Viatorians in the Basque region of Vitoria-Gasteiz, located in northern Spain, are trying to live out the second objective of the 2018 General Chapter: to foster the international dimension of the Viatorian Community, promoting a greater solidarity among all Viatorians.
They have organized a virtual meeting to be held Saturday, June 12, and they are inviting all members of the international Viatorian Community to participate.
All 16 members of the Vitoria-Gasteiz community – including 11 associates and five professed — endorse the idea, but Associate María José Martinez and Br. Tomas Aramberri, CSV, are organizing the logistics.
“The pandemic has forced us to use other forms of contact and relationship,” Br. Aramberri says. “Why not do it to greet each other, get to know all Viatorian sisters and brothers from different countries? We have no intention of building big castles, it’s just a simple meeting, from 60 to 75 minutes, in which we can pray together and get to know the current situation of the different countries.”
The virtual meeting drew the immediate support of Fr. Robert M. Egan, Superior General, who praised the community for responding to one of the priorities raised during the 2018 General Chapter.
“I pray that this opportunity may be the first of future electronic gatherings,” Fr. Egan wrote to the Spanish community, “perhaps even able to encounter each other in all the languages of our Viatorian Community.”
Associate Martinez and Br. Aramberri have representatives in each of the provinces and foundations spreading the invitation, and so far, there has been a good response. In all, they hope to draw 150 Viatorians to participate.
“During the last 14 months the pandemic, with the inability to meet in person, it has led us to meet virtually every Monday,” Br. Aramberri says. “This opportunity has made it possible for us to invite religious and associates from Haiti, Honduras, Peru, Ivory Coast and Chile.
“And so we came up with the proposal,” he adds, “why not take a small leap forward?”
The meeting will include a short presentation from each country, songs and prayers, as well as a short breakout session with small groups, and concluding with a prayer for the beatification of Fr. Louis Querbes.
Associate Martinez and Br. Aramberri caution that the meeting will be conducted in Spanish. While they have learned to master many technological skills during the pandemic, they have not attained the ability to have translators during the meeting.
“We Viatorians have been very distant from each other,” Br. Aramberri adds. “It is time for us to strengthen the relationships between us.”
Topic: Viatorian Meeting
Date: Saturday, June 12
Time: 9 p.m. in Madrid & France, (2 p.m. in Chicago), (noon in Las Vegas), (3 p.m. in Montréal, in Chile, in Haiti), (2 p.m. in Peru, & Colombia), (1 p.m. in Honduras), (7 p.m. in Ivory Coast & Burkina Faso), (4 a.m.-June 1, in Japan)
Join the Zoom meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83704606415?pwd=NmhKTEo0ZnBQRlFDVms1NlZoVUNFQT09