Molina (Chile). From 21 to 23 October 2022, Cortile Maín22 took place in Molina, at O. L. of Tránsito Community, of St. Gabriel Archangel Province (CIL), a national formative meeting conceived for the young people of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, as a space of celebration and gratitude for the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the FMA Institute.
On 21 October, 19 educational works of the FMA gathered in presence and in connection online for a formative time together, then in workshops in the room where the care of creation and ecological awareness were the protagonists, through works in which young people were able to express their creativity by making masks, flower vases, bags and accessories with recycled materials.
In the afternoon, parents, teachers, and educators from the Educating Community of Molina, together with the FMA and the young people of the organizing committee, welcomed the representatives of the Houses who, from Iquique to Punta Arena, came to participate in presence at CortileMaín22.
The meeting had the objective of leading young people to study Mother Mazzarello as a woman dreamer with broad horizons, who knew how to live her life with faith and respond with a generous heart to the call of the Lord. On the way through the houses where Maín lived, the young people were able to learn about the episodes of her life and the characteristics that marked her history, such as interiority and friendship.
This activity was animated by the animators, who represented some important characters in the life of Mother Mazzarello, such as Don Bosco, Petronilla Mazzarello, and Caterina Daghero.
A special moment of union with the center of the Institute was the video message of the Superior General of the FMA Institute, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola, who encouraged each participant to grow as a young dreamer with a big and generous heart:
“I know that you have as your reference the figure of Maín in her beautiful vocational and missionary choice. I wish you to experience this meeting first of all with great joy and hope and to take this theme as an opportunity to grow in the awareness that one can be young with a big and generous heart. It is only this attitude that puts us in communion with the Lord, helps us to listen to His voice, to ask Him, ‘Lord what do you want from me? What do you want me to do with my life, so great and important, that you gave me?’ And after having listened, to respond to this call, whatever it may be, with a big and generous heart, to get involved totally for the present time and for the future, as did Main, who responded with all of herself. Indeed, she taught the sisters and girls to live this attitude”.
Greeting the Sisters, Mother wished them to “be Daughters of Mary Help of Christians with a big and generous heart, who know how to rejoice, who know how to live their vocational response with enthusiasm and fidelity, and with this joy, contagion all the young people we meet”.
CortileMaín22 ended on 23 Sunday, with a procession through the streets of Molina amid songs and prayers, bringing the image of Mary Help of Christians as a sign of her presence in every community. The Eucharistic Celebration, presided over by Msgr. Galo Fernández, Bishop of the Diocese of Talca in the school auditorium, was the most beautiful way to give thanks to God for the life of the FMA Institute, for the young people, and for this space of encounter and celebration.
Photo: Flickr 1, Flickr 2, Flickr 3
