All this week we have had the opportunity to celebrate the Coordination Assembly that has taken place in Godella (Valencia), more specifically in the Abbey of St. Joseph. This very special event brought together 16 members of the Marist Region of Europe (MRE) and was also attended by Carlos Díez, of the Zitec Consultancy, who took with us the initial steps necessary to draw up the Strategic Plan 2025.

The main objective of our meeting was to be able to continue working on this new Plan and update the previous one; joining now strategic lines, initiatives and actions. Along these lines, the coordinators of the MRE teams have joined together to work on new challenges and project the future of our Region.

Likewise, we have felt reflected in weaknesses and strengths, and we feel as representatives of the Region of Europe (MRE) that we can still take many steps forward.

During these days of meeting we have spent most of the time talking and moving forward in working groups, being so effective in the way of collaborating together that we have come to cover most of the projects (up to eighteen of them), which we have detailed in actions.

Some of the topics in which we have been delving these days have been: information on the current pastoral and educational situation of the five provinces; the revision of the educational motto 2023-24 and the projection of pastoral activities for the academic year 2022-23 among others.

“We have to look beyond”, explained Brother Teodorino Aller, head of the Regional Secretariat, as he spoke of the organizational chart of the MRE, with the Regional Council at the center, flanked by the Mission Council, Marist Life and the other teams, considered as transversal. All of this is to be combined and combined with the communities, formation and plans of the Marist Institute.

Brothers Patxi García and Christophe Schietse, also members of the Regional Secretariat, completed the presentation on the work days of the assembly, in addition to leading the moments of prayer and sharing reflections and moments during these three days, during which there was also a review of the model of governance of the Marist Region of Europe.

Brothers Albert André, Javier Gragera, Román Álvarez, Álex Mena and Pau Tristany – members of the Mission Council – were also present in the different working groups, in which were also present the coordinators of Solidarity (Belén Salas), Pastoral Ministry (Br. Andoni González), Protection of Minors (Fernando Domínguez), Brothers (Damiano Forlani), Laity (Marta Portas), Economy (Alfonso García) and Communication (Víctor Recuerda); as well as Br. Gabriel Villa-Real as representative of the European Regional Council (RCE).

Under the title “Vision 2025 MRE”, the European Marist project was presented, setting the framework for work in the region and the ecosystem that serves as the basis for the MRE. This is followed by a review of the strategic initiatives of the region, including a sharing of the work done by groups. Likewise, we wanted to connect the Strategic Plan of the MRE with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the global agenda as elements to be taken into account in the activity of any international organization, such as Maristas Europe.

Apart from these work plans, which ended on Wednesday, January 18, the Mission Council of Europe (MCE) has used one more day to take advantage of this meeting to concretize the main points that have to do with information, revision and projections of educational action in the five current Marist provinces.

On the other hand, after these days, we are confident in assuring that there is room for further progress, and that we can take advantage of it, especially if we are willing to concretize so many initiatives.

We could say that after this meeting the mind and the heart are now more united with the hands, will we know how to face this opportunity to move forward?