Congratulations and best wishes to the newly installed Provincial Council of the Marianist Sisters.

The new council:

Read the letter I sent to them celebrating their installation on Nov. 21, feast of the Presentation of the Virgin.

We wish our Sisters God's abundant blessings as they serve the Marianist mission as religious in the Marianist Family.

The Provincial Council met this week in St. Louis. We received reports from the LIFE program and the recent meeting of the Sponsorship Commission. We approved the ACTS of the Chapter of the District of India and addressed various land and personnel issues in both India and Mexico.  

I am sincerely grateful to Bros. Dennis Bautista and Charlie Johnson, and Fr. John Thompson, for their monthly travel to our meetings; and to Bro. Joe Kamis for his diligent minute-taking!

Please keep in mind the Dec. 1 due date for the consultations to be received in Rome. Haven't yet responded? Respond now. 

Let's pray for members of the General Council as they discern this important appointment for our future.

Prayers, and an appointment

Please pray for Bro. Richard Thompson as he recovers from two recent serious surgeries. I saw him last week and he is mending well.

Because of these developments, we have asked Bro. Charlie Johnson to assume responsibility as area coordinator for Texas, effective immediately. Thanks to Richard for his many years of service in this regard.

On behalf of the Provincial Council, I wish all the members of the province a blessed Thanksgiving Day. We have much to be grateful for, especially our life and faith, our religious vocation and the Society of Mary.   

As we are grateful this year, let us also remember those who are most needy and those on the margins, as Pope Francis has directed us. Let our attitude be that of St. Paul:
                                

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Bro. Armando Añeses will be ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Roberto Octavio González Nieves, OFM, this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Colegio San José. 

Let's remember him in our prayers as he is called to priestly ministry among us.

Advent webinar

The Religious Formation Conference is offering an Advent webinar, "Posadas, Parrandas, Pastorelas; Performing Resistant Hope in Troubled Times."  

The details:

• Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. Eastern time
• Presented by Dr. Carmen Nanko-Fernandez of Catholic Theological Union
• Free, but registration required

Learn more.

If you know of a young adult college graduate (or soon-to-be grad) interested in service, justice and living in community, please invite her or him to consider Marianist PULSE (Partners in Urban Leadership, Service and Education). Applications for 2018-2019 are available. Learn more.

Our province was one of hundreds of Catholic institutions that signed a letter to President Donald Trump and members of Congress, urging them to reassert U.S. leadership in the global effort to address climate change.

The campaign was coordinated by the Catholic Climate Covenant. Learn more.