IO/MLC logo
GIFTS AND TASKS 
International Organization of MLC:
Region of North America, Asia
Ireland and Australia
May,  2008
In This Issue
Haiti News
Lay Formation
Ad�le Circular
Promoting Women
Via Latina 22
Support Kenya 2009
Gifts and Tasks
Quick Links
Eucharistic congress logo


Dear Friends,

After years of preparation, the Catholic Church of Quebec is ready to celebrate the 49th International Eucharistic Congress from June 15 to 22, 2008.

The year 2008 marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, the first permanent French settlement in North America.

The 2008 International Eucharistic Congress will be "the Assembly of the Church of Quebec hosting the Universal church to celebrate the Living Christ. It's theme will be The Eucharist Gift of God for the Life of the World." More information can be found at:

 

Many of our Marianist friends in Quebec are actively involved in the Congress. We join them in prayer that the Eucharist, the sacrament of true communion, be a source of strength, peace, and love for us, our families and communities, and the world.

Peace!

signature2



Isabella Moyer, MLC
Regional Responsible
North America, Asia
Ireland and Australia
 
signature logo  
  
 
CLM Haiti General AssemblyHaiti Flag

by Aneil Ulysse (CLM Haiti, Secretary)

translated by Richard Thibault (CLM Quebec)

On April 25-27, 2008 the MLC's of Haiti held their first General  Assembly in Port-au-Prince ending the interim mandate for the leadership team. Thirty six members from seven communities out of a possible ten, were present; Br. Stanislas Limdeyou, the spiritual assessor and Madame Agn�s Dumas, national counselor were also present.

 
Each participant expressed their views and expectations for the new leadership team to be elected. Some of these were: the need for formation of MLC's in Haiti,  for unity throughout all MLC's of Haiti and also between the religious and the MLC's. They also discussed the orientation for each MLC's on the ecclesial, spiritual, cultural and financial point of view.
 
Elected to the leadership team are:

National Coordinator - Etienne  Wesly    
Vice-Coordinator - Jocelyn  Louis
Secretary - Aniel  Ulysse      
Treasurer - Ilion�s  St-Fleur  
 
Fr. Florain Chabot-Royer celebrated Sunday mass with all the St-Vincent community. After mass, Br. Stanislas gave a talk on the fundamentals of MLC's, followed by a presentation with Agn�s Dumas on the theme of "Building community" from the document of  the International Meeting of Philadelphia in 2001.

Etienne WeslyIliones St Fleur
 

 

 












Etienne Wesly                                                           Ilion�s St-Fleur
National Responsible -elect                                            Past - National Responsible
Marianist Lay Formation Initiative

by Pati Krasensky (Director of MLFI)

MLFI2008


Twelve people gathered in Dayton, Ohio April 18-20, 2008 to begin the one year formation process sponsored by the North American Marianist Family Council. The Marianist Lay Formation Initiative was developed 3 years ago to support laity who are passionate about the Marianist charism and desire to spread the Marianist spirit in their area by building small faith communities in the Marianist tradition.
 
Attending were: Rudy Reyes,Jr; Chiree Souza; Carol Weiss; Linda Flores-Tober; Madge Hempsey; Tina Bauman; Jeannie Pinpin; Chris Roe; Joanie Roe; Serina Souza (center); Anna Tusim; Pati Krasensky (Director of the MLFI) and Beth Woods (front row). The weekend was highlighted by presentations from Bro Tom Giardino and Patti Gehred, as well has shared prayer and community fellowship.
 


 

Circular on Ad�leAdele

 
 

Sr. Marie Joelle Bec, FMI, Superior General, has published Circular #22 on the Anniversary of the Foundation of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, May 25, 2008. This Circular addresses the centrality of the Word of God in the life of Mother Ad�le. It ties together the reflections of the last FMI Chapter and the upcoming Synod of the Word of God in Rome, October 2008.

An excerpt:

During the last Chapter, "we were struck by the power of the Word of God, given to each of us in the Liturgy. Having learned from Mary, we feel called to always listen to the Word of God, the center of our lives. We can never stop entering more deeply into this attitude with an open heart, deeply rooted in reality, invited at each moment to the obedience of faith." Chap. Doc. #5
 

As an echo to this double invitation of the Universal Church and the General Chapter, today I want to listen with you to the Words of God that have been light, strength, audacity, and an impulse of love in the life of our Foundress. In effect, Mother Adele, who had no theological studies nor ever held the entire Bible in her hands, knew how to find in the proclaimed Word of the liturgy what and how to animate her first friends, then later sisters.


The  Circular is available online at www.marianist.org:



Pontifical Council for the Laity - Promoting Women


PCL_women

Roscio Figueroa, Responsible for the Women's Section at the Pontifical Council for the Laity, has opened a web-site to share resources and writings on the role of women in the Church and in the world. This initiative continues the work of the Women's Congress in Rome of February, 2008: "Woman and Man, humanum in its entirety".
 
To encourage a wide-ranging and diverse dialogue, Ms. Figueroa has invited all ecclesial movements and associations who actively promote the role of women to submit papers. Please contact Isabella Moyer at [email protected] for more information.
 
Current papers, in several languages, can be accessed at the Pontifical Council for the Laity web-site at www.laici.org. Click on the Donne e uomo logo, and look for the heading "ARTICOLI DI INTERESSE".
 
Via Latina 22 - May 2008Via Latina

The May issue of Via Latina 22, News from the General Administration of the Society of Mary, is available at www.marianist.org. Articles in this issue include:

  • News from the Philippines
  • Education for Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation
  • Recent visits of the General Council
  • First Professions in India
Support Kenya 2009

IO/MLC logo

 

The next International Meeting of Marianist Lay Communities will be held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2009.  Approximately 50 delegates from 29 countries will be invited to attend. 

Because of rising fuel costs, travel to the meeting will be expensive.  Also, over half of our delegates reside in developing nations .

We are setting up a Scholarship Fund for Delegates to help with travel and meeting costs. Please consider donating to this fund.

Make checks to:  Marianist Lay Network and in the annotation line write "International Meeting Fund" and mail to:

Marianist Center
1341 N. Delaware Avenue, # 406
Philadelphia, PA 19125 USA

 
airplane

Are you a frequent traveller and would like to donate airmiles for delegate travel? Please contact NACMS intern, Ben Dougherty at [email protected].

 

Thank you for your generosity, we will keep you up to date concerning the progress of the fund. 

 

 GarasciaSig

Tony Garascia, MLC
President
International Organization
of Marianist Lay Communities 

MoyerSig

Isabella Moyer, MLC
Regional Responsible
North America,
Asia,
Ireland, and Australia
giftsandtaskslink

Past issues of Gifts and Tasks are now archived online at

GIFTS AND TASKS ARCHIVE

Gifts and Tasks is published on the last Friday of each month. We need local and national news, stories, reflections, and photos. Please send submissions and ideas for next month's issue to [email protected] by the previous Sunday.

And kindly forward this issue to contact persons within your country to help with its distribution. If anyone would like to be added to the subscription list, please send email addresses to [email protected]. Thank you!