Yarn, Stories and Synodality Shape Day 2 of the Champagnat Family Assembly
- maristbrothers
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
The morning session of Day 2 began with a beautiful prayer led by the Solomon Islands delegation, facilitated by Ruth Hihiru, Priscilla Senga and Jane Sau.
Participants were invited to place a candle on a small table, which featured a meaningful collection of symbols: a beautiful sculpture of Mary and Jesus from Palestine, the Marist Heart, a relic of Marcellin, and a striking cross designed by a First Nations Australian artist that is also one of Br Michael Callinan’s personal keepsakes. Over the course of the Assembly, the table will become a sacred space where participants may place objects that represent their culture, identity or connection to the Marist family.
Like the Province itself - surrounded by the constant movement of the ocean and never truly still - the morning session was centred on movement and encounter. Participants moved between different groups throughout the session, meeting new people and learning more about one another’s cultures and experiences, while answering some thought-provoking yet fun questions from Br Michael.
The first question posed to the group was: “Where are you originally from? Where were you born?” This was followed by: “Where have you moved to since then?” Many participants, particularly those from the Pacific Islands, reflected on journeys that had taken them across the Province.
Some were born in Bougainville and now live in the Solomon Islands; others were born in Samoa and now serve in Fiji. Their stories highlighted the deep connections and strong cross-cultural ties that exist throughout the Province.
A yarn of connection
Participants then moved outside for an activity using a ball of yarn. Standing in a circle, each person responded to the question: “We are Marists connected because…” Before tossing the ball of yarn to another participant, they would say that person’s name. As the activity continued, the yarn formed a beautiful and intricate web between everyone present - a beautiful symbol of the deep bonds, tensions and interconnectedness that unite the Champagnat Marist family. By the end, the web had become almost impossible to untangle, reflecting the strength and complexity of those relationships.
After a short break, the group returned inside to begin a synodal process of listening and discernment together. Introducing the process, Br Michael explained that “conversations around the table are not new - they are part of a long-standing Christian tradition.” He shared that synodality invites people to listen authentically and respectfully to one another so that the Spirit of God may speak through conversations, reflections and shared experiences, rather than through fixed opinions or rigid ways of thinking.
A Synodal Process
Br Michael noted that this approach comes naturally within the cultures of the Province, where respectful listening and communal dialogue are already deeply valued traditions.
Participants were encouraged to reflect on questions such as:
· What surprised me?
· What might the Holy Spirit be saying to us?
· Where do I sense joy, resonance or tension?
· What questions still remain?
· Where do we see convergence or divergence emerging?
Br Michael also reminded the group that these conversations are connected to broader themes within the Marist life and mission, including vocation, spirituality and community life - themes that continue to shape conversations across the wider Marist world.
The first reflection question for the Assembly was: “Why did I accept the invitation to this Champagnat Family Assembly?”
Participants first spent time in personal reflection before sharing individually within their table groups. After a further period of silence and reflection, each person was invited to respond to the prompt, “Having listened to the Spirit speaking through my group, what did I hear?” Table leaders then recorded the shared reflections and insights that emerged from the conversations.
The Listeners
Another important aspect of the Assembly is the role of the listeners. Three participants - Nathan Ahearne from Australia, Br Melquiano Obe from Timor-Leste, and Ruth Hihiru from the Solomon Islands - were chosen to serve in this important role throughout the synodal process.
Br Michael explained that the listeners are not representatives of their tables, regions or personal viewpoints.
He outlined three key responsibilities of the listeners:
· Their role is not to debate, persuade or promote ideas.
· They are called to receive openly whatever is shared.
· They are invited to discern what the Holy Spirit may be saying through the Assembly.
When the listeners eventually speak to the Assembly on Wednesday morning, they will each have just three minutes to share what they have heard and discerned. Br Michael described this as another way of recognising and capturing the movement of the Spirit among the participants, alongside the feedback and reflections already emerging from the table discussions.
They are also encouraged to pay close attention to the quieter voices and subtle ideas that may otherwise go unnoticed - what Br Michael described as the “still small voice” moving gently through the Assembly, yet carrying something important that may need to be heard.
Welcome, Br Raj and Spiritual Conversations
The afternoon session began with a beautiful Marian reflection led by the Samoa delegation, facilitated by Br Siaosi Ioane and Alatina Alatina. The Assembly also warmly welcomed Br Rajakumar Soosai Manickam, General Councillor and Link Councillor for the Star of the Sea Province.
Continuing the Assembly’s focus on mindful listening, reflection and dialogue, the afternoon centred on a series of Spiritual Conversations designed to deepen everyone’s understanding of their personal vocation and shared Marist mission.
The first Spiritual question had two parts:
· What do I celebrate about who I am as a Marist and what I do in my place of ministry?
· What do we celebrate about who we are and what we do in our places of Marist ministry?
The first question invited people into a deeply personal reflection on their identity, vocation and ministry. Members of the Assembly were encouraged to spend time writing and reflecting on their life journey and the aspects of Marist life that continue to give them meaning and purpose today.
The second question shifted the focus from the individual to the collective, inviting the group to reflect on the wider Marist family and the shared mission that unites communities across the Province.
The second Spiritual Conversation explored another important question: “What is most satisfying and energising for you about being Marist?”
As part of this session, the Assembly reflected on The Breath of Ruah, a document developed last year that articulates a shared Marist vision for lay Marists and Brothers together. Small groups spent time reading and discussing the document, sharing what stood out most strongly to them and what resonated with their own experiences of Marist life and ministry.
The table groups were then invited to continue their conversations and reflections together, listening for the movements of the Spirit within the Assembly.
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