A magazine published three times a year by The Marist Fathers and Brothers of the US Province.
Pope Francis’s May Prayer Intention
For the formation of men and women religious, and seminarians
Let us pray that men and women religious, and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel.
Every vocation is a “diamond in the rough” that needs to be polished, worked, shaped on every side. A good priest, sister or nun, must above all else be a man, a woman who is formed, shaped by the Lord’s grace, people who are aware of their own limitations, and willing to lead a life of prayer, of dedicated witness to the Gospel.
Beginning in the seminary and the novitiate, their preparation must be developed integrally, in direct contact with the lives of other people. This is essential.
Formation does not end at a certain moment, but continues throughout life, integrating the person intellectually, humanly, affectively, spiritually.
There’s also preparation to live in community – life in community is so enriching, even though it can be difficult at times. Living together is not the same as living in community.
View the May Prayer Intention Pope Video – a global initiative to disseminate the Holy Father’s monthly intentions (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network).
Anniversary of Marist Approval
On April 29, 1836, the infant Society of Mary received official approbation from the Church through a letter from the mission-minded Pope Gregory XVI.
The Holy Father and the Congregation ‘Propaganda Fide‘ were looking for missionaries to send to the distant south-west Pacific. Marist Founder, Jean-Claude Colin, responded: ‘We will work on whatever distant shore… ‘.
As the Marists remember this historic day, we invite you to listen to the song Hail Mary by Marist Priest Kevin Bates from his album Threads.
Picture Caption: Image of stained glass window from St. Mary’s Manor Chapel in Penndel, Pennsylvania. St. Mary’s Manor served as the minor, or preparatory, seminary for the Society of Mary from 1920 until the 1960s. The window is currently displayed at Marist College in Washington DC.
Feast of St. Peter Chanel
On this feast of St. Peter Chanel the Marists invite you to view the video “The Life of St. Peter Chanel” produced by The St. Peter Chanel Family Faith Formation group.