Province of Spain – Let’s celebrate the encounter!
Communion is the relationship between people with a common spirit.
Sharing the mission is more than just sharing a place, tasks, responsibilities… “Shared mission” is a process of communion. For this reason, on 10 June, in the Province of Spain, we brought about the meeting in two places:
- La Aguilera- Aranda de Duero, for those from Madrid, La Aguilera and Roa.
- Can Xic, in Sant Celoni-Barcelona, for all the Brothers, associates and collaborators of our centres in Catalonia who could attend.
The aim of the day was simply to create bonds among us. To seek those moments of friendship, dialogue, communication and integration that are so necessary to create communion. It was about sharing who we are, not just what we do; and, we confess, we enjoyed it very much.
At La Aguilera, around 11am, 35 people were welcomed, including teachers, members of the Montfortian Family group (some came from far away) and Brothers of St. Gabriel. After a coffee and a small welcome buffet, a Eucharist took place in the school chapel, presided over by Brother Ángel Llana. It was a very “Montfort-style” Eucharist. The readings of the day were proclaimed and several moments were reserved for the participation of the assembly in thanksgiving and petitions. The Eucharistic Prayer was also the subject of dialogue. All in all, it was not a very liturgical celebration, but it was a very participative and moving one.
Around 13h, the group went to the tasting room of the Cave Saint Gabriel where the teacher Alicia Vitores, led a didactic tasting of several wines from the area, including ours. This activity was really interesting and enjoyable. The impressions gathered were very favourable. Moreover, there was no one better to conduct it than the teacher Alicia, who is also the official wine taster of the Ribera del Duero Regulatory Council.
Afterwards, a simple but delicious meal was shared and after a long after-dinner conversation, some took a walk around the school grounds, others visited the winery and, perhaps encouraged by the morning tasting, were encouraged to buy some of the wines produced there.
Although the gathering ended at 6.30 p.m., some people extended it until 8 p.m. because of the good atmosphere that could be felt there.
At Can Xic, a house in the middle of nature that the Brothers have for meetings, in the municipality of Sant Celoni, halfway between Barcelona and Gerona, the day was filled with sunshine and the joy of those who came, around 35 people, including Brothers, associates and collaborators, some with their families.
Some played petanque, others basketball, others went for a walk, the barbecue specialists prepared the meat and we all chatted and discovered ourselves in a very different atmosphere to that of our daily work.
In both places we were in communion. Because communion is the relationship that takes place between people with a common spirit: our founding charism.
MCG Team Province of Spain
