OUR MISSION

The reference text is in Spanish

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The Message of the XIX General Chapter invites us insistently to give a bold and real focus to our mission.

2. These pages of information and orientation provide the basis for planning concrete actions in this area. The document begins with a reflection on the realities and challenges of the world, the Church, and our Institute as they impact on our mission as Marist Brothers. The compelling calls of this reality animate our apostolic vigor, shed light on our convictions, and bolster our confidence.

3. We highlight some of the current aspects of Marist mission and we seek to reformulate them according to the demands of the new Evangelization, and in the light of the signs of the times at the end of the Twentieth Century.

4. We recognize that there are urgent needs now among the People of God. We invite all, brothers and lay people who share our spirituality and mission : to commit themselves with us in our workplaces to bold and daring action plans to address these needs. Our invitation is also extended to our senior brothers so that they can continue to respond with renewed fidelity to the urgent needs of our time.

5. Finally this document leads us to concrete proposals that will bring life to each of the different levels of responsibility for mission : personal, community, provincial, and regional levels of the Institute.

Our action plans should move us towards new and challenging strategies.

II. REALITIES AND CHALLENGES

THE WORLD

6. Since our last General Chapter in 1985, the world has experienced some

remarkable changes. Several of these changes have an impact on our work as Marist educators:

—        The fall of real socialism and the development of neo-liberalism.  

—        The initiatives of peace, unimaginable a few years ago, (abolition of apartheid, accords between Israel and the PLO...)

—        The emergence of new nationalism and ethnic identities.

—        The rise in awareness of ecology and the concern for our planet’s future   survival. (Conference of Rio de Janeiro)

—        Incredible developments in mass communication systems which make the world a global village.

.

7. Great Challenges:

—        Secularism touches the very fabric of our society and culture. One of its consequences is the development of a practical atheism.

—        With the advances in technology and communication there are other phenomena such as: materialism, consumerism, and impersonalism, lack of awareness of the uniqueness of the other, of solidarity and of the transcendent.

—        These movements have created a crisis of values in the world society, in which the main victims are children and young people.

—        The systems which exclude many nations and human groups (a poverty that embraces two-thirds of our world’s population, economic structures dictated by the wealthy nations of the world, the problems of immigrants and refugees ... The constant tension between the economic blocks of North and South).

—        Systems of exclusion and social injustice which touch the dignity of every person (racism, unemployment, sexual discrimination, a lack of respect for the rights of children, religious fanaticism, sects, fundamentalism, etc.).

—       A lack of respect for persons and life that is manifested in human violence, abortion, euthanasia, etc.

—       Radical and constant cultural changes which have enormous repercussions on our task as Christian educators in reference to both content and language.         

8. Signs of hope

—       Young people’s search and thirst for life and for God, even though confused at times.

—       The desire of the poor and marginalized to become active participants in their           liberation and development, particularly in the face of repressive structures.

—       Citizens who press for the establishment of democratic structures in their countries to obtain a greater respect for human rights and liberty.

—       A greater sensitivity to cultural values.

—       Non-Government and Popular Organizations which have been formed as a significant way of helping victims of catastrophes and wars and those who suffer from hunger and from the lack of many other basic necessities.

—       Young people who work to establish more just societies and commit themselves to become agents of social change.

THE CHURCH

9. Since Vatican II, the Church has deepened its self-understanding and has become more conscious of its mission. We point out three significant calls:

—       The sense of being the People of God.

—       The preferential option for the poor.

—       The vision of a world where the Spirit is at work.

10.  In concrete terms, and in spite of many tensions, changes are taking place in the way the Church approaches its mission:

—       Dialogue with other religions.

—       Respect for other cultures.

—       The role and participation of lay men and women.

—       Acknowledgement of the principles of subsidiarity and pluralism.

—       An emphasis on the community dimension of the Church.

11. The evangelizing mission of the Church, understood in terms of the preferential option for the poor, has led to a sense of a faith that must be at the service of justice. The Gospel demands that reality must be interpreted more and more from the perspective of the poor.

From this realisation comes the challenge for the Church to empower the poor toward social transformation and integral liberation.

12. A significant group of indifferent young people can be found at the margins of the Church; others, conscious of their faith in Jesus, have committed themselves to proclaiming the Good News and to building up a Church which is more Gospel-centered.   

THE INSTITUTE

13. Our concerns:

—       The reality of ageing in our provinces and the impossibility of maintaining all of our present institutional commitments.

—       The decrease in the number of Brothers and the lack of vocations in some regions of the world.

—       The loss of catechetical and pastoral enthusiasm in some schools.

—       The difficult struggle to avoid a sense of elitism in the Catholic school.

—       The difficulty that some Brothers have in accepting the participation of lay people in our Marist mission.

—       The challenge we have as Christian educators to adapt our educational task to a cultural reality which is in a state of constant change and a growing sensitivity to the demands of inculturation.

—       The fact that we are not yet sufficiently present to the poor.

14. Our achievements:

—       A growing and deeper awareness of Father Champagnat who has become a reference point and model for many Brothers.

—       A greater consciousness of the significance and worth of our identity as Brothers,in a world that is hungry for brotherhood.

—       The practice of discernment which is playing a greater part in our lives.

—       The movement of many of our Brothers toward the poor. We see this preferential option as a Gospel imperative that must be an essential element of our fidelity to our charism and one of the basic criteria of our discernment. There is a desire for a greater pastoral presence among the poor and the marginalized, especially the young who are victims of unjust systems, of violence, of drugs, and of sexual abuse. In fact, we must be constantly discerning new ways of being present to the most neglected.

III. OUR CONVICTIONS

15. We believe that we share in the mission of Jesus Christ who walks with us on our way as our Brother. And we believe that our mission is to announce the Good News of the love of God and to build the Kingdom. ¹

16. We believe that, like Jesus, who took on our humanity and made himself servant of his brothers and sisters, we are called to immerse ourselves fully into each culture to which we are sent ².

17. We believe that the Holy Spirit is powerfully alive in the world and in the Church. When we are open to the Spirit in discernment our fidelity is ensured. ³

18. We believe that we are called to follow Christ as Mary did. She inspires our way of living and working. ⁴

19. We believe that our mission places us within the Church, in communion with all the People of God, Laity, Pastors, and other Religious, ⁵ consecrated for a specific mission: to evangelize children and young people, especially the least favored. ⁶

20. We believe that we share the charism of Champagnat and are called to interpret it in today’s world, wherever we are, together with lay people. ⁷ The original inspiration of Marcellin Champagnat and the first Brothers must be the basis for the reformulation of our mission for our times.

21. We believe that our personal and communal witness is more important than our action. ⁸

22. We believe in the prophetic dimension of religious life lived in community. ⁹

23. Today we are more than ever convinced of the timeliness and the validity of our mission in the world. Yes,it is worthwhile to be a Marist Brother, and worth the sacrifice of consecrating one’s entire life to this mission! ¹⁰

24. We live our way of belonging to the People of God in a unique way, complementing that of other Christians.

25. We are convinced that a greater participation in the local Church is not only a need for our mission in the Church, but also a source of renewal and of new life. ¹¹

26. We are convinced that God wants us to be Brothers, Lay Religious, present in the world as much as possible, especially among children and young people in a simple and welcoming way. ¹²

27. We are convinced there is a danger of being unfaithful to our mission if we remain closed in on ourselves, and, if we make no attempt to incarnate our mission, we will distance ourselves from the situations in which we ought to be living. ¹³

IV. CALLED TO EVANGELIZE

28. Our continuing reflection on the above realities leads us to highlight the following:

—       The primacy of personal witness over the spoken word for communicating Jesus Christ and the Good News.

—       The necessity of inculturating the Gospel Message and of inculturating ourselves.

—       Solidarity in our option for the poor and the struggle for justice expressed in our personal and community lives and in our apostolic works.

—       Commitment with the local Church, with all the People of God, to build up communion in solidarity.

—       The importance of the Laity in the mission of the Church and in our own mission as Marist Brothers.

—       The value of Christian education, within the school setting, giving attention to the following aspects of the Gospel: communicating the person of Jesus Christ, education in solidarity and to commitment, the transformation of society, integration of faith and culture, priority of pastoral programs, developing a sense of belonging.

V. OUR COMMITMENTS

29. We commit ourselves to building communities that are prophetic, simple, and open, especially to young people. (cf Solidarity 17)

30. We commit ourselves to evaluate the mission of our Provinces and Districts and make any changes necessary to be more faithful to our charism.

This implies making a concrete discernment of each work, particularly analyzing its goals and objectives in accord with the directives of the XIX General Chapter.

31. We commit ourselves to make the Marist school more directed towards evangelization:

—       where the educational community can share faith, worship and sacraments; (cf Solidarity 16)

—       where Brothers and lay people, being witnesses of Gospel values, live in communion with young people;

—       where an integral human formation is assured;

—       forming youth to a personal faith in Jesus Christ and a commitment to his values and mission;

—       creating a dialogue between faith, culture, and life according to the vision of Champagnat;

—       that presents Mary as a model for Christians;

—       that makes presence an important element of our educational approach;

—       where education to justice and solidarity commits young people to concrete actions..

32. We commit ourselves to promoting Catechetical works and Apostolic movements with audacity and creativity.

This implies:

—       getting to know the reality of the lives of children and young people through direct contact and dialogue with them;

—       acknowledging the growth process toward maturity as a Christian adult;

—       involving youth in the transformation of the world by committing themselves to concrete projects with the poor;

—       helping youth to discern their personal vocation in the Church;

—       presenting the community dimension as essential to Christian living;

—       working in close collaboration with the local Church, especially in the formation of catechists and leaders.

33. We commit ourselves to be more present among children and young people on the margins of our societies.

We respond to the urgent calls that come to us from young people who really are at risk: e.g. street children, illiterates, victims of drugs and of violence.

34. We commit ourselves to develop and deepen our "partnership" with lay people, both in our community practices and in our apostolic work.

This implies:

—       involving lay people in all aspects of Marist works, including their direction;

—       promoting and accompanying a systematic formation of lay people: spirituality; Marist education, leadership, justice and solidarity;

—       communicating the Marist charism and spirituality to lay people and being open to be enriched ourselves by their way of living the Christian vocation.

VI. CONCRETE ACTIONS

35. On the level of the Institute:

—       The General Council will set up an international commission to describe the characteristics of a "Marist Education Project".

—       The General Council and the regional conferences will establish interprovincial teams to give direction and animation to Marist Education.

36. On the level of Administrative Units:

Each Administrative Unit will:

—       develop or intensify a process of discernment for mission;

—       make it easier for Brothers to move to develop new interprovincial missionary projects (Ad Gentes) or to lend support to projects that already exist (cf Solidarity 15).

—       prepare and develop a project to promote the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family;

—       create projects for senior Brothers with a view to helping them discover their own forms of mission;

—       implement formation programs leading to a respectful dialogue with other religions and cultures to arrive at a true inculturation.

37. On the local level:

—       Each educational work will have a "project for the poor" that calls for the involvement of the Brothers, staff, the students and their parents and families (cf Solidarity 17).

—       Each Brother will enter into personal contact with the realities of being marginalized (Pilgrimage of Solidarity). He will be encouraged to comment on and share this experience in community.

—       The school community will encourage the development of apostolic movements that exist or initiate them where they do not exist (cf Solidarity 18).