During the tenth Chapter workday, the assistants have addressed the different Chapter Nuclei with a particular time to present the Fraternity’s Reality.
The Bethany Province was in charge to lead the eucharist this morning. In the homily, and paraphrasing the Gospel, the weaknesses of the Pious School have been compared with a small boat, that is resisting brunts of the world. During the morning, and also at some point in the afternoon, the Chapter Fathers have approached three nuclei that are related to the key of ‘Building the Pious Schools’: the renewal of our Culture of Order, the comprehensive sustainability and the boost of participation.
With a very participative environment, the Chapter Fathers have had the opportunity to share their perspective about the different nuclei and again, the richness of the Pious Schools diversity have become apparent. About the Culture of Order, the challenge of how we live as Piarist has come out as an issue to be treated. “It is about making compatible in the daily basis, in joy and normality, the fact of putting together our happiness with our vocation, of which we should be proud of”, an idea that has been shared in the plenary.
About the sustainability of the Order, the idea that the Pious Schools are ‘Good News’ has become apparent as well. Out there, in the places that we are in Africa and Asia, “we have been requested to build more schools and to go deep into our mission”. At this point, the challenges of boost still remain, like changing the model income/expense for the income/investment or the overcoming of the ‘trap of poverty’ in those less developed areas where the savings are key to take the mission forward.
In the first session of the afternoon, the main topic was the boost in participation and there was an emphasis on Fraternity as a key for the future. The apportations that were done by the assistants showed the rich situation’s diversity in the different cultural contexts where the Piarist are present. In this sense, it is highly valued the project of presence as an instrument of networking, proximity and mutual acknowledgement. Also, another of the initiatives that need to be boosted is the Piarist Cristian Community as a charismatic engine in the different presences.
At the end of the evening, the Fraternity’s reality was presented by members of the General Council of the Fraternity: Fr Emmanuel Suárez, Alberto Cantero, Alfredo Marcos, Carolina Paredes and Ilona Rudka (this last one telematically); they highlighted the growth of the Fraternity during this six-year term and emphasize the future challenges that need to be faced so the network can be consolidated.
