Message to all the schools of Holy Spirit Province emphasis to healing or building he year 2002 has been a significant relationships, especially with those one for the Congregation of who are the most marginalised or Christian Brothers. Every six years the fragile in our society. This is the vision Christian Brothers enter into a cycle of of both our community life and the deep reflection on the past, leading to work we do. planning the broad directions for the You may in fact now be feeling future. This is done at both an quite comfortable as you read this, and international or Congregation level and perhaps even happy that the Brothers at a more local or Province level. This is have grown in clarity and confidence what is called the Chapter Process, and about their identity and role. Some the Congregation and Province may even be happy that the Chapters took place earlier this year. Congregation Chapter re-emphasised When the Congregation names the seeking of new Brothers, and new future directions and priorities at a expressions of being Brother, even in Chapter, the directions and priorities the so called first world where we have emerge from a particular experience been struggling with respect to gaining and context. (Br) Kevin P. Ryan new Brothers. During the Chapter we: May I suggest you do not get too comfortable with this • Told stories about what our lives have been like over the emphasis on Brothers. Let me open up to you some other last six years – the successes, the failures, the happiness, implications of our Chapter. the sadness and the learnings. In a section of the Congregation Chapter Statement (2002) • Examined the state of the Congregation, the Church, and which is entitled "Educating the Minds and Hearts of the the world – the cities and countries in which we live and Young” there is a call to ensure that Christian Brother schools work. Much of this came from the people with whom we are communities of learning, and of faith and justice, where work. students, parents and staff are educated to a practical • Prayerfully reflected on all of this with the story of Jesus awareness of social inequity". In another section there is a (the Gospel) in one hand and the story of Edmund Rice challenge "to engage with the poor and marginalised at our (which is simply one way of living the Gospel) in the doorsteps". It would seem that the phrase "to engage with" other. challenges all of us in Christian Brother schools to establish • Then we addressed the question, "what needs to be our relationships with those who are marginalised in our schools directions and emphases in the next six years?" and also in our local towns, cities and states … and not just In the Gospel of Luke (24:13 – 35) two of the followers of "to do things for them". Our schools need to move from Jesus did much the same while walking from Jerusalem to "charity" to "justice and relationship". Emmaus after Jesus was killed. They told the story of the One implication of what has been described above will be hopes Jesus had given them, but then their disappointment explored so that we can all see what might need to be and bewilderment after he died. Someone, a stranger, joined confirmed and further developed, and what might need to them and explained it all and then sat with them for a meal change or be challenged in our schools. (the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharist). They realise it is the
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The enrolment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
risen Jesus, the Messiah. They then "get into action" and return to Jerusalem to "talk to the others". This story is called the Emmaus story or the Emmaus walk. The Brothers from different countries all over the world have walked the Emmaus story and have emerged stronger and more committed. They have recognised that the “Gift of being Brother” is essentially about a quest for God through deeper relationships with all of creation, with all peoples, and with other Brothers in particular. This is challenging us as Brothers to be more personally prayerful, to share our stories more deeply with each other, and with other people in a prayerful way, and to give greater
students in our Province (SA and WA) schools has increased significantly over the last six years, but that increase has not been evenly distributed. While abundantly clear that there is much goodwill in this regard across the Province, there is much individual, group and institutional learning to be done both within our schools and in our Province administration in relation to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the work of the Province. As I write this article, there are to my knowledge, six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employed within
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