(Fellowship meal with the novices - MLC members Miss Odil, Miss Anuradhi,
Mr. Jinius and novice Ishmail.)



(MLC monthly meeting at the Novitiate)

 
(from Left: Sr. Susanna Kim, Sr. Marie Joelle Bec, Sr. Marie Jose Jauregui, and Sr. Estella Ibarra)

Sr. Marie Joelle Bec has been re-elected as Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate at the FMI General Chapter taking place in Rome. Joining her for a second five-year term are Sr. Marie Jose Jauregui (Assistant for Instruction) and Sr. Estella Ibarra (Assistant for Temporalities).


Sr. Susanna Kim (Assistant for Zeal) is new to the General Administration and comes from the region of Korea where she has been serving as regional superior. She made first profession in 1987.

(Information and photos taken from the daily FMI Chapter Bulletins found online at www.marianist.org)

 
The International Organization of MLC accepted an invitation to attend the opening days of the FMI General Chapter. Anthony Garascia (President) and Ana Bl�zquez Ubach (Responsible for Europe) represented the lay branch of the Marianist Family.

Tony and Ana gave a presentation describing the work of MLCs around the world. They also responded to questions posed by the Preparatory Committee about our perceptions of the FMI, their mission, collaboration within the Marianist Family, and dreams for the future.

Here are some excerpts:

• Your vow of poverty is an important witness to us. Continue to walk with lay Marianists, sharing your own energy and passion for your mission.
  

• In the spirit of Adele, show us the importance of grounding our lives in prayer and teach us to pray. There is a hunger among lay women and men for a genuine life of prayer - a prayer that doesn't turn away from the world but embraces the reality of the present moment and seeks to discern God's will within it.
  

• Teach us how to live a life of audacious faith - a faith that believes in planting even a few seeds, trusting that God's loving plan can do marvelous things with our small efforts.

• We dream of an active branch- in the Family and in society- of women with a  fresh identity and offering a view of life, the world and the future that is free of complexes and full of Adele's courage and gaiety.
  

• Teach us to live out our mission, whatever it is, with Mary at our side - a woman of faith and courage. A woman of action.

• We need your light to brighten our own light as we join you in the spirit of family with the Society of Mary and the Alliance Mariale. We need you to set your light high on the hill where all can see, for we need its inspiration.
  

(Group Picture: FMI General Chapter delegates, Marianist Family guests, and translators.)

Dear brothers and sisters in North America and Asia,

Just a few lines to let you know that the three different MLC's in Spain (CEMI, Zaragoza Province and Madrid Province) accepted the challenge proposed to them by the International Team to compile the draft document for our next international meeting titled The Role of Marianist Lay Communities in the Church and in the World.

This weekend, July 27 to July 29, the first work meeting of this team will take place in Madrid. We all come from different parts of Spain to Madrid, thrilled with the idea of confronting this challenge and feeling small due to the scope of it.

We will start work on Saturday at 10:00 am with a prayer centered on Luke 5:1-11, Psalm 1, and Luke 13:18-19. We would be very happy if you would join us in spirit and thank you in advance for your prayerful support.

After this weekend, I hope to be able to tell you more about ourselves and our work. For the moment, the task is new and the team is new. You, our Marianist Family, and the love for Jesus and his Mother are our common ground and give us impulse.

I also hope that, in the near future, you will be able to write your ideas and impressions on this topic and the International Meeting in Kenya in a forum that will be opened at www.marianist.org.

United in Our Mother's Love,


Ana Bl�zquez Ubach
Marianist Lay Communities
Responsible of Europe

 

The Reggiani Family of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has a new member, Mateo - a son for Ezequiel and Alejandra and baby brother for Catalina. We rejoice in this good news and pray for continued blessings for our Latin American MLC Responsible, Ezequiel, and his beautiful family.