening prayer service and closing Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, the audience with Pope Francis, two inspiring sessions of Lectio Divina, a procession through the Holy Door of St. John Lateran, and a guided tour of the Sistine Chapel. There was ample opportunity for participants to forge bonds of international unity with fellow participants and with members of the GA and Seminary communities, at meals, on buses, trains, and exploring the Eternal City. Innocent Chikwanda (EA) reading at a celebration. While each participant surely felt affirmed in his vocation, especially our Marianist community life, each of us certainly felt challenged as well to grow more deeply in our consecration. As Pope Francis said at the Mass for the Feast of the Presentation: The Gospel concludes with this expression: the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was Jérôme Kanhou (IV) & Lambert Kouassi (IV) at St. John Lateran (as above). upon him. May the Lord Jesus, through the maternal intercession of Mary, grow in us, and increase in each person the desire for encounter, the safekeeping of the astonishment and the joy of gratitude. Then others will be attracted by his light, and they will be able to encounter the Father s mercy. L-R: Row behind - Roger Poletti and Peter Heiskell (ME), Jérôme Kanhou (IV), Denis Shamashanga (FR-CO) and Fr. Francis Kim (KO); Row in front - Innocent Chikwanda (EA), Fr. David McGuigan (US), Alex Tuss (US), Lambert Kouassi (IV) and Alphonse Edel (FR).

6 # March 2016 Page 6 JPIC- ATTENTION ALL COMMUNITIES e remind you of the suggestion that each community spend some time discussion issues of Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation during one or W more of your community meetings. At the present time, we are particularly focusing on the plight of migrants and refugees, those who, because of violence, war, economic hardship, or other serious reason, must leave their homeland to seek safety and a better life. The special section of our website contains a good deal of information, in various languages, which might help stir the discussion. Of course, there are also plenty of other resources available on the Internet. Perhaps you could plan to discuss this topic at an upcoming meeting, if you have not already. And, of course, we can all commit these situations, and those affected by them, to our frequent prayer. In the next issue of this newsletter, we will suggest a new topic for the next several months. SHARING NEW PUBLICATIONS he North American Center for Marianist Studies in Dayton recently published a work of 200 pages by T Fr. David Fleming entitled A New Fulcrum: Marianist Horizons Today. This work is a collection of essays on current questions in Marianist life such as styles of leadership, mixed composition, education, missionary identity, Marianist prayer, and the future development of the Marianist Family. The book may be ordered through the website at NACMS.com. Fr. Fleming has also just published another work, Rays of the One Truth: Themes of Intra-Religious Dialogue, through the Asian Trading Corporation in Bangalore. It is a 183 page account of the author's Indian experience of dialogue and reflection, highlighting links between the spiritual teachings of Christianity and Indian religions Buddhism, Islam, and especially Hinduism. This study can be ordered through the website of Asian Trading or through the author. ADDRESS CHANGES Bro. Robert de Lussy (FR): lpr33@orange.fr Bro. Howard Hughes (US): 2hlitmus@gmail.com Bro. José Khasa-Beya (FR): beyam_2009@yahoo.fr P. Francisco J. del Barrio (ES- Bra): pacosm2@yahoo.es G.A. CALENDARC February 17 - March 9: The General Council visits the Marianist Region of Togo. G.A. COMMUNICATIONSC RECENTLY SENT Death Notices: #1-6. February 1: 3Offices#145 - MSF & MFF, in three languages, sent to all Superiors of Units and their Assistants for Temporalities, by the Assistant General for Temporalities, Bro. Michael McAward, SM. February 3: Request for Information for the 2016 issue of the Directory of Education in Spanish, sent to the Assistants for Education of South America, by the Assistant General for Education, Bro. Maximin Magnan, SM.