RELEM – Page 153

13th February 2017 ARLEP, RELEM

Dear Lasallians

I know that you will join me in offering our prayers and best wishes, to Brother José Román on his appointment by Brother Superior as the new Visitor of the District of ARLEP. He will assume his new responsibilities in September when the mandate of Brother Jesús Miguel officially ends. I take this opportunity, too, to thank Brother Jesús Miguel for his excellent work of animation and leadership during his two terms as Visitor of ARLEP.

I also take this opportunity to thank the District of ARLEP for the very successful conference on the Culture of Vocations which took place in El Escorial last week and for the invitation to other Districts in RELEM to join more than 240 participants in reflecting on this key element on the future of the Lasallian ministry in Europe.

Fraternally,

Queridos lasalianos:

Sé que estaréis unidos conmigo para ofrecer nuestras oraciones y los mejores deseos, al Hermano José Román al ser nombrado por el Hermano Superior como el nuevo Visitador del Distrito de ARLEP. Asumirá sus nuevas responsabilidades en septiembre cuando termine oficialmente el mandato del Hermano Jesús Miguel. Aprovecho esta oportunidad también para agradecer al Hermano Jesús Miguel su excelente trabajo de animación y liderazgo durante sus dos mandatos como Visitador de ARLEP.

Aprovecho también esta oportunidad para agradecer al Distrito de ARLEP por la muy exitosa conferencia sobre la Cultura de las Vocaciones que tuvo lugar en El Escorial la semana pasada y por haber invitado a otros Distritos en RELEM a unirse a más de 240 participantes para reflexionar sobre este elemento clave sobre el futuro de la misión Lasalliana en Europa.

Fraternalmente,

Chers Lasalliens,

Je sais que vous m’accompagnez pour offrir nos prières et nos meilleurs voeux au Frère José Román lors de sa nomination par le Frère Supérieur comme nouveau Frère Visiteur du District de ARLEP. Il assumera ses nouvelles responsabilités en septembre lorsque le mandat du Frère Jesús Miguel prendra fin officiellement. Je profite également de l’occasion pour remercier le Frère Jesús Miguel pour son excellent travail d’animation et de leadership pendant ses deux mandats comme Visiteur de ARLEP

Je profite également de cette occasion pour remercier le District d’ARLEP pour la remarquable conférence sur la Culture des Vocations qui s’est tenue à El Escorial la semaine dernière et pour l’invitation aux autres Districts de RELEM à s’y joindre à plus de 240 participants pour réfléchir à cet élément clé sur le futur de la mission lasallienne en Europe.

Fraternellement,

Aidan

RELEM Conference of Visitors

30th January 2017 RELEM

From January 16th to 20th the RELEM Conference of Visitors took place in Borg-El-Arab which is located about 45 kilometers from the city of Alexandria, Egypt. Br Fadi and District of Proche Orient hosted the conference and all the logistical details were superbly coordinated by the Director of the impressive St Marc’s College in Alexandria, Mr Waguih Hanna, who accompanied the Visitors throughout the Conference.

As many of you will know, the St Marc’s College is located in the centre of Alexandria but the College also has a beautiful Conference/Retreat Centre outside the city, at Borg-El-Arab, and it was there that the Conference took place. The hospitality and the welcome was exquisite and this, along with the tranquility of the centre, created an ideal environment for the Brother Visitors of RELEM to reflect on significant issues affecting the Region and the Institute.

The Conference opened with a video message from Brother Superior General, Robert Schieler, in which he highlighted a number of important issues that the Region of RELEM, like the rest of the Institute, is currently facing. These included the continuity of the Lasallian mission into the future, with appropriate formation programmes for our Lay colleagues to ensure effective leadership of that mission, the development of effective vocation promotion programmes, the care and support of our older Brothers, and the protection of the patrimony of the Institute to support the mission. These issues were taken up during different sessions of the Conference along with some specific issues raised by the Visitors themselves. These included a reflection on community animation, the use of the Internet in community, and a pastoral approach to abuse.

One of the key decisions taken by the Visitors was to approve the procedures for the first RELEM MEL Assembly scheduled for October 2018 with the nomination of District participants to be finalized by the end of May 2017.

As is customary during these meetings, the Visitors took advantage of their visit to experience something of the local Lasallian reality. In this case it took the form of a visit to the College of St Marc in Alexandria where the Visitors had the opportunity to see some of the many varied opportunities offered to the students in the magnificent facilities of the College.

Additionally, on the final evening of the Conference, the Visitors had the opportunity to meet with the MEL Council of the Sector of Egypt and discuss the scope of the Lasallian mission throughout the District. The Visitors were also able to see something of the religious treasures of Egypt with a visit to the impressive Coptic monastery of St Pishoy which dates back to the 4th century.