Dawn of the Word in Silence

From the beginnings of Christianity up to this very day, the Gospel has drawn to itself countless individuals and communities. Life has sprung fourth and grown in the most varied situations. Whether the fruits have been humble or great, they have emerged from the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – ordinary people, missionaries and martyrs.

Dawn of the Word in Silence retraces the mission of the Marist Brothers in China. In line with the vision of their founder Marcellin Champagnat, the first Brothers who made imprints on the soul (and the soul_ of the Chinese in 1981, went “to make Jesus known and loved.” With the special heart that the Marist Brothers had for children forsaken in tragic depths of human and spiritual poverty, the mission in China was an interplay of challenges, and triumphs. Set against the backdrop of China’s tumultous political situation, the Marist Brothers not only rolled up their sleeves to work; they also shed both their tears and blood. Their fidelity accentuates the incalculable value of the Gospel, which they were ready to live and die for.

This book brings us back to the past, neither to savor nor to weep for that which was. Rather, it is an invitation to appreciate what we have today, and continue forward with determination and hope. As Superior General Bro. Emili Turu said in his letter to all Marist Brothers in 2013, “What moves us is not nostalgia for what we have left, but hope, based on the conviction that the journey is worth the pain.”