The International Marist Family Midlife Renewal Programme was officially opened on 2nd March with a prayerful Eucharistic celebration. Each participant from the four Marist branches was named and welcomed by their respective Superior General or Representative. Included in the group of nineteen particpants are three Marist Sisters from Fiji – Sr.Salome Dilagi, Sr.Mariana Maramaanicava and Sr.Mareta Nai Raikivi.

The programme is led by a team from the 4 branches of the Marist Family. Br. Barry Burns FMS (New Zealand), Fr. David Kennerley SM (New Zealand), Sr. Marie Challacombe SM (NZ/France) and Sr. Janice Ruff SMSM (Australia), and will run for 5 months.

The programme aims to support the participants in their mid-life journey of Christ-centred transformation for mission by:

• creating a welcoming and dynamic community where differences of charism, culture, gender and nationality may be honoured and explored,
• offering reflective, prayerful and creative processes along with new learnings which will enable participants to listen to, and share with others, their own inner resources of wisdom and truth, and to face their human, spiritual and vocational questions in liberating ways,
• exploring the depths and potential in the respective Marist spiritualities for building the Marian dimension of Church in our contemporary world,
• helping each individual to realise their own potential in being an effective agent for change in their communities, ministries and Congregations.

And, finally, the hope is that all will return home in such a way that the fruit of the program will endure in their lives as committed Marist apostles.