NB:7-08112014 - Marist Brothers · NB:7-08112014 MARIST BROTHERS OF THE SCHOOLS (FMS) DISTRICT OF WEST AFRICA (TCHAD, CAMEROON, GHANA, COTE D’IVOIRE, LIBERIA AND EQUATORIAL GUINEA)

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MARIST BROTHERS OF THE SCHOOLS (FMS) DISTRICT OF WEST AFRICA

(TCHAD, CAMEROON, GHANA, COTE D’IVOIRE, LIBERIA AND EQUATORIAL GUINEA)

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Dear Brothers, As you know, the second Marist International Mission Assembly (MIMA II) took place at Karen, Nairobi, Kenya from September 15 – 27, 2014. This assembly drew participants from all the twenty-nine Provinces and Districts of the Marist world. It was indeed a wonderful experience of Brothers and Lay in prayer and reflection. To enable you have the gist of what happened in Nairobi, we have decided to publish the day-to-day activities of MIMA II in this edition. Similarly, the message from MIMA II will be published in the next edition. ---------------------------------------------------------

Report of the Second Marist International Mission Assembly (II MIMA) September 15-

27, 2014 done by delegates of the Marist District of West Africa

Theme: New Marists in Mission

One hundred and twelve (112) delegates from around the Marist world met in Nairobi, Kenya from September 15–27, 2014 for the second Marist International Mission Assembly (II MIMA). Brother Emili Turu, the superior

General of the Marist Brothers officially opened the Assembly on the 17th September, 2014 by. This was preceded by an African traditional welcome ceremony and a speech from Brother Emili Turu in which he urged the delegates to participate fully in all the activities of II MIMA. The daily topics for discussions included: i. Building community ii. Sharing our journeys iii. The fire that lights our flame iv. Brothers and laity in a new spirit of

communion. v. New Marists in mission vi. Looking at the world through the eyes of

children and youth. vii. Birth of a new era for the Marist Charism viii. Lighting up lives ix. Bringing the dawn to life The above topics took the form of dialogues, workshops, plenary sessions and testimonies. Daily activities were preceded by Morning Prayer and meditations dubbed “VOICE OF THE FIRE”. After ten days of workshops and discussions three challenges and opportunities surfaced as follows: Challenges: i. Change of mindset of Brothers in

accepting that the Charism is greater than the Institute.

ii. Geographical distance between regions, provinces, districts and even communities.

iii. Financial implications in training. Opportunities:

MaristDistrict of West Africa DistrictMariste de l’Afrique de l’Ouest

Distrito Marista de África del Oeste

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i. The organisation of the two Marist International Mission Assemblies in Mendes and Nairobi are in themselves opportunities for growth.

ii. There is Local and International co-ordination of networks for greater vitality of the Marist Charism and Mission.

iii. There is also the potential of young people to make a difference in the world as evangelizers.

Communicating the experience Regional meetings were held to discuss how to share the experiences from the Assembly. The African region agreed that;

- Delegates should give reports about what took place at the Assembly to their Administrative Units while waiting for the final Message of the Assembly.

- deadlines for such reports and meetings to share the experience of II MIMA should be set.

- Provincial and District Councils should facilitate the sharing.

Resolution of the delegates of the Marist District of Wes Africa The three participants from the District of West Africa namely; Brother John Kusi-Mensah, Brother Francis Lukong and Mr. Timothy Num-Darkwah resolved to reflect on their experience of II MIMA when they return home, make a formal report to District Council and recommend that a commission be set up to share the experience of II MIMA with the District. Cultural presentations There were three days of cultural presentations for the various regions to showcase and share their cultures and traditions at the Assembly.

The Regions were grouped into three for the presentations as follows: i. The Americas ii. Oceania and Asia iii. Europe and Africa The presentations included cultural dances traditional dishes, drinks and souvenirs. The African continent was the last to make her presentation on 24th September, 2014. There was a short film on the Late Nelson Mandela followed by a short speech by Br. Francis Lukong on behalf of the African continent in which he thanked organizers and delegates for choosing Africa for the Assembly. After thanking them for shunning fear, he congratulated them for their courage and determination to go ahead with II MIMA. African art works and carvings were displayed as souvenirs. Again all non-African delegates were presented with small drums in the form of key holders to signify the African way of gathering people with drumbeat. Delegates were further treated to traditional African dance from Nigeria. Closure The second Marist International Mission Assembly was officially closed on 27th September, 2014 by Brother Emili Turu who urged participants to share the experiences lived at the Assembly with Marists back home. The closing ceremony was followed by a missioning Eucharist which ended the Assembly. Conclusion It was a wonderful experience having the Marist family gathered for the Assembly with Brothers and Lay sharing the Charism. It is hoped that the consensus reached at the Assembly will go a long way to strengthen Brothers and Lay: New Marists in Mission.

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The Second Marist International Mission Assembly (MIMA II): (The birth of a new era). September 15 – 27, 2014, Nairobi, Kenya DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES:

New Marists in Mission On September 15, 2014, delegates from the Marist world arrived in Nairobi, Kenya to participate in the Second Marist International Mission Assembly (MIMA II) which took place from September 15 – 27, 2014 at Karen, Nairobi in Kenya. The host team had left no stone unturned to give the participants warm welcome. They were accommodated at

1. St Joseph Spiritual Centre, Karen, run by the Little Sisters of St. Joseph,

2. Roussel House, Karen, run by the Donum Dei Missionary Family and,

3. Dimesse House of Spirituality, Karen, run by the Daughters of Mary Immaculate.

The activities of the assembly took place at the Dimesse House of Spirituality. The main dynamics of the Assembly was twelve small communities composed of Brothers and lay to share their experiences, and reflections. The twelve days of the Assembly was guided by twelve symbols: home, hands, table, earth, fire, tree, horizon, eyes, drums, dance, coals and logo.

Monday, 15/09/2014: Arrival of Participants

The MIMA II participants were expected in Nairobi on Monday, September 15, 2014. On arrival at the various accommodation centres, each participant was given a backpack containing two notebooks, a water bottle, a T-shirt, and three books entitled "Guidlines", "Songs and Prayers" and "Marist logbook". Tuesday, 16/09/2014: “Karibu” (Welcome)

MIMA II participants visited MIC on the 16th of September 2014. MIC is made up of 97 Brothers from all the five administrative units of the Africa continent. It is also the largest and youngest community of the Institute. During this visit the Coordinating Commission thanked the Brothers of MIC for their support in the organization of MIMA II in Nairobi. Late in the afternoon, delegates were given a guided tour of MIC. After this they were led in grand style to the assembly hall where the rest of the activities continued.

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In the hall, Brother Lawrence Ndawala, the Superior of MIC, welcomed the delegates. Similarly, Brother João Carlos do Prado thanked MIC community for their collaboration. This was followed by Brother Christian Gisamonyo’s brief presentation. A repertoire of African dances presented by the young Brothers followed. A festive dinner crowned the “Karibu” (Welcome) Party. Wednesday, 17/09/2014: Building community

Earth and Fire

The official opening of the assembly started with the rhythm of the African drums summoning the delegates to the bonfire where an African girl narrated the African perspective of the Biblical account of creation. The second great story was that of the Pentecost. At the end of this story the paschal candle and five torches were lit. From here, the group moved to the second stage, accompanied by the beating

of the drums, to where the torches were extinguished. At this juncture the message of the XXI General Chapter was proclaimed. "Together we have dreamt our future and discovered the fundamental call of God today. With Mary go in haste to a new land!”

Prior to the official opening in the assembly hall, three Great Books titled Life of the founder; The Marist Book and the Book of the mission were opened: The first contained the following inscription: To educate children must love them and love them equally. I cannot see the children without wanting to tell them how much God loves them. And the fragment of his Testament: That among you there be just one heart and one mind. That it be always told of the Marist what was said of the early Christians: See how they love each other! The second contained some of the Marist virtues: simplicity, family spirit, love of work and the way of Mary, while the third was blank and yet to be written in. This was an invitation to the delegates to begin the new era.

The official welcome Back in the Assembly hall and in view of the official opening, the following were called up to take their places on the stage: Brother Emili Turu (Superior General), Cardinal John Njue of Nairobi, Brother Valentine Djawu, Superior of the Province of Central and East Africa,


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(PACE), Brother Francis Lukong, President of the Conference of Superiors of the African continent (CSAC), and Brother João Carlos do Prado, Coordinator of the Preparatory Commission. All set, a group of smart scouts sang the national anthem of Kenya followed by Brother Valentine Djawu’s welcome address. Brother Emili also welcomed the delegates as follows: "Thank you for accepting the challenge of participating in this Assembly. During these two weeks the entire Institute is here." Then he raised two questions: What can we expect from this assembly? And, why was Africa chosen to celebrate this Assembly? To his first question he expected "a profound experience of fraternity", "more sensitivity to our internationality, openness to the richness of our differences and future directions for the Marist mission". To his second question he pointed out that the assembly was being held in Africa because the Institute needed a "change of perspective”. Africa, despite all its natural and human resources, is not the centre where decisions about the economy or geo-political issues are taken. Rather, it is one of the peripheries of the world". In the words of Pope Francis, "the reality is better looked at not from the centre but from the periphery”. “I'm sure that this change of perspective will help us to be open to the novelty and creativity of the Spirit." After Brother Emili’ speech, Cardinal John Njue invited the delegates to be open to the spirit. On this note he wished them success in their work. This session ended with a Maasai folk dance. After a short break the Assembly was divided into 12 small groups, each represented by one of the following symbols: drums, dance, home, hands, earth, tree, eyes, table, fire, horizon, coals, and logo. The day ended with

the celebration of the Eucharist, animated by Brothers from the MIC. Thursday, 18/09/2014: Sharing our Journeys The Map of Africa

On the above map of Africa drawn on the lawn, of the courtyard of St Joseph at the Dimesse Sisters the delegates placed the stones they had brought from their country of origin. This courtyard was the venue of the Morning Prayer dubbed “Voices of the Fire” characterized by listening to stories of Africa.

On Thursday, September 18, 2014, the story titled "The Bright Mountain" was read. "Waku, a very pretty girl, spent a long time talking to the mountain”. The more the mountain heard the words of Waku the brighter it lit. The delegatess were reminded that "the mountain

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of our life, of our assembly, the mountain of our mission would shine more and more with our prayer." The first meeting of the small communities was dedicated to sharing "the experience of the journey made to MIMA II "and the sprouts of life and dreams of the administrative units. The day ended with prayer, thanking the Lord for the mother earth, and a folk, food, craft and cultural displays of the peoples of America. Friday, 19/09/2014: The fire that makes our flame

In his reflection, “The fire that makes our flame”, Brother Jose María Soteras’ stated that MIMA II was devoted to the mission, Marist spirituality and the new relationship between Brothers and lay. This was closely followed by testimonies of Marie Elia (Madagascar) Br Leonard Brito (Southern Africa) and Matloob Hayat (South Asia), from Pakistan.

During the first part of the afternoon, six workshops were held: Interiority (Br Oscar Martín), Inter-religious experience (Br Michael De Waas), Experience of God in daily life (Maureen Hagan), Silence and contemplation (Br Emili Turú), Gathered around the Word (Br Michael Green), and Praying from music (Manu Gómez). The day ended with a Marial celebration animated by the delegates from Mexico.

Saturday, 20/09/2014: Brothers and laity in a new spirit of communion

Saturday, September 20, the delegates reflected on “Brothers and laity in a new spirit of communion”, the second call of the 21st General Chapter asking for a new relationship between brothers and laity. Brother Joe McKee helped the Assembly reflect on what a “new” relationship of Brothers and lay based on communion meant. In his reflection, he presented a brief historical summary of how this relationship had been understood and lived in the Institute. Using the slogans which had appeared since 1962, Br Joe referred to a relationship which began with laity rendering services to the Brothers up to the time the Institute discovered that it was a shared mission; gathered around the same table. “The communion of Brothers and lay is the ideal we long for” he emphasized. The essential thing is that we find ourselves re-united under the same tree of the charism and that we feel called by God to give a vocational response. The Marist vocation, consecrated or lay, requires a new way of following Jesus Christ. There are some lay men and women who wish to be recognized as Marists. “How do we recognize lay Marist vocations?” Br Joe asked. The response to this question is one of the tasks entrusted to this Assembly. Brother Joe further talked about the change of paradigm. For a long time, the thinking was that the Institute was at the centre and everything revolved around it. The change of paradigm requires us to contemplate “the charism as the centre”. The sons of Marcellin, the Brothers, are the first expression of this charism. Today, expressions are needed


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which also recognize the presence of the charism in the laity. The celebration of the 200 years of the foundation of the Institute is an opportunity for a new beginning, perhaps with different forms, but a common Marist future. Brother Joe’s reflection was followed by testimonies of Rodrigo Sánchez and Estela Rodríguez and their children Josué and Lucía (Cambodia), Ana Saborío (América Central), and Br Arturo Buet (Cruz del Sur) about the challenges of Brothers and lay. Exercise of the 5 corners After the afternoon’s Marian prayer, Brother Tony Leon talked about “pareidolia”: finding meaning in images to help the assembly to “see the signs of God in the communion of Brothers and lay”. Five concrete themes were proposed: spirituality, fraternity, mission, vocation and association - organization. The Celebration of communion The celebration of the communion of the Brothers and lay was organized by the delegates of the province of L`Hermitage. They informed the assembly that “to be followers of Christ today in the style of Champagnat, we must be committed to the three fundamental Christian and Marist dimensions: mission, shared life and spirituality”. After supper, there was intercultural festivity animated by the MIC orchestra. Sunday, 21/09/2014: Outing: (Visit to MIC and to the Bomas of Kenya)

Sunday was a day of rest for the Assembly. The morning was spent at MIC, and the afternoon at the Bomas of Kenya.

After Mass, at MIC, the delegates processed to Brother Charles Howard Memorial Garden for tree planting. This was closely followed by a picnic lunch and a visit to the Bomas of Kenya where they enjoyed a display of music, dance, African folklore and acrobatic display. Monday, 22/09/2014: New Marists in Mission

Envisioning a future world The “story around the fire” was about a tribe settled from time immemorial on the side of a high mountain.

The leader of the tribe, who was very ill, called his sons and told them: ‘Climb the holy mountain. The one who brings me the most beautiful gift, will succeed me in being the leader’. One of the sons brought him a special and beautiful flower. The other son brought a beautiful multicolored stone. The third son

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told his father: ‘I haven’t brought anything. From the top of the mountain, I could see the other side, with wonderful meadows and a crystalline lake. I was so amazed that I was not able to bring anything. However, I am now obsessed with that new settlement for our tribe’. Then, the old man replied: ‘You will be the new leader, since you have given me the vision of a better future for our tribe’.

Each participant conveyed his or her feelings about the future awaiting the Marist Institute through a variety of colors, among which the blue of energy and the green of hope prevailed. Organizing the day Brother Maeb oriented the work and reminded the Assembly that the most important task was “listening to”, “observing” and “connecting with” the Holy Spirit’s inspiration for the Institute today. In order to capture the insights that would emerge during the day, a group was appointed to act as antennas for the Assembly, receiving the participant’s input and, in turn, presenting the summary to the Assembly for consideration. New Marists in Mission Brother Emili began his input by recalling the contributions of Brothers Jose Maria Soteras and Joe McKee, and then spoke about the missionary dimension of the Institute. He paralleled the General Conference – held a year earlier in the Hermitage – with the MIMA II. The General Conference brought together the Brothers who have been leading the Institute for the past four years the last General Chapter. They came to take the pulse of the Institute and envision a project looking into the future – he said. The General Conference is a non-deliberative meeting, such as the MIMA II, but both can share an international perspective and look into the future of the Institute. So far we have kept two horizons in mind: being mystics and prophets. The fact of celebrating the Conference at the Hermitage emphasized this perspective. At the General Conference, we asked ourselves how we wanted the Institute to look like

in 2020 and, in the perspective of the second centenary of the Foundation, we thought about “a new beginning”. The five major topics that emerged at the General Conference were children and young people in situations of vulnerability, global availability, interculturality, meaningful life, and spirituality. Pope Francis in Evangelii gaudium, he proposed a “pastoral and missionary conversion” which does “not leave things as they are”, but to go to the “peripheries”. Regarding this he highlights “cultivating an inner space”, and having “prolonged moments of adoration, and of prayerful encounter with the Lord”. Workshops There was time for personal reflection after Brother Emili’s intervention followed by six small workshops around the following topics:

1. Internationality (Bro. Ernesto Sánchez). 2. Looking with the eyes of a poor child (Bro. Álvaro Sepúlveda). 3. Being Church (Alfonso Ruiz de Chávez). 4. Evangelizers among youth (Jack Stamers). 5. Speaking of God today (Bro. Ismael and Lucy). 6. Children’s rights (Bro. Manel Mendoza).

The day ended with a cultural evening organized by Oceania and Asia during which the group shared cultural, artistic, gastronomic, and Marist elements from these regions. Tuesday, 23/09/2014: Looking at the world through the eyes of children and young people


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The young delegates presented the theme "The youth and the Marist charism”. Each one of them presented a symbol which identifies the qualities of the Marist charism. Their symbols spoke of presence, service, being a light to the world, joy, justice, community, going back to our basics, the way of Mary, illuminating the darkness, etc. They introduced individuals who reflect those values. Among them were a number of world leaders. After this, Santa María de los Andes, Australia, Canada and Ibérica shared their experiences and organization of New Marists in Mission in their provinces. The afternoon was devoted to short experiences of “immersion”. Accompanied by student Brothers from MIC, delegates in small groups went to visit the following:

- Don Bosco Center for rehabilitation of boys - Mother Teresa House – a centre caring for

orphans. - Kazuri association for women. - Ennomatasiani Girls secondary school. - Joram G. Boys secondary school. - Nyumabani-watotowa Mungu an

orphanage. Wednesday, 24/09/2014: Birth of a new era for the Marist Charism

What resonates in our hearts? The work proposed for this day was to review what had been experienced over the past days. For this purpose, most of the day was spent in an atmosphere of retreat and silence. A contemplative look helped us to "see" beyond the surface and

perceive life in its strength, courage, kindness and beauty. Morning Prayer: The arrival of the drum in Africa A folk story from Guinea Bissau was used to illustrate the theme. The tale speaks of white-nosed monkeys deciding to reach the moon because it was pleasing and as white as their noses. To get there, they decided to climb on top of one another and form a tower until the highest monkey could touch the moon. But those at the bottom got tired and the tower collapsed. The one who had touched the moon, however, was already hooked to it by its tail. The moon stared at him, saw that he was cute, and gave him a drum as a gift. Once the monkey had learned to play the instrument, the moon sent him back to the earth hanging on a rope and with a warning: “Do not touch the drum until you have reached the ground. Only when I hear the sound, will I cut the rope.” But the monkey was so excited that he played the drum before setting foot on land. The moon, hearing this, cut the rope and the white-nosed monkey plunged to the earth and was badly injured. A young girl found the poor dying monkey, who still had the strength to tell the story, and give her the drum. That was how the drum came to Africa. Since then people have made many drums and play them when they are happy and also when they are sad. They are used at celebrations and for communication . Motivation for the retreat Brother Eugène Kabambuka invited the participants to listen to their hearts as they contemplate the gift of the Marist charism. Champagnat was sensitive to the needs of the ignorant and a spirituality that made him passionate for Christ. He also found that gift in our "brotherhood." Africa puts it in the word "ubuntu," "I am because we are." He also recalled the acrobats at the Bomas, where each performer depended on the others. He cited an African proverb: "If you cross the river along with a multitude, the crocodile will not bite." For the personal work time, each participant was given guiding questions:

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How do you feel about the future? What engages you? What is it that nourishes your answers? How do you envision expressions of the

Marist charism in 2030? Their task was to define three elements or features of these expressions. Afternoon Participants met in their small groups to share their reflections and report back to the plenary. They were to envisage various expressions of forms of the Marist charism in 2030. A first intuition was to see the expressions of the Marist charism as a "great charismatic family in the Church", consisting of "a network of groups or cells" with "diverse forms of meaningful and multicultural Marist communities, which share spirituality, life and mission and where the lay dimension is evident.” These Marist communities would be composed of “prophets” and “mystics” witnessing to brotherhood and communion, “taking care of and accompanying the Marist vocation". Another aspect was focused on the creation of new structures: "creating a larger tent," a "new tent" with "structures that include all Marist vocations" and in which "those who identify themselves as Marist are recognized and respected". A final aspect of the Marist charism dealt with issues such as: "strengthening the culture of solidarity and voluntary networks"; "to promote mobile, international and mixed communities in each region with phrases such as "global availability" "missionary internationalism"; "a presence embodied in the national and international peripheries”. And it also strongly emphasizes advocacy for youth: “Brothers and lay committed to solidarity and justice"; "defending the rights of children and adolescents"; "involvement in social and political institutions." Selecting priorities In the plenary a number of key themes emerged: internationality, mystical-spirituality, youth, educational mission, vocation, periphery, communion, and children’s rights. Each participant

was given two stickers; red (first priority) and yellow (second priority). Preferences were shown by placing one’s stickers next to the key ideas emerging from the group work. The process helped the synthesis group in their work of producing a final document of the Assembly. Evening After the Eucharist, the Marist regions of Europe and Africa presented aspects of their culture, cuisine, art and music. Brother Francis Lukong, president of the Conference of Superiors of the African Continent (CSAC), took the opportunity to warmly thank the organizers for choosing this continent to celebrate the Assembly. Thursday, 25/09/2014: Challenges and Opportunities for the Marist Charism

The new era of the Marist charism implies many things: a true renewal of the Institute; a new way of being Brothers; a new relationship between Brothers and lay, new and creative styles of education, evangelization, defending the rights of poor children and young people; new fields for our mission; and the revitalization of our joint vocations ministry. In this new era, we will dance to the same Marist Symphony in so many corners of the world. The “voices of fire” recited a poem telling the story of Naman: The shepherds of the Peul Tribe, who guided their herds playing flutes, had spent the night around the fire. Flames had danced like vultures. It had been a beautiful African evening, a night of drums and dancing.


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In the morning, Naman was working the land when suddenly a child came running with a message: “The elderly are waiting for you under the Tree of the Word!” Surprised by this message at such an early hour, Naman left his daba, a West African tool, and went to the Tree of the Word. Next to the elderly, he found a white man smoking pipe. He was an emissary recruiting men for the war. The elders spoke: “You are our chosen one, Naman. Go and prove the courage of the Mandinka people”. The next day, the drums said goodbye to Naman as he left in a boat for the main port. Time went by. The sorcerers consulted the stones and scrutinized the entrails of animals. They saw something, but did not speak about it. News of Naman arrived a few months later: “Naman is well”. There was a party in the village that night. But another letter arrived several months later: Naman had fallen prisoner. This news weighed heavily on the village. The elders decided that Naman was thereafter entitled to dance the Douga, or Sacred Dance of the Vulture, which no one could do without having accomplished an important deed.

Route Map The day’s work began with a contemplative moment before a map placed on the wall of the Assembly Hall. Through this graphical exercise, Brother Tony Leon offered new insights on the routes for the Marist charism. It was a key journey for the work of the Assembly. The dance uniting the Assembly began by letting each participant bring rhythm to his or her own heart. Challenges and opportunities The group worked on the challenges in the morning and on the opportunities in the afternoon. The question was asked: What are the challenges and opportunities the Institute is facing nowadays that will enable us to live the Marist charism in 2030? The reflection centred on communion, mysticism and prophecy.

Challenges Regarding communion, the Assembly envisioned the need for “new styles of community life” which may “enact and promote personal, community and institutional conversion”. The group saw the importance of putting in place “the processes and structures that are necessary” in order to “promote and accompany the Marist vocation in its different expressions”, and “recreate the Institute” by modifying its structures. On the subject of mysticism, the Assembly proposed the following considerations: “convey, through our personal, community and institutional witness”, the “significant presence of God who inevitably gathers us”. Put in place “formation plans and projects” in a continuous and integrated way, in order to address the new challenges the Marist charism is facing. Develop and defend the rights of children in our “educational works and frontier missions”, as a means for social transformation, participating in the “public forums” where children’s rights are promoted. With regard to prophecy, the Assembly called for a “firm determination” to defend the rights of children. Opportunities Regarding communion, there are promising opportunities: the “different expressions” of “Marist identity and bonding” that are emerging; the call to communion and “joint formation” between Brothers and lay; and the concrete experiences of “new styles of community” and “mission in the periphery of society” already underway across the Institute. We should take advantage of and enhance the structures and networks in place within the Marist Institute to allow us to give our attention to those who are the reason for our mission: the new Montagnes of today. The following are other important opportunities: strengthening the networks connecting the Marists with different organizations and groups; opening our doors at the international level to share the existing “resources”; taking advantage of the “experience and potential” of an Institute which is present in 80 countries and is offering a rich variety of services (such as international volunteerism, international

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communities, educational exchange programs, and economic solidarity, among others). To facilitate our mystical dimension, we must take advantage of people’s “thirst for spirituality” and desire to develop their “inner space”; the living testimony of many Marists (lay, Brothers, young people). Other opportunities include CMI and FMSI and the international Marist networks that are in place in the fields of education, pastoral ministry, and solidarity; appreciating the importance of our “human and material resources”, and the fact that we are “present in different cultures. Our prophetic attitude can count on “young people’s leadership”, on their “creativity and audacity” as evangelizers. Our foundation, history and reputation, our image, presence and experience educating in 80 countries, has an enormous potential, which we must put at the service of the Church and the Gospel. Our presence in the world of education can change the world. The session concluded by asking each participant to express his or her priorities regarding the issues discussed, by using a red label to indicate the first option, and a yellow label for the second. Drafting the final document Four members of the Assembly – from the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Europe, and a member of the Central Commission, developed a synthesis of the inputs that have emerged during the day in order to include them in the final document. The day concluded with the celebration of our Marist world’s cultural diversity. Friday, 26/09/2014: Igniting up Lives

This poem motivated the day: Igniting lives, dreaming together of a better world for children and young people Igniting lives with a vision full of hope. Igniting lives with Champagnat’s same boldness and creativity. Igniting lives as part of God’s loving plan for our world. Igniting lives with respect for creation. Igniting lives as part of a project of solidarity with all human beings, especially the marginalized.

The legend of Bamako We listened to an African narrative, The Legend of Bamako, as part of the “voices of fire”:

Long, long time ago, when the night was dark, gloomy and impenetrable, and the moon was not shining, a young woman named Bamako lived in the village of Bamako. She was very beautiful and kind. One day, some soldiers who came from the north attacked the village of Bamako, and all those nearby. They only fought at night, hiding during the day. Bamako’s friends confronted them bravely, but they did not know how to fight during the night. One night the god N’Togini appeared to Bamako and said: ‘Djambe, my son, who lives in a cave by the river, has been in love with you for a long time. If you agree to marry him, he will take you to the sky, where you will shine every night. Your people will not have to fight in the dark, as you will light up the night’. Bamako, very bravely, followed the god’s instructions without hesitation. Djambé took her to the sky, as his father had promised. The brightness of her big eyes illuminated the dark sky. That night, the villagers achieved a decisive victory and expelled their enemies. Since then, the bright face of Bamako has been on the sky every night.

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The plenary session began by studying a synthesis of the challenges and opportunities. This was followed by the reading of MIMA II draft document and avaluation. The day ended with “Asante Kwaheri” (“thanks and see you soon!”) party characterized by dancing and ‘thank you’ to the organizers and the Sisters from the three where the participants were accommodated. Saturday, 27/09/2014 : Bringing the dawn to life

Father Ananzi One last story has been heard in the space “Voices of the fire”. It was the African story of how wisdom was spread through the world. Once upon a time in the Cameroons there lived a man called Father Ananzi who possessed all the wisdom in the world. The fame of his wisdom extended throughout the whole land, even to its most remote corners, and everyone came to ask his advice and learn from him. But some people began to behave badly and Ananzi became angry with them. So he thought of a way to punish them. After lengthy and profound meditation, he decided to deprive them of wisdom, hiding it in such a distant and unknown place that no one could find it. And so putting all his secrets in a pitcher, he sought to hide it in the top of a tree. But when his son,

Kweku Tsjin, saw his father going so mysteriously and cautiously from one place to another with his pitcher, he thought to himself: “This thing that my father is hiding must be something important”. And he proposed to watch his movements carefully. One night, when everyone was asleep, the father came to a clump of palm trees, looked for the most slender of them and began to climb with the pitcher of wisdom tied on top of his head. While he was climbing, the pitcher which contained all the wisdom in the world did nothing but roll around. The ascent was becoming very complicated. His son, Kweku Tsjin, began to shout to him: — “Father, why don’t you hang this precious pitcher on your shoulder? Climbing like that, with the pitcher on your head, is going to be impossible!” When Ananzi heard these words, he looked down and said: — “Son, I thought I had put all the wisdom in the world in this pitcher, but now I realize that my own son is giving me a lesson in wisdom”. And disillusioned he dropped the pitcher of wisdom on a stone and it broke into a thousand pieces. And, as can be imagined, all the wisdom of the world spilled out and spread to all the ends of the earth. Helping the dawn to be born


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Brother Emili Turu: The Superior General of the Marist Brothers. At the end of the assembly, Brother Emili talked to the participants about “awaking the dawn and helping it to be born”. He pointed out that the Assembly was “one step more towards the dawn of a new beginning for the Institute. He offered the participants the “image of the swamp” to express where we are going as Institute. The space in which we are called to carry out our mission is similar to a swamp or marsh, which is found between land and ocean, in a marginal locality, where no one would normally go to live. If someone is there, it is because he has been excluded, he goes there to find others who are sunk in the mire, without possibility of a future; a place of danger, disease, where you do not know what is beneath your feet. There are no tracks, but you have to move forward. It is hard to walk in the mud; it requires a particular strength not to give up, not to turn back. At the same time, it is a place of biodiversity, full of life; a mysterious place which recalls the creation of the world, with the Spirit moving over the chaos, offering the possibility of a new creation, a new beginning. With the word “swamp”, he gave 5 important elements for our journey:

“S” for “spirituality” “W” for “we” “A” for “at risk” “M” for “Mary” “P” for “pledge” He concluded by quoting the words of Brother Francis Lukong who, in the name of the Marists of the African continent, had said some days earlier: “Thank you for coming to Africa. Fear did not make you stay home”. “I too” –said Br Emili- “allow myself to repeat in the name of the Institute: thank you for accepting the invitation and taking risks. We sensed that coming to Africa was going to make the difference. We know today it was the right decision”. This was followed by tributes of gratitude to the Central Commission for the hard work achieved, the General Council for the drive it had given to the MIMA II, and the participants themselves for their enthusiasm and efficiency. The morning finished with the Eucharist of missioning. The first reading was the history of the promise of Fourvière. In the offertory procession there were twenty-nine posters, one for each province, district or sector announcing the beginning of the triduum, with the Montagne Year (2014-2015), which will lead the Institute to the celebration of its bicentenary. After communion, Br Emili proceeded to send the participants out to carry the good news of the Assembly to the whole Institute. The gesture began with the reading of the anecdote in which Champagnat presented Br Jean Pièrre Martinol with a roll of blessed bread to take with him on his journey. But Br Jean Pièrre kept it in his bag in order to share it with the brothers. This roll of blessed bread is the message of the MIMA II which all the participants will take away in their suitcases to share with the communities. Together with the bread to share, they each received a decorated ceramic plate, the handcraft of African women.

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-------------------------------------------------------------------- BROTHER JOHN PHILLIPS PASSED ON

On September 1, 2014 Brother Brendan Geary, the Provincial Superior of the Marist Province of West-Central Europe announced the death of Brother John Phillips. He died on Sunday, August 31, 2014 in Glasgow at the age of 82 and was buried in Saint Peter’s Cemetery in Dalbeth, Glasgow on Saturday 6th September 2014. Brother John Phillips was the principal of Sacred Heart College, Mankon, Bamenda in Cameroon from 1970 to 1988. He will be remembered by the Cameroonian Marist Brothers and the students of Sacred Heart College, Mankon for his sense of humour, dedication and for

the seriousness with which he promoted education in Cameroon. --------------------------------------------------------- BROTHER JOSE ANTONIO RUIZ’S FUNERAL CELEBRATED A TYPICAL GHANAIAN STYLE

Even though Brother José Antonio Ruiz‘s mortal remains laid thousands of miles away from Ghana, a symbolic burial and funeral rite was performed to honour him. This happened on Saturday, 30th and Sunday, 31st of August 2014 at Trede, Kumasi beginning with a memorial mass and ended with a thanksgiving mass to God for the life of Br. Antonio. In attendance were priests, religious, Marist Brothers, friends, Parish Choir, Bishop Sarpong's cultural troupe, and the faithful of Sacred Heart Parish, Trede, and the Chief of Sabin-Akrofrom, Chief of Mpehi in Offinso, Chief of Buokrom, and staff members of our schools, former students, friends and sympathizers. The occasion was spiced by the performance of 'Kete' drummers and dancers.

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--------------------------------------------------------------- THE VISIT OF THE GENERAL COUNCILORS TO CHAD

Brothers Ernesto Sanchez, C.G., and Antonio Ramalho, C.G., accompanied by Brother Francis Lukong visited the Brothers in Chad from September 4-11, 2014. This second lap took them to Koumra where the Brothers have a community and a secondary day school. The third and last round of their visit to the District of West Africa will be in Cameroon from December 8-18, 2014. ------------------------------------------------------------- FIFTY YEARS OF MARIST PRESENCE IN CAMEROON

The Golden Jubilee LOGO The celebration of the fifty years of Marist Presence in Cameroon was launched on Saturday, October 18, 2014 with Holy Mass

at 9.00 a.m. in Saint Joseph’s Cathedral Big Mankon, Bamenda in Cameroon. In attendance were the Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda Monseigneur Agapitus Nfon, priests and religious, teachers and students, the Shesans and ex-students of SJCC, Mbengwi and SACC, Bafut. The theme chosen for the Golden Jubilee celebration is “Journeying in Faith and Hope”.

The Brothers and some students of Saint Albert’s College, Bafut

The Brothers and some students of Saint Joseph’s College, Mbengwi

The Brothers and some students of Saint Pius’ College, Tatum

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The Brothers and some religious Marist mission in Cameroon started in 1965 when the Brothers from the province of Great Britain came to English-speaking Cameroon and started running Sacred Heart College, Mankon in the Archdiocese of Bamenda. The same year those from the province of Quebec came to French-speaking Cameroon and took over the running of Collège Stoll d’Akono in the Archdiocese of Yaoundé. Marist schools namely; Saint Albert’s College, Bafut, Saint Joseph’s College, Mbengwi and Saint Pius’ College, Tatum continue to feature prominently in the Catholic Education Agency in the dioceses of Bamenda and Kumbo. ------------------------------------------------------------- LIBERIA: Signs of Ebola decline in Liberia offer ‘glimmer of hope Information from Brother Washington Tekay:

Equipped with UNICEF-developed awareness materials, these girls go from door-to-door in Monrovia, to educate their parents, family members and friends about Ebola and how it can be prevented. In August, the streets of Monrovia were strewn with bodies and emergency Ebola clinics were turning away patients. Today, some of the busiest treatment facilities are now only half-full. Beds in those treatment units are empty. New Ebola infections have declined in recent weeks. The number of people who become infected after coming into contact with Ebola sufferers is sharply lower. The public education program warning about contact with infected patients is taking hold. Funeral business is off by half. This is the sign that the spread of Ebola in Liberia may be declining. However, it will take months before Ebola is totally gotten rid of. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will address the nation next week. She may likely extend the State of Emergency for another 2 months: November - December. In this case, the schools may open in January 2015. Movement in and around Monrovia is smooth but limited to other regions of the country. One may be tempted to say that life is normal. Deaths that are still occurring: 2,705 persons have died so far. Normal activities are taking place except the school.

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----------------------------------------------------------

BIRTHDAYS: November, 2014 3rd Ivo Njongai 11th Kevin Ngoran 11th Valentine K. Meyanui 11th David Cooney 19th Erong Sebastian Kanguri 23rd Joe McKee, Vicar General, worked in Cam. 23rd Birkem Pascal Funsa 23rd Alfred Ngaro Sadjinan 24th John Kusi Mensah 26th Seán Sammon, (Former Superior General) 29th Philip Ninfaasie 30th Andrew Iwuagwu, (F.Sec.Sup,Ghana)

December, 2014 3rd Antonio Ramalho, Link General Councilor 3rd Mbiatem Eyong 5th Isaac Kpulika 11th Michael Telewa 21st Daniel Osei Kwadwo 26th Tano Pokou Komenan 30th Evaristus Mbiydzenyuy

January, 2015 2nd Emmanuel T. Bongben 6th Elvis TardzenyuyTomla 13th Jose Luis Elias (he worked in

Korhogo) 18th Cyprian Gandeebo 24th EmiliTurú, Superior General 26th Francis Amoako Attah

February, 2015 2nd Martin Nguma Mbeng 3rd Blaise Beguerem 19th BrendaneTombir Sunjo

20th Francis Verye 22nd Anthony Doe Siryeh 24th Manuel Acal (worked in Monrovia) 26th Joseph Kwame Mammah

--------------------------------------------------------- CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES: November, 2014 to June, 2015

November, 2014 3 – 7: District Council Meeting, Accra 11 – 17: Canonical Visit Novitiate City 21 – 27: Canonical Visit: Korhogo Cty, CI 28 – Dec. 4: Canonical Visit: Bouaké Cty, CI

December, 2014 8 – 18: Cameroon: Visit of Gen Councillors 22: Final Profession, Tatum

January, 2015 District House, Accra

February, 2015 9 – 12: CSAC AGM, MIC, Nairobi, Kenya 13 – 14: Workshops, MIC, Nairobi, Kenya 15 – 18: Student Brothers, MIC, Nairobi 23 – 2 Feb: Canonical visit: Tatum City, Cmr.

March, 2015 3 – 9: Canonical visit: Bafut City, Cmr 17 – 21: Canonical Visit: Kwadaso Cty, Gh 22 – 27: Canonical Visit: Buokrom Gh

April, 2015 13 – 15: Novitiate Board Meeting (Kumasi) April, 2015: District Council (Date/Venue???)

June, 2015 7 - 12: Novitiate, Kumasi 10, First Religious Profession (Trede)

July, 2015 Date ???? District Council meeting

August, 2015 3 - 7: 6th District Chapter

Documents

NB:7-08112014 - Marist Brothers · NB:7-08112014 MARIST BROTHERS OF THE SCHOOLS (FMS) DISTRICT OF WEST AFRICA (TCHAD, CAMEROON, GHANA, COTE D’IVOIRE, LIBERIA AND EQUATORIAL GUINEA)