Phil: Philippine Sector Annual Retreat

ANNUAL RETREAT 2017: SPIRITUALITY OF ST. MARCELLIN

Last April 9 to 16, 2017, Holy Week, 51 Brothers gathered at the Jesuit Retreat House in Impalambong, Malaybalay City for their annual retreat. The theme of this year’s retreat was on the Spirituality of St. Marcellin Champagnat. In line with the celebration of the Bicentenary of our Foundation, this retreat was meant to revisit Fr. Champagnat’s spiritual journey as well as to rekindle the same spirituality among the Brothers of today.

This year’s retreat master was Br. Michael Green, an Australian Marist Brother, who did a lot of study of Fr. Champagnat’s life and his spirit. Br. Michael’s approach was to examine and to glean from the early brothers how they imbibed Marcellin’s spirituality through their encounters with him. Many of these Brothers were simple men; but the Founder was able to get them into the rigors of academic study and spiritual development. Some of them almost became little Champagnat’s in their own right.

On the last day of the retreat, the Brothers engaged in 2 important things: the Pre-Chapter Process Stage III called the Gathering of the Fruits and the Sector Assembly. In the first part, they gave the delegates some key themes for them to take to the 22nd General Chapter in Colombia. During the Sector Assembly, business concerns were tackled and other things with regard to the progress and development of the Philippine Sector since the last Provincial Assembly in 2016.

Fr. Nilo Labra, SJ and Fr.Neo Saicon Jr., SJ, resident chaplains of the Retreat House, took turns presiding the different Holy Week liturgies. During the Easter Vigil Mass, 14 young Brothers renewed their vows, while the rest of the Brothers had the devotional renewal of their perpetual commitment. On Easter Sunday, all the Brothers left Malaybalay to go back to their respective communities and missions.

BR. MANUEL P. ULUAN, FMS
April 18, 2017
NDDU, General Santos City

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