Marists in Oceania: A Mission Without Borders
Fr Jean-Claude Colin, the founder of the Society of Mary, was strongly convicted the Society was called “to do great things” and to work “in any corner of the world”. When, in 1836, the Society of Mary received from the Holy See the responsibility of evangelizing Oceania, Jean-Claude Colin, freshly elected Superior General, started sending missionaries. Between 1836 and 1849, 15 groups left France to go to the missions in Oceania: New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinee, Fiji Islands, Wallis et Futuna, Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa and New Zealand. The mission was undertaken with great spiritual conviction and human courage. Many of the Marist Missionaries recorded what they observed, they kept their logbooks, they said how they were received, they stated the difficulties they met, they recorded the works they undertook.
Today, the mission continues!
Oceania is not just a chapter in our history—it is a living testament to the courage, faith, and dedication of the first Marist missionaries. Their footsteps still echo across the Pacific, reminding us that the mission continues today. The Marist presence in Oceania remains a vital expression of our call to bring Christ’s mercy to every corner of the world.
(Credit: https://maristfathers.net/oceania/)