Piazzale M. Champagnat, 2 - C.P. 10250 - 00144 Rome

UPDATE 53

Piazzale M. Champagnat, 2 - C.P. 10250 - 00144 Rome 11.3.1999 Tel.(39) 06 545 171 - Fax (39) 06 545 17 217 – Email: [email protected]

Latina America – Southern Region Christian Gisamonyo, from Congo, Biblical FORMATORS MEETING Theology, the Gregorian. Eleven Brothers from the Southern Region met in Cochabamba, Bolivia from October 1st A Happy Problem Calling for Trust to the 4th to share their experiences about HOUSING PROBLEMS their work in Postulancies and Novitiates. In a There are some twenty Postulants in the Dis- warm spirit of brotherhood, they reflected on trict of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon basic criteria for pre-novitiate programs in line Islands. In planning for the year 2000, the Re- with refounding and in light of commitments gional Novitiate of the Pacific may run into a made by the Provinces of Latin America at housing shortage. One Brother posed the the IX Conference of Latin American Provin- question, “Are we the only District or Province cials (CLAP). Leading topics included the in the world in crisis due to too many voca- challenging experience of directing an inter- tions?” An additional Brother has joined the provincial Novitiate in a poor area; key com- Formation Team to take care of spiritual di- ponents for formation in the Postulancy rection for the Novices. (Marist Apostolic Spirituality and closeness to the poor, and the further development of in- Sowing the Seed of Marcellin’s Charism culturation); and the need to hold regularly MARIST PRESENCE IN TANZANIA scheduled meetings for formators involved at Brothers from the Western Province of Mexi- different levels of the process. co arrived in Tanzania at the beginning of 1992. Today there are two communities, The International College in Rome those of Masonga and Mwanza, with five NEW ACADEMIC YEAR Brothers on mission. Little by little, they have Presently the community of the International been approaching young people interested in College consists of twenty-three students, following in the footsteps of Marcellin. This three staff members, and a chaplain. The stu- year has seen stepped up efforts in the field dents, including seven new ones, come from of youth work and vocations. The Brothers nine countries: 7 Brothers from Brazil, 4 from have visited more than fifty schools in six dio- Spain, 2 from Korea, and one each from Con- ceses, witnessing to our Marist life and go, Malawi, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Mozam- charism. The response has been very posi- bique, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto tive. Young men who express interest receive Rico, and El Salvador. They study Pedagogy, accompaniment through an exchange of let- Education, Theology, and Spirituality at vari- ters and vocation meetings. The Brothers are ous universities throughout the city: Salesian, hopeful of opening a pre-Novitiate Center in Gregorian, Teresian, Marianum, Angelicum, July of next year. Claretian, Alfonsian and Lateran. Four Broth- ers graduated in recent months with BA de- A Gift from the People of Costa Rica grees: Br. José Eduardo Yapura from the STATUE OF SAINT MARCELLIN Province de Cordoba with a degree in Spiritu- The Republic of Costa Rica, through its Am- al Theology from the Gregorian; Dionisio R. bassador to the Holy See, Mr. Javier Guerra, Rodrígue, Porto Alegre, in Spirituality, the is marking the 150th Anniversary of the coun- Teresian; Albert Nzabonaliba, Rwanda, try’s recognition by the Vatican by donating a Scholastic Pedagogy, the Salesian; and statue of St. Marcellin Champagnat to be placed outside of St. Peter’s Basilica, in the UPDATE Number 53 Rome, November 3, 1999 página 2

Courtyard of Ambassadors. This is in accord commemoration of a a Christian martyr is a with the Works of St. Peter, a Vatican Depart- time for deepening our faith and asking God ment headed by Cardinal Virgilio Noé. The for the grace of peace and reconciliation.” vaulted niches are the work of Michelangelo. The process for Br. Bernardo’s beatification The Costa Rican sculptor Jorge Jiménez is moving along well, and it is anticipated that Deredia, a resident of Italy and winner of Vati- he will be beatified sometime in the next cou- can City’s International Beato Angelico ple of years. Award, has been commisioned to design the statue. Some data – height of the statue, Being Published in New York 15.26 feet; height of the base, 1.97 feet; total A NEW BIOGRAPHY OF ST. MARCELLIN weight of the block of marble, 35 tons; type of Alba House Publishers in New York recently marble, Carrara, white for the statue and gray announced that they will be releasing a new for the base. The unveiling of the statue will Life of Father Champagnat in January 2000. probably take place in June of next year. The book, written by Brother Seán Sammon, is an expanded edition of a shorter version Father Negrini, Order of St John Calabria that he wrote for the canonization in April ROBBED AND MURDERED 1999. The new text includes additional mate- Father Umberto Negrini of Italy, 59 years old, rial on factors that helped shape Marcellin’s a member of the Order founded by St. John personality and mission, profiles of the early Calabria, was robbed and murdered in Luan- members of the Marist Movement, and a new da, Angola on October 30th. He had been a chapter on Father Champagnat’s spirituality. missionary in Africa since 1985. Father Elvio Cardinal John O’Connor, in an endorsement Damoli, a priest of the same Congregation of the book, said that it was “truly welcome.” and the Director of Caritas Italy described He wrote further that he hopes “the text intro- what happened as a “criminal act spawned by duces many people to the life and work of the social chaos resulting from 30 years of Saint Marcellin Champagnat, …and serves civil war.” We pray for Father Negrini’s eternal as an impetus for vocations to [the] Congre- rest with the Lord. gation.”

Spreading an Image Dear to our Hearts Brothers from the General Council MEDAL AND STAMP TO HONOR OUR A VISIT TO THE PROVINCES IN CANADA GOOD MOTHER Brothers Seán Sammon and Luis García So- The image of our Good Mother venerated by brado recently visited the Provinces of St. Marcellin has been chosen by the Brazil- Iberville and Québec. Brother Benito joined ian Mint to appear on a commemorative them during the final week and participated in medal for the 2000th Anniversary of Christ’s a meeting with the two Province Councils Birth. The image will also appear on a held at Drummondville, Canada. Refounding, postage stamp on aerograms being issued restructuring, the mission of the Marist Broth- for Christmas by the Brazilian Postal Service. ers in Canada today, and vocation promotion were among the many topics raised during Mortal Remains Transferred to New Site the course of the visits. In but one new initia- BR. BERNARDO (PLÁCIDO FÁBREGA) tive to promote vocations, Brothers from our On October 9th, the remains of Br. Bernardo two Canadian Provinces have joined with the (Plácido Fáberga) were exhumed from the Marist Fathers of Canada and opened a new Cemetery of the Parish Church in Barrruelo community of welcome in Québec City, near (España). Br. Bernardo died for the Faith on the University. That community is made up of October 6th, 1934, during the Spanish Civil Father Jacques Arguin, and Brothers Claude War. The transfer of his remains was the oc- Desaulniers (Iberville) and Charles-Henri casion for a big celebration bringing together Guay (Québec). the entire mining region of Santullán and a large contingent of Marist Brothers. An urn MAPAC Board meets with the remains was placed in a beautifully PLANS FOR FUTURE FORMATION NEEDS designed sarcophagus next to the baptismal IN ASIA/PACIFIC REGION font. In his homily, His Excellency Rafael Members of the Board of the Marist Asia/Pa- Palmero, Bishop of Palencia, said that “the cific Center met in the Philippines recently to UPDATE Number 53 Rome, November 3, 1999 página 3 plan for the regional Post-Novitiate Formation sometime in November 1998. After that, we Center located in Manila. Anticipating an in- will publish other “Notebooks” that were due crease in the number of young Brothers com- out this year, and then we will be on target to ing to the Center over the next few years, the issue two new Numbers next year. Delays group discussed staffing and looked at what have not been due to the work of editing but necessary expansion might be called for to rather to internal restructuring in the Publica- accommodate the growing number of young tions Office. Brothers in the region. Brother Carl Tapp, Rector, and the formation team of the Center Information About Our Causes hosted the Provincials and District and Sector OUR PROCESSES: WHERE THEY STAND Superiors who make up the Board. Following the canonization of St. Marcellin, Brother Barry Burns, the Provincial of the processes in our Institute are on a dual track: Province of New Zealand, was elected as one for Brothers François and Alfano, as moderator of the Board of the MAPAC. Confessors; and the other for our Martyrs. In regard to François and Alfano, in both cases 12 million Voices in Colombia we are waiting for the acceptance of miracles A CRY FOR PEACE: “NO MORE!” that would lead to their beatification. Con- On October 24th, coinciding with the demon- cerning the Martyrs, these include 173 Broth- stration that filled the streets of Colombia with ers and two lay people from Spain, and four twelve million people demanding peace and Brothers from China. an end to kidnappings and violence in that In Spain, there are eight processes being pre- country, the Justice and Peace Commission pared, of which four have been brought to- of the Union of Superiors General assembled gether into a single “positio”. At the present a large gathering in Rome for a march cham- time, two “positio” have been brought for- pioning the same cause, the coming of peace ward, one for Br. Bernardo, who is furthest to Colombia after 35 years of bloodshed. along the road to beatification, and one for Br. Laurentino and forty-five Companions. Appointment In China, ten Brothers are under considera- NEW PROVINCIAL OF PORTO ALEGRE tion as Martyrs: four who were victims in the Br. Lauro Francisco Hochscheidt has been Boxer Rebellion in Beijing in 1900, five killed named Provincial of the Province of Porto in Nantchang in 1906, and Br. Joche-Albert, Alegre, Brazil for an initial term of three years. who died at the hands of the Communists in 1951. Only the first group has reached the Recent Publications so-called informative stage, under the aus- FROM THE GENERAL HOUSE IN ROME pices of the Vincentian Fathers. In our Con- “Advent and Solidarity 1999: Journey to 2000 gregation, this cause is considered a “causa Sharing the Hope of the Poor,” put together silens” because it is not being followed up by by the International Bureau of Solidarity here the Vincentians at this time. in Rome, has just been sent out. The booklet Saints’ lives are like the lamp in the Gospel; is meant to serve as an aid for daily personal they should not be hidden away but held aloft prayer in preparing for Christmas. as beacons to inspire people everywhere. “Marist Notebooks” Number 14 is now being Attached to this UPDATE you will find a chart printed, with a projected publication date for indicating the progress of each cause that we have been working on. ______