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 Visit to the District of Central America
Br. Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría
Rome, September 15, 2003 |
The visit to the District of Central America took place in the context
of the District Centenary. Basically there were three main activities:
1. An Education Forum in Managua and the celebration of the Centenary
2. A Joint Council Meeting in Guatemala
3. The 50th Anniversary of the College of San Pedro Sula , Honduras
  1.
The education forum which took place in Managua on August 18th and
19th , was a very significant experience in that a video-conference took
place involving the six countries of the District/Sub-District. It was
the most important experience in this field in Central America, with
1,200 participants. It was prepared by a joint District/Sub-District
team: two Brothers and two lay persons. Four Themes were developed:
The Family (Br. Alvaro Llano, Columbia)
Youth Cultures (Co-ordinator of a panel of 12 young people from the
District/Sub-District, Salvador Valle, Mexico)
New Technologies in Education (Br.Oscar Azmitia)
The Awakening of Christian Commitment (Br.Alvaro Rodriguez)
For each theme three questions were asked of the speaker. The Minister
of Education of Nicaragua, past-pupil and exemplary Christian and the
Bishop of the Vicariate of Bluefields , participated during the entire
meeting. On the last day, in recognition of the work carried out by the
Brothers and Lasallians during the last hundred years, the Br. Superior
was awarded
the country's highest decoration , the Order of Ruben Dario , with the
rank of Commander.
On the 20th there was a commemorative day in Leon where the first
community was created. The first work was a hospice for orphans, which
today is the La Salle Technological Institute, at the service of the
working classes. Three French Brothers from the early days were buried
in the original chapel, as was Fr. Dubon who brought the Brothers to
Nicaragua. The novices from Costa Rica participated in these
celebrations.
For more text and pictures visit their site at:
www.lasalleca.org/
2. Joint Council Meeting of the District of Central America -
Sub-District of Panama (Guatemala , August 22nd )
Br. Alvaro expressed the idea that unification was the most important
theme of this Council Meeting and that it was providential that we
reflect on this on the occasion of the Centenary since this ought to be
held in the line of the vitality and viability of the Institute and on
behalf of the children and young people we educate, and not in our own
interests. He pointed out that ours is not a unique occurrence in the
Institute and that in other sectors also they had gone through the
process of union between Districts. We have successful examples such as
the uniting in Italy of Rome and Turin and the experience of the
Near-East District (where there are different countries, languages and
religions). He then mentioned the Antilles which is now a provisional
delegation moving towards a process of unification with one or more
other Districts. From this we see that we need to situate these
processes in wider contexts.
Likewise he told us that this movement was also going on in other
Congregations. He cited as an example the Marist Brothers who have
totally restructured their Institute. In the case of Central America, he
affirmed, the lived process has been positive and has permitted the
process of development of the District and the Brothers of Central
America. But given the situation in the future, the international
situation with regard to laws on retirement and given the circumstances
in the sense that the aims have been achieved, it is the time for
unification.
And this must be done in a spirit of fraternity, dialogue, respect and
tolerance.
On the day following the Joint Council there was an outing, with the
participation of all the Councillors and in an excellent spirit.
In Guatemala Br.Superior spent a day with those in formation:
Scholastics (6) , Postulants and Pre-Novices (28) from Guatemala ,
Nicaragua , Costa Rica , Panama , Haiti , Peru , Bolivia , Cuba and
Santo Domingo.
 3.
The 50th Anniversary of San Pedro Sula , Honduras: For three days
Br. Alvaro shared with the community of San Pedro Sula which was
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the College. There was a meeting
with all the students , a meeting and a dinner with the teachers , a
visit to the Centre for the Promotion of the Child , a work of the
people , supported by the College and the Past-Pupils , whose Board of
Directors he met. There was a Mass in the Cathedral presided over by the
Bishop. |
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