Letter from the Council of the General Fraternity to the Piarist Fraternities and to all those who make up the Pious Schools
Dear Piarist religious, members of the Fraternities, people who share the School mission:
During these last four days we have held, in the presence of the General Congregation, the Second Assembly of the General Fraternity. For obvious reasons, for the first time in the history of the Fraternities we have held an event of such size in online mode, which has given us the possibility to expand the number of its participants.
The first thing we want to communicate to you is our joy. Although limited by the circumstances of the pandemic, we have been able to meet to pray, reflect, share our experiences and work together from the farthest corners of the Piarist geography, far away, but at the same time close to the idea that brings us together, the idea of following Joseph Calasanz’ dream of transforming the world.
We are experiencing moments of great enthusiasm and hope watching the Piarist Fraternities grow. We convey the enthusiasm of our brothers and sisters in the Fraternities to be called to answer God’s call. It is obvious that we are growing in number and presence. Our great concern is, as Father General Pedro Aguado said, “to know how to grow in wisdom, maturity, and grace before God and others.” We must take care of this beautiful creature that is the Fraternity and put all our efforts into it continuing to grow healthy and strong.
There is never any shortage of reasons to be grateful. We, the members of the incoming General Council, are grateful to the outgoing General Council for their work and dedication to the mission, for giving us an example to follow.
We thank God for the new Mission entrusted and the Assembly for the trust placed in each of us to accompany the Piarist Fraternity for the next six years.
In a world convulsed and struck by various reasons throughout any geography of our provinces, this new Council accepts with joy and optimism the new challenges of accompaniment, animation, unity, and growth of our Fraternity in the world in response to a Christian and Piarist vocation inspired by the Spirit for the evangelization of all our environments.
After this Assembly, the General Council of the Fraternity elected assumes for the next six years the task of accompanying the existing and emerging Fraternities. The General Council wants to be present in the life of each Fraternity, to be a traveling council, close to the Fraternities of the Order of the Pious Schools, to know their desires, their difficulties and strengths, even if it is not always possible in person. The Second Assembly of the General Fraternity has shown that the challenge of being closer is within our reach. We can’t let this opportunity slip away, we can take advantage of it. We are called to build a true Calasanctian family, both locally and globally, to build a true fraternity. Being aware of the belonging to the Calasanctian family with its vocational, geographical, cultural, and linguistic diversity must enhance our forces. To give light to others, we have to light the inner fire in our own heart. Walking together means sharing what lived in each Fraternity, sharing sorrows and joys, and being grateful to God for so many religious and so many lay people who have received from God the gift of following Jesus Christ in Calasanz’ style. As Father General Pedro Aguado said, “we must be more and more demanding in fidelity and availability for whatever God wills”, always ready to serve others, seeking their good.
It is necessary to continue to develop our commitment in the joint and shared mission, being aware of the enormous wealth that this entails for us, both the religious and the laity that have assumed the Piarist mission as ours, each one according to his specific vocation.
As we have seen by watching the videos about the significant experiences of each Fraternity, the identity of the Piarist Fraternities becomes stronger and stronger. The Itaka-Escolapios Foundation, which is a concrete realization of the Shared Mission, is bearing good fruit and allows us to grow the presence and the Piarist mission within the School geography.
We are aware that there are many challenges that lie ahead. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we will try to find answers to them. The strategic plan of the General Fraternity 2021-2027 that defines the objectives, strategies and measures that should guide the Fraternity’s action in the next six years will help us.
With a heart open to God’s will, with a great sensitivity to the needs of children and young people and with great encouragement we must respond every day again to God’s call through our daily dedication to children and young people.
We are very happy to be able to participate in this great project that are the Piarist Fraternities that for us are a gift of the Holy Spirit, of being able to meet so many religious and lay people in love with the Calasanctian spirit. It has been a few days that have filled us with joy, hope and above all gratitude to God for seeing how we are growing up as Fraternities, leaving behind childhood, spending adolescence, and aiming for maturity, always willing to welcome other creatures, and form an even larger family.
We ask God to give us courage, wisdom, and good discernment about what He expects from the Fraternity of the Pious Schools. We ask Calasanz to continue to inspire us and point the way. We ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and fill us with the gift of Counsel to continue with prudence; choosing the most appropriate words and actions for our sanctification and that of others.
March 6, 2021 Council of the General Fraternity of the Pious Schools
Fr. Emmanuel Suarez, Alberto Cantero, Carolina Paredes, Alfredo Marcos, Ilona Rudka
