MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF ITAKA-ESCOLAPIOS

On Friday 21 February, there was a new ordinary meeting of the Board of Trustees of Itaka-Escolapios, held by videoconference. After the welcome by the president and the opening prayer, a summary of the most significant news and events that had taken place in the network in recent months was presented by the Executive Committee.

The main point of the meeting was then addressed: information on the financial closure of the 2023-24 academic year and the approval of the Foundation’s annual accounts for that year. Based on the detailed report submitted and the presentation by the management coordinator, an interesting dialogue was opened up between the participants on how to advance the economic sustainability of the Itaka-Escolapios Network, taking into account the significant growth in terms of mission and the need to accompany this with an increase in income.

Once the annual accounts have been approved by the Board of Trustees, they will be made available to all interested parties, together with the corresponding audit report, in the corresponding section of this website: TRANSPARENCY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ‘Itaka-Escolapios

After a later point to deal with organisational issues, the meeting came to an end, but not before agreeing on the date of the next meeting, which will be in the month of June.

STUDY AND ENJOY: Calasanctian Week in Kinshasa

‘Study and flourish’ is a motto that can sum up the Calasanctian week held from 25th to 30th November 2024, at the Saint Joseph Calasanz School Complex in Kinshasa. The Calasanctian week was marked by various events, all of them significant and fruitful in the lives of our students, teachers and families.

The week started with an awareness march on plastic management and its effects on our environment. This was followed by two days of Olympiads in which all our pupils, divided into eight families each named after an animal, had fun and took part in various competitive events. Wednesday 27th November was dedicated to praying with Calasanz during the continuous prayer. Thursday was a day of costumes and food fairs. Everyone, students, teachers and staff, dressed up according to their own style and taste. It was great fun to see our students and their teachers teaching in costume. On Friday, a guided tour of the Kinshasa Zoo added a special flavour to the festivities. Saturday was divided into two parts: the celebration of the Eucharist and the feast itself. One of the innovations of the festivities was that each class met with their teacher to decorate and celebrate their festivities. Seeing the whole school decorated in so many different ways confirmed that the children were very creative and organised the parties themselves in their classes. It was certainly a week that has already left its mark on the future – long live Calasanz in the hearts of all!

 

Meeting with the Fraternity of the United States and Puerto Rico

On October 16 we held a significant online meeting with the Piarist Fraternity of the United States and Puerto Rico, recently constituted. It was the first official contact between the Itaka-Escolapios Network and this new Fraternity, still small but with great enthusiasm and potential, as we could see in the meeting. In addition to the members from the group in Hialeah (Miami) and other parts of the country, the meeting was attended by the Provincial Father, Francisco Anaya,  and the demarcational coordinator,  Kevin Owens.

During the meeting, after the initial greeting and prayer, there was a presentation of Itaka-Escolapios by the Network (represented by several members of the Executive Committee), followed by a dialogue that served to clarify some doubts, perceive the harmony and express the willingness to collaborate. An exciting meeting that will surely have continuity.

For our Network, due to its own identity, it is fundamental to cultivate the relationship with the Piarist Fraternity, its co-founder, offering itself as a channel to share mission and being always available to support in the promotion of its Piarist life.

SAL Youth Meeting in Zaragoza

During the first weekend of October 2024, the meeting of the young people of Betania and Emmaus who have spent the month of July or August in Cameroon, Bolivia, Venezuela or Mexico was held in the house of Spirituality Santa Teresa Escolapios-Emaus. It was a good opportunity to share vocational discoveries and intuitions that arose during the visit to these Piarist presences.

Now it is time to continue reflecting and consolidating what we have discovered during this second year of the SAL Project. Undoubtedly a project that helps us to look at reality with different eyes. It generates a connection between very different Piarist, community and social realities and invites us to make commitments for the future with the cause of the poorest people.