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GIFTS & TASKS
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Helping each other live the Gospel at home & around the world

International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities (IO-MLC) 

Region of North America, Asia, Australia, and Ireland
APRIL - 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURED COUNTRY
India
AROUND THE REGION
Changemakers-USA
LET US PRAY
Japan
Ecuador
Chile
Malawi
Mother Earth
Politics
AROUND THE WORLD
FMI in Malawi
Friday Magnificat
Via Latina
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Vogt, Susan w mug
Susan Vogt
I have called together an international advisory team (Mike Wasno-USA, Jose Roberge-Canada, Sebastian LEE-Korea, and Ted Cassidy-Assessor). Occasionally different members of this team will share their thoughts in this space.

Ted Cassidy SM
Discerning the Future for our Marianist Lay Communities
As I've been learning more about spiritual direction, it comes to mind that some of the same principles might apply to helping our MLCs move into the future. Henri Nouwen's story, The Lion in the Marble, from Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith touched me.
There was once a sculptor who worked with hammer and a chisel on a large block of marble. A little child who was watching him saw nothing more than large and small pieces of stone falling away left and right. He had no idea what was happening. But when the boy returned to the studio a few days later, he saw, to his surprise, a large powerful lion sitting in the place where the marble had stood. With great excitement, the boy ran to the sculptor ad said, "Sir, tell me, how did you know there was a lion in the marble?"
In spiritual direction sometimes the person's spiritual growth may be blocked as if locked in a block of marble. By mutual sharing new, clear, and perhaps powerful solutions can emerge.
Our Marianist Lay Communities are growing all around the world, yet I sense that we are called to a newness that we cannot yet recognize. The lay movement in the Catholic Church is developing in many new ways. Pope Francis calls us to go into areas that we have not yet entered. I sense the Spirit is calling us to a new way of being together and we have to discern how to unlock it.

When founding the orders, Chaminade and Adele kept the lay branch very much in mind. Adele was gifted at relating and drawing women into her Association. Chaminade developed programs of formation for apostles with great skill. He led the first Marianists in confronting the false philosophies at the time of the French Revolution and formed communities based on the Gospel. He adapted and innovated as needs demanded.

Are we not called to unravel the false systems of our time such as our over-consuming economy, pollution of mother earth, and unfair treatment of the poor? How are we called to adapt our organizational structures and commitments to meet the needs of today? Our charism is meant to be about such tasks.

The lion of a new way of being Marianist Communities is in our hearts and prayerful discernment. Let us work energetically together to bring it to life.
FEATURED COUNTRY - INDIA
News from MLC India
April 13, 2016
 
MLC members participated in various events:
  • Gathered for a prayer service.
  • Members participated for the final profession of SM brothers at Nirmal Deep on January 3, 2016
  • Rev. Fr. Varghese Manooparampil SM shared information on "The Year of Mercy"
  • 200 years of Marianists special prayer in English is translated into Hindi with the help of Fr. James Dungdung SM.
  • We have translated this special prayer into Hindi so that we will remember in our daily prayer the entire Society of Mary, Daughters of Mary Immaculate, and MLC members across the world.
  • Finally, we the MLC members thank you very much for your support and concerns.    
Sanjay Saraiya
Bara, Jinius
Jinias Bara

Faithfully yours,  
Jinius Bara (former National Responsible, 
            reporting for Sanjay Kumar Saraiya)
Ranchi, India

AROUND THE REGION

North America -  
CHANGEMAKERS:
Creating New Responses for New Times
2016: July 22-24 at St. Mary's University, San Antonio TX
2016: October 28-30 at Mount St. Johns, Dayton OH

Options: 
  • 2 cities
  • 2 weekends
  • Add on Friday visits to local changemakers
  • Can't be there in person? No problem. Register for the live streaming video. 
Changemakers needs you and you need to be part of it. Click here for more information and to register.
LET US PRAY prayinghands 2
  • For those affected by the earthquakes in Japan (April 14-16) and Ecuador (April 16). Although no Marianists were injured, we pray for all those who were and that our local Marianist brothers, sisters, and MLCs may be able to assist those in need.
  • For those suffering from flooding in Malawi and Chile. Again, many Marianists live in these countries and certainly will be part of the recovery effort.
  • While we pray for those suffering from these natural disasters, let us add our resolve to work to slow the climate change that causes such disasters by curbing our personal and institutional contributions to carbon emissions.
  • For the political process around the world and especially in the USA during this long election season. May we listen carefully to all sides and be respectful of those who disagree with us.
AROUND THE WORLD 

FMI ANNOUNCE A NEW MISSION IN MALAWI 
Sr. Franca Zonta FMI and Sr. Ana Lucia De Goes FMI recently met with the Bishop of the Diocese of Karonga, in Malawi who has invited the FMI to come to his diocese to establish Saint Mary's school, a secondary school for youth funded by US benefactors.
The meeting with the bishop clarified several practical goals:
  • Commitment to the promotion of women in an area where the tradition of "girl brides" is still widespread;
  • Sensitivity and careful attention to the problem of education, particularly of youth;
  • Support for female religious life, and for the Marianist Family which the bishop already knows, thanks to the presence of the Marianist Brothers in his diocese.
Malawi, called "The warm heart of Africa," has a population of about 18 million, predominantly Christian with a significant Muslim minority. The Diocese of Karonga, formed in 2010, has about 65,000 baptized. It is divided into six parishes with 17 priests, one male religious congregation (the Society of Mary), and one female diocesan congregation (The Sisters of the Rosary). It is a very poor diocese, awaiting our inclusion with great joy and great hope. St. Mary secondary school will accommodate 600 girls. It will open its doors in August 2016 for the first cycle of classes. Read more:
ENGLISH                 FRANÇAIS                 ESPAÑOL
 

FRIDAY MAGNIFICAT - APRIL

EducaDando is a project whose mission is to educate low income children in the soft skills of self-esteem, creativity, leadership, and self-control as well as in values, like respect and solidarity. 
Read more:
  ENGLISH      FRANÇAIS      ESPAÑOL



VIA LATINA - ONLINE  Via Latina
The following articles are in the April #250 issue of Via Latina 22, the newsletter for the General Administration of the Society of Mary.
-New Provincial Leadership for the Province of Meribah
-New Assistant Provincial of the Province of Spain
- Towards World Youth Days (WYD) in Krakow
-Living Water and the Water of Life

           ENGLISH      FRANÇAIS    ESPAÑOL     日本語 (#249)

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Gifts and Tasks is published on the 4th 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 SusanVogt1@gmail.com by the previous Sunday.

 

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