Provincial Visitation

Carrying on a tradition dating back to St. Marcellin, each year the Provincial visits each community and is available for a conversation with each brother. Yesterday and today, Br. Ben Consigli, Provincial and Br. Roy George, Vice-Provincial, have been doing just that. At a community meeting with all seven of the brothers in Lawrence, Br. Ben outlined six areas of focus for a healthy religious life. He also gave us a "state of the province report", noting that most of our schools are holding their own regarding enrollment, with a couple facing serious challenges, which are being addressed. Notable among his facts were that the total number of brothers in the Province of the United States of America is 165, and for the first year, there will be more "non-income producing brothers" than "income producing". Not that the "non-incomers" are not working, but they have retired from the classroom and moved into more volunteer type work, such as permanent sub-ing, or study hall superivison...something to keep in contact with students and a Marist presence visible. While these realities might be a bit disconcerting, there is a lot of hope and movement toward growth.
Our Vocation Directors are very active, visiting schools, encouraging local communities to invite young people to "come and see" or "come and eat" (very popular). Two very good and talented young men are in serious discernment and could possible enter as postulants in 2013. Aggressive use of the internet is also producing interest beyond our Marist Schools and circles.
A further creative approach was the creation of A sub-region of the Americas, referred to as "Arco-Norte", including Canada, the USA, Mexico, Central America and Venezuala. Another region, known as Norandina, comprised of Bolivia, Columbia and Peru, recently welcomed 12 postulants, 3 second year, and 9 first year, to begin their formation. These regions allow for sharing of personnel, resources and creativity to address the needs of our time. St. Marcellin faced similar crises: lack of vocations, debt, opposition of all sorts; he turned to Mary and in a prayer he composed to her, boldly reminded her that if the oil ran out in the lamp, it was her fault, and that she should step up and refill it. And she did. We need her help and that same boldness of St. Marcellin to meet today's challenges. And it seems we're moving closer and closer towards them each day.
Bro. Rene