As we mentioned in our last information bulletin, we arrived on the 12th of December in Colombo in order to give a session about religious leadership to the superiors of Asia. We can say it was, like in Africa, a very good meeting and all enjoyed the session and the way we could live together as brothers for several weeks. On the 18th they started the provincial chapter in Katugastota, the first provincial chapter in the congregation as preparation for the general chapter.
The house in Katugastota is more
or less ready to accept the second year novices beginning of March. Brother
Lawrencepillai will be the novice-master and Brother Janvier responsible for
the academic side. We gave Saint Stanislas Kostka, the patron saint of the
novitiates, as patron of this new house.
On the 19th of
December we arrived in Pakistan,
where it was rather cold. We remembered our last visit in June 2010 when we had
45° C: what a difference.
Also the situation in Pakistan
is totally changed for our brothers! We have now 3 communities: Lahore, Narowar and
Pasrur. In Lahore
we have our primary school and the new initiative for the psychiatric patients.
In Narowar and Pasrur, there is not yet a fixed apostolate, but the brothers
did a lot in order to become integrated in the local Christian community and they
renovated their houses, two former schools that are now ready to be used as a
community house.
From the 19th until
the 23rd we had a retreat in the Renewal Centre in Lahore, where all the brothers participated
and also a group of Sisters of Charity; it was a good experience for all of us
to be
together as one spiritual family.
We ended the retreat with the acceptance of our first associate member,
Mr. Ashraf and the acceptance of Bro. Saud who started again his probation
period in the congregation.
Christmas in Lahore was a special event with visits to the
other communities of the sisters with whom the brothers are collaborating and
to the Bishop’s office. He had a lot to tell about the growing of our
community.
On the 27th we
celebrated 25 years presence of the Brothers of Charity in Pakistan with a Eucharistic
celebration preceded by the Bishop. It
was a moment of thanksgiving and looking hopeful to the future.
The first weeks of January were
occupied with the general council meeting, a meeting with the colleagues of
GAAP and the participation on the meeting of the Vincentian congregations in
Rome, where we were asked to give a conference on the social doctrine of the
Church.
To all the brothers, associate
members, co-workers and friends: a blessed 2012!
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