For some days the Marist community in Bilbao became the headquarter for the European Mission Teams. Prayer, planning, coordination, and fellowship were the guiding threads of these valuable meetings for the development of the Marist mission in Europe.

Marist Educational Model

The first group to start their work in Bilbao was the European Education Team. They had the opportunity to visit the institution of Maristak Durango and learn about its innovative professional project, which has been promoting comprehensive education for over a hundred years in the Basque Country.

Another purpose of the meeting was to work on the Marist educational model as well as to advance actions for the Marist Observatory. At the end of the day, the group met with the Maristak Bilbao management team and shared a meal with the European Solidarity Team and the local community of brothers.

Promoting Marist Solidarity

The work continued with the European Solidarity Team and their enthralling visit to the Marist social work of Ausartzen, where the group could appreciate how the socio-educational model in the institution reflects the implementation of Champagnat’s charisma in favor of children in situation of vulnerability.

Subsequently, the team delved into the construction of the volunteer catalog for Marist Europe, the measurement of the impact of the European Solidarity Framework, and the development of criteria in emergency situations, among other topics that encouraged the team to continue promoting Marist solidarity throughout Europe.

Vitality of Youth Pastoral and Marist Mission

A third meeting took place in this series of reunions, during which the European Social Pastoral Team focused on coordinating training for youth pastoral companions and for the Marist Youth Pastoral Network that will be created by the Institute alongside the education and evangelization administration. Another project involved preparing for the second meeting of the European Marist Youth Team, which took place from February 2 to 4 in Barcelona.

To close an intense and very productive week of work, the European Human Resources Team had an online meeting to prepare the ground for a proper understanding and execution of the Functions Manual.

Both the work sessions and the moments of fellowship bear witness to the synergy within the European mission teams. We know that each effort and time invested will translate into better conditions for the children, adolescents, and young people of the Marist family in Europe.