Lay Claretian Movement
General Council
Bilbao, 17th October 2017
Dear Lay Claretians sisters and brothers:
Once again, this missionary month of October, rich in the Claretian charisma, is a beautiful moment to get in touch and feel united and linked by the same Spirit.
First, we want to let you know of the dates and place of the next General Assembly. It will be in Medellin, Colombia, from the 13th to the 21st July 2019. We wanted to communicate this in advance so that all groups can get organized both regarding the dates and the funding, and so there is an important presence of lay claretians from everywhere. The rest of the event details are yet to be organised, so we will be informing you as we progress with preparations.
As it is now becoming customary in the month of July, we visited some groups, in this case, Argentina. Bernardeta, together with Nené Saroba, attended the II Regional Assembly in the province of San José del Sur, which, under the title “We are missionaries, weavers of hope”, it was held in Cordoba between the 24th and the 27th July. The presence of around 50/60 lay people from different Claretian posts and of similar number of Claretian missionaries made it a very rich moment for meeting, sharing and taking the chance of making the Movement be known. Before travelling to Cordoba, they had a friendly meeting with a small group who, supported by Petra Mallen, is initiating the process of discerning, in the school of P. Claret in Buenos Aires.
Once in Cordoba, they also met with the group “Renacer with Claret” (To be reborn with Claret), with whom they shared a fraternal lunch. The overall assessment of the visit, as on most occasions, is very positive. At the time, information on the visit was provided in the website.
We want to show our closeness and have a kind memory with the people and countries of Mexico and Puerto Rico who have recently suffered from natural disasters. We can pleasantly confirm how solidarity has taken place. Let us thank God for it and let us ask Him that, once the first impact has passed, the desire to help and commit with the most needed do not decay. There is still too much to be done. We will inform you if some form of economic collaboration is organised.
About forthcoming events, we will soon celebrate the Beatification of the 109 Claretian martyrs and the Father Claret day, both dates of joy and happiness for everyone. Regarding the Beatification of the 109 Claretian martyrs, we would like to highlight the words of the letter sent by the Superior General, Fr. Mathew Vattamattan: “In liquid times as ours, these solid attitudes both disarm us and stimulate us. With God´s grace, it is always possible to be loyal to Jesus, regardless of how difficult the circumstances may be. We are called to be brave witnesses, amidst many tests and contradictions”. Let us join with happiness, from wherever we are, to this celebration and let us live it from its deep meaning for the entire Claretian family. Dolors Serradell, in the name of the General Council, will represent the entire Movement at the celebrations which are programmed for the Beatification.
And, indeed, due to the fact that this is the main motive of this letter, we have a special remembrance for all groups and lay claretians scattered around the world, and for the entire Claretian Family, in the Fr. Claret day. We know that Saint Anthony Mª Claret is our source of inspiration for our daily work, for our spirituality, for our path to follow Jesus, in our way of committing with the world that surround us, in so many things that encompass all our life… We wish that, as every year, when we remember Claret´s figure, we feel strongly attracted by him, so he impulses us to persevere in our Charisma and we live it and we feel it as the great gift that God has given us and set for us in our path.
We can always count on the loving protection of our Mother and with the impulse of the Holy Spirit. We hope they both guide our steps, so as, like Claret, our only purpose is “God´s biggest Glory” (Aut. 494).
For this to be so, we invite you and ask you not to forget to pray for the Movement and for this Council.
We send you a very fraternal and affectionate hug.
Bernardeta Arbaiza
Edison Chalco
Miguel Ángel Sosa
Manolo Tamargo, cmf
General Council of the Lay Claretian Movement
(You can download this letter in PDF format here)
