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The Marist Brothers in Nigeria held their annual retreat at the Marist Formation Centre in Orlu, Imo State from August 16-22. At Mass on the final day of the retreat, 14 young Marist Brothers renewed their temporary vows for another year.
- Aug 12: Members of the Marist East Asia Province celebrated the final vows of Bros. Cyril M. Sumugat and Aljon I. Yonder at Notre Dame of Marbel University in the Philippines.
- Aug 13: Bro. Julianderson André Ramos da Silva of the Marist Province of Brasil Centro-Norte professed his final vows as a Marist Brother in the chapel of Colégio Marista Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, in Belém, where the Marist Brothers have been present for 120 years.
- Aug 13: After two weeks, the twelfth iteration of the Lay Marist formation program Formarme concluded in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. More than 30 laypeople participated representing 17 Marist works in both Marist provinces of México Central and México Occidental.
- Aug 14: Bro. Dukens Médor of Haiti made his final profession of vows at a Mass during which 22 additional young Marist Brothers renewed their temporary vows and five more men officially began their novitiate.
- Aug 15: Eleven young men began their formation journey as Marist aspirants in Timor-Leste.
- Aug 15: For only the second time, our Marist community in Vietnam celebrated Marist Brothers making their perpetual profession of vows: special congratulations go out to Bros. Peter Nguyen Viet Bao and Joseph Nguyen Van Tri. Three additional brothers renewed their temporary vows on the same occasion.
- Aug 15: Bros. Hudson Horoto and Raphael Fakaia of the Marist Star of the Sea Province made their final profession in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
- Aug 15-18: More than 50 Marist educators from Mexico and South America met in Porto Alegre, Brazil for an international exchange on the topic of early childhood education.
- Aug 21-27: Australia's Marist Mission and Life Formation Team facilitated a new formation program targeting local coordinators of the Marist Association of Saint Marcellin Champagnat.
A Moment in Marist History:
Father Champagnat was by no means an academic. Having struggled through school, he was not inclined to write at length about abstract theological matters. As a man of practical faith, Champagnat's writings consisted primarily of the sermons he wrote for his parishioners and letters to a variety of individuals, most frequently his Marist Brothers dispatched to various schools. The letter below shows how adeptly he combined firmness and gentleness when admonishing an otherwise well-meaning individual:
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23rd November 1834
Dear Brother Dominique,
I do not believe you are capable of doing something headstrong again. You know what can happen when one is unfortunate enough to do something like that. A little more humility and obedience would not hurt your situation any. If Bro. Liguori had told you that all the brothers had congratulated him for having you as his co-worker, would you have been so naive as to believe him? Dear Dominique, it is impossible for us to please everyone, no matter how we act.
You tell me that if your replacement doesn't arrive soon you will come to get him. That's easy to say, but we have no one at the motherhouse at the moment. If you come, you will have to go home just as you came. Shouldn't you have to pay back a little this year what you made those who were with you suffer? You are too honest to think you haven't contracted any obligations towards them. Patience, dear friend, patience; I will see you in a few days, and I will arrange everything for the best, with the help of God.
I would have answered you sooner, except for a trip I just made. While you are waiting, put yourself in Mary's arms; she will give you plenty of help to carry your cross.
Dear Dominique, I really do feel for you in your difficulties. God has sufficient revenue to repay you; you will lose nothing with him, not even interest; I guarantee it.
Meanwhile, tell Brother Liguori that I hold you all affectionately in my heart, and that I love you all; you, dear Dominique, because I know the difficulties you are facing in your position, the struggles you are going through, and the attachment you have shown me on so many occasions.
I leave you all in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; they are such wonderful places, and we are so well off there!
A Dieu,
superior