From 22 June to 6 July, we gathered in the town of Bamè, in the region of Zagnanado (Benin), hosted at the “Bernardin Cardinal Gantin Pastoral Centre”. We are the third generation of Piarists Going Forth, coming from the various demarcations of the Piarist world: America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. During these days, we have shared not only reflections but life itself. We visited the Piarist community in Benin, toured their school, learned about the future Piarist parish project, engaged in dialogue with the local people, and broke bread with the community of Piarist Fathers in an atmosphere of hospitality and fraternity.
Our experience has been deeply transformative. We opened our hearts to share our stories, our struggles, and our dreams for a Pious Schools that does not close in on itself but walks with children and young people wherever life demands it most. Together, we reflected on what it means today to be Piarists Going Forth: leaving comfort behind, embracing vulnerability, being available for the new frontiers of the mission, and living a concrete fraternity that transcends cultures and contexts.
We are driven by the desire to build a more incarnate, more courageous, and freer Pious Schools — one that, like Calasanz, dares to go forth, to listen, and to serve with radical love.
