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| Marist Mission Ad Gentes Project |
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| Overview of The Mission Ad Gentes Project |
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At the beginning of 2006, every Brother in the Institute
received a personalized letter from Bro. Sean Sammon, SG,
asking the Brother to pray and consider offering himself
to a new mission in Asia. Bro. Sean is hoping that between
150 – 200 Brothers will volunteer themselves.
From Bro. Sean’s letter, we read: At the heart of
the new mission ad gentes project is this dream: to mission
over the next four years 150 or more brothers to new apostolic
works throughout the countries of Asia and also to send
a smaller number to those restructured provinces that have
not yet achieved the necessary levels of vitality and viability
that are needed if a future is to be theirs.
This proposal is also in keeping with the current calls
of the Church and the signs of our times. For example, the
late Pope John Paul II writing in his post-Synod document
Vita Consecrata was optimistic about religious life and
its future. He offered this challenging insight: You do
not have only a glorious story to remember and recount,
but a great story to build! Look to the future…”
By undertaking this new initiative, we are doing just that.
(See full text of the letter on
this site).
As of this writing, over 130 Brothers have volunteered
for the Mission Ad Gentes initiative, which speaks of the
generosity of our Brothers and their openness to a request
from the Superior General.
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 Vicar
General and Delegates of the Superior General |
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Before sending the letter out, Sean asked
Bro. Luis Garcia Sobrado, Vicar
General, to head the project. He also asked Bro. Michael Flanigan
from the Province of the United States Province and Bro. Rene
Reyes of the Province of the Philippines to help assist the
brothers who volunteer, as well as search for new ministries
in Asia. Luis, Rene and Michael have been working together
until Bro. Rene was called back to his province because of
new developments in the Province that have caused unforeseen
needs to arise. Brothers Luis Sobrado and Michael Flanigan
will continue to coordinate the MAG Project. |
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| Orientation
Program |
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As part of the planning for this project,
it was foreseen that special help would be given to these
Brothers who signed up. And so
it was thought important to have an orientation session before
being sent on mission. Michael went to the Philippines in
August 2005 to search for a house in which we could have this
program. The Orientation Sessions will be conducted in the
St. Charles Borromeo Retreat Center in Davao City, Philippines.
A team for the Orientation
program was then assembled. Brother Tim Leen (New Zealand),
Alfredo Herrera (Mexico Central) and Roy Deita (Philippines)
have met a number of times, both with the team in Rome as
well as in Davao for planning the sessions.
These sessions will be conducted in English
because that is the most common second language for most countries
in Asia. Each missionary is expected to know English before
coming to the sessions, which will help him, not only for
the sessions, but for when he is asked to go to an Asian country.
The two sessions each year will be from January 15 to June
15 and July 15 to December 15. This first session is the only
exception. It begins August 7th. |
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| Preparation
of the entire project |
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Much of the work that Luis, Rene, and
Michael have been doing in Rome has been preparing for the
program. They have been writing up descriptions of the type
of ministries we’re looking into, the rationale for
us doing this at this moment in our history, etc. to be able
to present to Bishops and other people with whom we hope to
collaborate in the future. At the same time, they have been
working with the 18 Brothers who will begin the orientation
session in Davao. The team is also looking at how they are
going to maintain contact with all the Brothers who volunteer
for Mission Ad Gentes, not only the over 130 that have already
signed up, but also the additional Brothers who undoubtedly
will. They hope to maintain a high level of interest in these
generous brothers until they are actually able to go to the
orientation session and Mission. |
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| Process |
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When a brother writes in to express his
interest in the program, Luis contacts his provincial to make
sure that the Provincial is informed and becomes part of the
discernment process. Once an agreement has been reached with
the Provincial, Luis begins to help the Brother discern his
response to this request. If it seems to be a good thing for
him at this time, then Luis, the Brother himself, and his
Provincial begin to discuss when it would be good for the
Brother to pursue further integration in the Project. At that
time, the Delegates begin to work with the Brother.
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| More
Discernment |
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| The second stage of the discernment
process is the Orientation Session in Davao. This second stage
of discernment has two basic objectives: to discern whether
there is a real call to mission Ad Gentes, and if so, to prepare
the Brother for mission. It could happen that a Brother and
the Orientation Team, in the course of the Session, come to
the conclusion of not proceeding further in the integration
into the MAG Project. In such a case, it is hoped that the
experience and the orientation provided will be of help to
the Brother and to his future ministry. |
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| Insertion
in Mission |
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For those Brothers who have received
a call to mission, they will leave the Orientation program,
go to visit their families and the Brothers for approximately
two months, get visas for the countries which they will be
going to, and begin a period of “insertion” in
the country. A large part of this time, which will be approximately
six months to a year, will be learning the language and the
culture. These brothers will also be working directly with
the Delegates in discerning the specific ministries, among
different possibilities, where they will begin mission work.
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| Countries |
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| The Delegates have met widely with Congregations
in Rome who have a strong presence in Asia to get their feedback
and advice about where to look.
The idea is to send at least two communities
of three Brothers each to a country so that the Brothers are
not just one community, but can have the help of interaction
and interchange between communities from the very beginning.
It is meant to give a stronger presence in a country and a
support for the Brothers. |
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| Asia
and the World |
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While the focus of this Mission Ad Gentes
initiative is Asia, we will try to respond to needs everywhere.
For instance, there are already two Brothers each who have
been appointed to Algiers, Cuba and Haiti and there will be
two other Brothers who will move to Algiers and Haiti once
they complete the Session in Davao this year. These are countries
that have asked for another community as a support, and in
the case of Canada, to help the Brothers there revitalize
Marist life in that country.
Also, many of the countries to which we go
will be new presences for us in the country, but we also may
be responding to needs for new presences in countries and
provinces in which we already have an established Marist presence. |
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| Collaboration
with Laity |
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While the beginning of this project involves
sending Brothers to a mission in Asia, Brothers Sean and Luis
very much want lay people to be a part of this initiative
as well. The details of that have to be worked out, but lay
involvement should be part of the Project early enough. Understandably,
a number of practical details have to be worked through and
carefully thought out for lay Marists to be able to move away
from their countries. |
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| Revitalized
Marist Life |
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We hope and pray that this Project will
join with many other efforts and initiatives in the Institute
to bring about a revitalization of its life and mission. The
generous answer of many Brothers and the support and prayer
of those who cannot physically volunteer in the Project are
very positive and hopeful signs for the future. |
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| Your
Prayers |
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| We are asking all of you who read about
this project through our website to keep the project and all
the future missionaries in your prayers.
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Areas
