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GIFTS AND TASKS 
International Organization of MLC:
Region of North America, Asia
Ireland and Australia
April , 2007
In This Issue
5th Latin American Episcopal Conference
Marianist Family Meets in Latin America
News from Haiti
Via Latina
First Circular
Prejean Visits Hawaii
Harvest Women, Kansas
Next Issue
Quick Links
spring rabbit
 
Dear friends,
 
Once more, I'm sending you a view from my kitchen window as I write this issue of Gifts and Tasks. As you can see, the green is slowly poking through the grass. My rabbit friend is showing off his new spring fashion as winter white fur changes to brown!
 
May we continue to celebrate this Easter season of new life with peace and joy, and rejoice in the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit as Pentecost approaches.
 
peace,
 
Isabella
MLC invited to 5th Latin American Conference
 
 
Brazil Conference

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will make his first visit as Pope to the continent of America during the Fifth General Conference of Latin American and Caribbean Bishops which will be held in Aparacida, Brazil from May 9 to 13, 2007.The theme of the conference is "Disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ, so that our peoples may have life in Him: 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life' (Jn 14:6)". 

 
Ezequiel and Domingo
The Secretary General of CELM (Latin American Episcopal Conference) has extended an invitation to Ezequiel Reggiani (Regional Responsible for Latin America) to represent our Marianist Lay Communities during the opening days of the conference. We rejoice at this opportunity to be united with the universal church in this important gathering, and pray for all the participants.
 
 

The conference has an official web-site which will be updated daily. www.celam.info

 
(pictured above: Ezequiel Reggiani and Br. Domingo Fuentes, SM the spiritual assessor for the International Team. Br. Domingo lives and works with the Marianist Family in Brazil.)

2nd Meeting of the Marianist Family of Latin America
 
Latin America Bulletin Logo
Representatives of Marianist Lay Communities, the Daughters of Mary, and the Society of Mary met in Bogot�, Columbia on January 14-17 to vision together as the Marianist Family in Latin America.
 
 
 
News from the meeting, as well as a copy of the invitation to the 5th General Conference of Latin American and Caribbean Bishops can be found in the April edition of the MLC Bulletin from Latin America.
 
News from Haiti
 
Agnes Dumas and Miryiam
 Myriam (National Responsible for The Friends of Faustino) and Agnes Dumas Bonkoungou 

Agnes Dumas, the woman who helped plant the seeds of the Marianist charism in Haiti, returned to her country on February 28 to start a new foundation with the support of the Dumas family and the Daughters of Mary in France. The Maison d'Oeuvre Rose Marie Foyer Chaminadele was inaugurated on March 25 in the presence of local members of Marianist Lay Communities and the Society of Mary. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Agnes' brother, Mgr. Dumas (auxiliary bishop of Port-au-Prince) and Fr. Florian.

The Maison will be a place of study, formation, prayer and retreat work. We hope to have more news from Haiti in future issues of Gifts and Tasks. Meanwhile, we join our prayers with those of our sister, Agnes;
 

Que la Vierge Marie reste notre mod�le et notre M�re  dans tout ce que nous entreprenons au nom de sa  mission "de faire aimer, conna�tre et servir son Fils-J�sus � jamais" !

 
 
Haiti Celebration Mgr Dumas
Mgr. Dumas (brother of Agnes) presiding with Fr. Florian. Photos taken by Br. Herv�
 

 

Via Latina - April 2007
 
Via Latina
The latest issue of Via Latina can be accessed online.. Articles include:
 
  • Asian Zonal Conference (AZC) meeting in Tokyo
  • Province of the US: Some members speak out for peace.
  • Spirit of Saragossa: Seminar for Directors of SM and FMI Perpetual Vow Retreats

English 

 
Society of Mary Circular
 
Manuel Cortes
 
The Superior General of the Society of Mary,
Fr. Manuel Cort�s, SM has published his first Circular titled "The Spirit of the Society is the Spirit of Mary - Part 1: In Christ With Mary". The Circular is available at www.marianist.org. (The French version will be available soon.) SM Superior General Logo
 
English
Helen Prejean Visits Hawaii 
by Br. Dennis Schmitz, SM
 
Prejean

Sr. Helen Prejean of Dead Man Walking fame and her assistant, Sr. Margaret Maggio, recently came to Hawaii for a series of lectures on the death penalty.  The main event was the Mackey Marianist Lectures where the MLC's turned out in force to help and to listen.  MLCers helped to sell Sister's books; the income from the books helps with her Moratorium Campaign.  They also helped with the Moratorium Campaign's petition sheets.

 

Among the thank you gifts for the sisters, were pottery bowls made by Yukio Ozaki.  Yukio is chair of the Fine Arts department at Chaminade and has been declared an official "Living Treasure" by  the state of Hawaii.  Yukio recently made  his public commitment as a member of the Ohana Kaminaka Marianist Lay Community.  ("Ohana" means family and "Kaminaka" is the Hawaiian translation for Chaminade.)

 

The event was a big success.  The Sisters were very excited to meet the many MLCers who were present.  They especially connected with Kristi Schulenberg who has been walking with a death row inmate in Ohio for the past 17 years.

 
(photo: Venus Ituralde, MLC and Sr. Helen Prejean)
Harvest Women Retreat In Kansas
by Marceta Reilly
 
Harvest Women 
 

On February 23 and 24, 2007, 16 women participated in a retreat at the Hoyt, Kansas home of Marceta Reilly, a member of the Harvest Women MLC.  Joanne McCracken and Chris Suriano, both from New Jersey, were the retreat facilitators.  The retreat theme was The Cup of our Lives based on the book by Joyce Rupp.  Through storytelling, small group discussions, and yoga movement, the retreat helped women look at the connections between scripture and the ordinary stuff of their lives.

 

Harvest Women is a monthly tele-community of six women which has been meeting by phone for almost two years.  The mission of the group is to "harvest women" to deeper spirituality.   All but one of the women, Joanne McCracken, live in Kansas.   The women meet monthly on a conference call, read common books and materials (like Things Marianist), and through the discussions, help deepen their own spiritual lives.  The retreat was an extension of this mission and they hope to make it an annual event. 

 

For more information about Harvest Women, or to join, contact Marceta Reilly, 785-608-8899, or [email protected].  

 
Next Issue of Gifts and Tasks

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