The Council of the Congregation (CoC) gathered for its annual meeting, Sunday to Thursday, November 17-21, at the Generalate of the Marist Brothers of the Schools in Rome, Italy. The CoC is a consultative body composed of the Superior General, General Assistants, and Provincial and District Superiors.

After Mass on Sunday evening, Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General, officially opened the CoC on Monday morning and gave his opening address. A time for conversations in small groups and questions followed.

The agenda for this CoC centered on the theme of mission. Following a reflection and conversation on the identity of an apostolic religious in Holy Cross, Fr. Emmanuel Kallarackal, C.S.C., Vicar General and First Assistant, presented on the Congregation’s upcoming year of mission, and the Superiors gave brief presentations on key mission-related decisions from their jurisdictional Chapters.

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For the day’s final session, His Eminence, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, joined the CoC to speak on the complementarity of social justice and the work of education and evangelization. The cardinal is an old friend of the Congregation from his days as a priest and bishop in Ghana.

Tuesday morning, after some continuing formation on how to deal with difficult personalities in community, the General Administration presented on several upcoming formation and training programs to help the Congregation better serve in mission, including a Final Vows preparation program, a training course for resource people in history and charism of Holy Cross, and a leadership formation program.

In the afternoon, were was a panel on the vow of obedience in relation to mission. Facilitated by Fr. Vijai Amirtharaj, C.S.C. Fifth Assistant, the panelists were Fr. William M. Lies, C.S.C., Superior of the United States Province, Br. John Affum, C.S.C., Superior of the Province of West Africa, Br. PJ Santhosh, C.S.C., Superior of the Saint André Province (India), and Br. Ronaldo Almeida, C.S.C., Superior of the District of Brazil.

On Wednesday morning, the CoC invited three religious brothers from other congregations to come and speak about the brothers’ vocation, including how to promote it and form candidates for it. Then the members of the CoC offered a Holy Hour for the Congregation's mission around the world. Fr. Timothy Macharia, C.S.C., who oversaw the liturgies during the week, organized the time of prayer, while Fr. Kallarackal presided over Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Following lunch, the CoC received the annual reports from the two Congregational Patrimonies. Fr. Paul-Elie Cadet, C.S.C., Rector of the Shrine of Blessed Basile Moreau, and Fr. Michael DeLaney, C.S.C., and Fr. Bernard Antoine, C.S.C., respectively the outgoing and incoming Rectors of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, joined via Zoom.

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To conclude the rest of Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, there were reports on several topics, including the work of the Office of Communications by Br. Adolf Mugume, C.S.C., Director of Communications, and the finances of the Congregation by Fr. Jack Ryan, C.S.C., General Steward. The General Assistants also gave updates on their respective portfolios of Mission, Education, Vocations and Formation, and Consecrated Life and Heritage.

After some closing remarks and expressions of gratitude by Br. Bednarczyk, the CoC ended with a moving remembrance of the members of the Congregation who had died during the past year. The assembly prayed both for their eternal rest and for their accompaniment of the Congregation as it seeks in our mission to make God known, loved, and served.