“NEW TIMES, NEW RESPONSES”

On 7, 8 and 9 May, all the Signum Fidei Fraternities are invited to participate in the celebration of their III International Assembly. Obviously, and given the circumstances, the celebration will not be held in person, but by means of the usual technological channels.

The Signum Fidei Fraternities currently have 950 Associates spread over 28 communities in the five continents. The “Style of Life” is their vital reference and they are coordinated at world level by the International Council consisting of 9 members from all continents who accompanied by Br Rafa Matas. The International Assembly is the privileged space for evaluating life, discerning and deciding on challenges and proposals for the future.

The motto chosen for the III International Assembly is: “New times, new responses”. It invites us to look at reality with the “eyes of faith”, to analyse it and to pray with and from it. It invites us to seek new responses that will push us to become living communities and, as Brother Superior tells us in his latest Pastoral Letter, in order to become “relevant and credible witnesses to the paschal mystery and to realize God’s promise, our communities and ministries must constantly adapt to new situations”.

With the presence of Brother Superior Robert Schieler and our International Advisor and Councillor, Brother Rafa Matas, we will first reflect on the “current diagnosis of the Signum Fidei Fraternities” based on our own history and on the many people and experiences that have left their mark from their origins until today.

A second moment will be focused on two very important themes: the first one, presented by Paco Chiva: “Association and the sense of belonging to the Lasallian work at world level” and the following one, conducted by Br. Pedro Álvarez: “Needs and priorities for the new Evangelisation in times of crisis. New times, new responses”.

Finally, we will address various aspects of animation and governance of the SFF such as the formation journey, our organisation at international level. The Assembly is framed in the celebration of the Year of St. Joseph and the family.

All of this with the dynamism that working online could allow us. There will also be times of prayer and cultural exchange. Each day will be based on one of our values: the green star evokes our community commitment, the red star evokes the faith we share and the yellow star means our educational commitment to the most vulnerable, our service to others. All of this is well reflected in the logo that summons us.

All Lasallians will be able to participate through different channels, although, of course, those who have the right to speak and vote will do so through a specific channel. We are going to try to make it a rich, intercultural space which opens us to the future with hope. Certainly, Saint Joseph and Saint John Baptist de La Salle will be our best mediators before Jesus.

Please feel invited. Detailed instructions on how to follow this event will be shared when the time comes.