Young La Salettes on the Holy Mountain

Editor: This is a letter from several young La Salette Missionaries explaining their special program given to them in September of 2015 on the Holy Mountain.

Greetings from the Holy Mountain of La Salette!

The La Salette Junior Religious
Group of September, 2015The special program for the JRMS (Junior/Young La Salette Religious) 2015 began on September 5, 2015. We were sixteen young La Salette priests (14) and brothers (2) coming from the different parts of the globe participating in this program.

Within these two weeks, we have reflected, shared and deepened our La Salette spirituality, charism and ministry. We were very excited and inspired to explore our roots and to reflect on how our Weeping Mother has truly inspired us here and continues to do so daily.

The sharing, witnessing and reflections of the other La Salette members surely have helped us all to be more encouraged to live out and be witnesses to the La Salette message. All our learning sessions, group reflections and group sharing have inspired us to be instruments of this Reconciliation in our own Provinces, Regions and Districts.

We are all hopeful that this will continue to unite us as brothers and as members of one international religious family. The topics we discussed included: our Religious Congregation, our Ministry and Charism, our Community Life, the La Salette Rule as well as the qualities mercy and conversion as seen in the La Salette Event.

These were presented to us in order to deepen and encourage us to be more enthusiastic and zealous in our ministries, life and endeavors as La Salettes. Lastly, the topic, "Mary in the Writings of Pope Francis," has led us to understand and appreciate more deeply the role of the Blessed Mother in our life as La Salettes.

Fr. Silvano Marisa, M.S. (right), La Salette Superior General, with Bro. David Eubank, M.S., on the slopes of Mount Gargas, as David holds a picture of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian Catholic social activist, whose tomb is in the Turin Cathedral.Even more so, the sharing and reflections of the other La Salettes helped us to appreciate more powerfully the importance of our community life and how it strengthens our religious life and inspires us in our ministries. We are more encouraged and convinced than ever to see to it that the Rule of Life of our local communities is being lived out and practiced in the spirit and charism of Mary at La Salette.

All of us are grateful that we were given the privilege of spending time at the cradle of our Congregation, our birthplace. We are grateful to have had this opportunity as young La Salette religious and we hope that this will continue to encourage us to be more united with God.

As we celebrated our La Salette Feastday, our very foundation, we were reminded that Mary is ever present in our lives and continues to intercede on our behalf with her Son who is our strength and our hope. We pledge to go forth as La Salette Missionaries, Mary's sons in faith.

Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of sinners, pray for us, your sons.