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SIGNUM FIDEI

NEWS

(May-August 2010)

Cordial greetings from Rome.

It is with great pleasure that I send you this page of NEWS about the last few months, refer-

ring to the activities carried out by some of the SIGNUM FIDEI communities of the Lasallian

world. My thanks to those who sent in information. May getting to know of these realities help

us all to strengthen our links of fraternity and solidarity and to remember each other in

prayer. Br Alberto Gomez Barruso

Panama

The Signum Fidei of Panama (Dolores de Gonzalez, Carlos Gordón, Gladys de Ruiz, Rosa Maria Elias,

Luis Wong, Alfredo Rabat, Jésus Campos, Nelson Da Fonte, Italo Castillo, Amparo de Gutiérrez) re-

newed their Consecration on May 14th at the College Mass in front of 1,500 students. During the Mass

which they shared with the Brothers on Pentecost Sunday, the following renewed their Consecration (as

they could not be there on the 14th ): Juan Palacios, Miriam de Palacios, Jose Luis Matute.

Br. José Morales and Ms.Amparo

Malta

The Consecration of 14 new Signum Fidei took place on Pente-

cost Sunday in Stella Maria College. Br. Alberto and Br. Denzil

Perera, Visitor of Sri Lanka, travelled from Rome to take part in

this ceremony. Those present, apart from the members of the fra-

ternity, included Br. Louis Camilleri, local Advisor, and Br. Mar-

tin Borg, who is in charge of Malta Sector, as well as the Broth-

ers from the communities on the island.

The presence of Br. Denzil had as its objective the consolidation

of the Twinning between the fraternities of Malta and Sri Lanka.

The Signum Fidei of Malta offered a donation of 1,500 euro to help finance the apostolic activities of our

brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka. But, apart from this, they have formed themselves into an NGO and

have managed to get the government of Malta to finance three projects in Sri Lanka costing 18,000 euro.

SECOLI will contribute 10,000 euro to cover the total of the budget for the projects. Two Maltese teach-

ers, John and Tyrone, spent the summer helping as volunteers in Sri Lanka. Their experience was very

satisfactory.

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Costa Rica

The Costa Rica community continues working with enthusiasm

and dedication. They have sent us a photo showing themselves

renewing their consecration in the presence of Br. Otto, Visitor.

We wish them to continue faithful to their commitment as educa-

tors and Lasallians in their workplaces and in their families. A

few years ago, a new college started and it is a point of reference

for dedication and living the charism of La Salle.

Tahta – Egypt.

The young coordinator, Mr.

Mena Zakariah, has written to

us from the town of Tahta in

Egypt. It is a community

which lives in a town where

there was a De La Salle

college which closed in

1938. The Lasallian charism

was reborn there thanks to this group

and the collaboration of the Signum Fidei of Alexandria. These are his words; “We send you a greeting of

peace from this Egyptian town. May the Lord Jesus be our guide and Shepherd and may he bless you and

show you his face. May he grant you peace. We are sending you some photos of the activities we carried

out with the children during the month of May. We offer workshops for manual work, theatre, music and

drawing. Our group is getting on well. Greetings to all. Pray for us before Jesus and Mary”

Mena Zakariah

Guayaquil - Ecuador.

“On Trinity Sunday eight members of

the community of Guayaquil renewed

their consecration in the chapel of our

San José College. For reasons beyond

their control, two other members were

unable to be present. Br.Pablo Armijos,

at 92 years of age, continues encourag-

ing us to be true „Signs of Faith‟. The

following are in the photo: Hector Fraga, Alfonso Baquerizo Luis Rangel, Geoconda Dominquez, Maria-

nita Guijarro, Angelito Olivo, Zaina Benitez and Margarita Luque, acoompanied by Br.Pablo Armijos

and Br.Richard Manosalvas, Director. Dr. Margarita Luque Espinoza de los Monteros

Antananarivo - Madagascar

Br.Joan Sala informs us about a new project by the Signum Fidei

Fraternity. They are trying to find some land in order to open a

school for poor children. Two Brothers, Theo and Jerome, both

Signum Fidei and teachers in the Sainte Famille College are pre-

pared to drop everything to devote themselves to the project.

During the summer Br.Joan travelled to Spain for a holiday and

to visit his family. Ms Liva, a Signum Fidei went with him with a

view to getting some medical treatment.

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Furthermore this was an excellent opportunity for furthering mutual knowledge between the communities

of Antananarivo and Cataluña and to take further steps in the Twinning which is being carried out be-

tween these communities. Br.Joan Sala

Iligan - Philippines.

Greetings from La

Salle Iligan. We are

preparing for the

beginning of the

school year. We

Signum Fidei have

had a working din-

ner with Br. Raffy, our Advisor. We evaluated our aposto-

late and planned our activities for the new school year. We will develop special activities for children on

Saturdays. We also wish to be a prayer group to pray for those in difficulties and for those who are ill.

Bata - Equatorial Guinea

Br. Santiago Carro, Signum Fidei Advisor in Equatorial Guinea, writes to us:”finally I am able to get In-

ternet and tell you something about the renewal of consecration by the Signum Fidei. There were six who

renewed, as Marcos is in Spain. There are three „aspirants‟. These are moments of reflection and deepen-

ing for the group rather than looking at quantity…and that is where we are. We are reading the message

on the Word of God which you sent us. It serves to form us and for prayer. Br. Santiago Carro

Andalucia - Spain

The community of Andalucia, made up of persons

from various towns, has held a meeting to evaluate the

school year and to study the document “Orientations

for the process of Association in ARLEP “, especially

the section on Lasallian Intentional Groups. Taking

into account the conditions of each one, we have come

to the conclusion that we feel integrated and we are

living the Style of Life and the conditions which the

43rd

General Chapter established on Association. We are studying the proposal for Twinning with the

Signum Fidei of Equatorial Guinea and we have decided o begin this Twinning during the next school

year. During the Mass on Mission Day (July 10th) Mr. Manuel Lozano made his first consecration.

Luis Lacida

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Barcelona - Spain

The Signum Fidei community of

Barcelona renewed its consecra-

tion during the District Day

which took place in La Salle Bo-

nanova in the presence of Br.

Jésus Miguel, new Visitor of the

District of ARLEP and of Br. Jo-

sep Guiteras (new Auxiliary Visi-

tor of Cataluña) and Josep Martí

(ex-Visitor). This celebration coincided with another in which various Brothers celebrated 50 years of

Perpetual Profession. Present also were Br. Joan Sala and Ms Liva Rahelimd, a Signum Fidei from Ma-

dagascar who also renewed her consecration. Vicente Fortunato

Antigua Guatemala

They wrote to us from Guatemala about the eruption of the volcano

Pacaya: “Thanks be to God we are all well here in Antigua, but in

nearby areas they have suffered a lot of damage. From the volcano

a current came down which flooded many houses. The incredible

amount of rocks, trunks of trees and mud meant that many families

lost everything and in the worst cases they als lost family members.

We visited some of our affected pupils. Our Signum Fidei Fraternity

helped some of the victims. Classes were suspended for a week. Nature is very active all over the

planet, but the most worrying thing is the deterioration which we humans have caused and for

which we are now getting the bill. Floridalma Gaytán

Alexandria - Egypt

75 members of Signum Fidei came together in Alexandria from July 25th to 29th for a meeting on the

theme “Witnesses along the way”. There were 23

members from Lebanon, 20 from Palestine and Jor-

dan and 32 from Egypt.

The groups from the different sectors were accom-

panied by their respective Brothers Advisors in the

presence of Br. Visitor, Georges Absi. Br. Alberto

Gomez, General Councilor and Advisor to Signum

Fidei,

partici-

pated in

the entire meeting. The fraternal and spiritual character of the

meeting was shown in the personal time periods and in the

sharing in groups following talks and various workshops and

witness sessions. The first day dealt with what a Signum Fidei

member should live. The second presented what each one was

living and the third involved an evaluation and practical sug-

gestions.

This meeting takes place every two years in a different sector by rotation. May the Lord bless us each

time that we meet in his name in order to grow in his spirit of faith, fraternity and service.

(Br. Fadi - Coordinator of the Lasallian Family in the Middle East)

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Perú – 25th

Anniversary of the Signum Fidei Fraternity

The Signum Fidei Fraternity in Peru has celebrated its 25th anniversary with many events during the first

two weeks of August 2010. The Signum Fidei family on the national level in Peru consists of 249 mem-

bers, all of whom are connected, associated and committed to the fields of education and catechesis. Of

this number, 83 are consecrated.

On August 10, 1985, four Lasallian Peruvians, Gilberto Cieza de León Rojas, José L. Alva Sagástegui,

Nicolás Gavidia Valverde and Gino Grossi Biaggi, made their first consecration and they agreed to found

what was then known as "The Signum Fidei Association of Christian Teachers." Based on their own lay

identity, they committed themselves, according to their own words, to "adapt their way of living to the

service of education, trying to imitate and follow the example of the Founder of the Christian Schools,

Saint John Baptist de La Salle."

Brother Manuel Olivé, the initiator of this new community, was appointed its advisor by Brother Adrián

Revilla, who was the visitor at the time. Brother Adrián was present for this Sixth Congress. Since that

time, and thanks principally to the work of Brother Manuel and many Brothers and lay Lasallians, the

Fraternity has spread through Peru and there are now 15 Fraternities.

Their commitment to education of the poor has led Signum Fidei members to initiate various educational

projects. At the present time they administer two schools – Colegio Signos de Fe-Manos de Dios in Lima

with 800 students and Colegio Signos de Fe in Trujillo with 230 students. Besides these two schools,

there are 3 schools that are classified as associated with the Fraternity, one in Lima, another in Puerto

Maldonado and a third in Quillabamba.

Santiago - Chile

In the city of Santiago in

Chile a meeting took place

which was attended by

the members of Signum

Fidei and teachers from

various colleges such as

Valparaiso and Talca. Br.

Rodolfo Andaur, President of

the Delegation of Chile, has shown great interest in revitalizing the existing groups and beginning new

experiences of association.

Br. Gabriel González will be the Advisor. Those present expressed the wish to give new life to the Fra-

ternity and to promote organization, programming meetings and retreats and giving life to some project

of the Mission.

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There was talk of the possibility of establishing some type of Twinning with some of the Signum Fidei

communities in Peru. Keep up your spirits and may God bless you, your families, communities and the

entire Delegation.

Death of Br.Rafael Martínez

Rafael Martinez was born on November

3rd

1916 in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico

and died on July1st 2010. During his

life he worked in the formation of

young Brothers, was Director of vari-

ous colleges, Visitor and Assistant-

General in Rome between 1966 and

1976. Committed to higher education,

he received a Doctorate‟ honoris causa‟

from La Salle University Mexico for his outstanding career as a person, as a

Brother, as an educator and as a university teacher. He was the driving force be-

hind the Lasallian Signum Fidei Fraternity of Mexico and was its Advisor for 30

years. Much loved and admired by all, he gives us an example of generous dedication and great apostolic

zeal. May he rest in peace!

Santiago de Compostela - Third Meeting of Associates of ARLEP- Spain

Even though the news does not refer expressly

to Signum Fidei, we believe that news such as

this is of service to us all in getting to know

better the present time of the Lasallian Family.

On May 1st and 2

nd a national meeting of new

Associates of the equally new District of AR-

LEP (Spain-Portugal) took place in the city of

Santiago de Compostela. “About 100 of us

took part, between Brothers and Lay Lasallians, from all the Districts. In the first session there was a

presentation on three distinct realities of communities and of three experiences of commitment which

were very interesting and above all they were shown with much realism and sensitivity. In the second

part of the meeting there was a presentation by

Br.Charles Kitson, Institute Secretary for the Lasallian

Family and Ms Ana Sarrate, representative of Lay

Marists. At the end of the meeting the participants

made a pilgrimage from Mount Gozo to the Cathedral

of Santiago de Compostela, availing of the symbolism

of the „path‟ which we are following as Associates in

the Lasallian Mission. Maria Cruz Miquel (Associate, Valencia –Palma Sector)