Society of Mary Calendar. Marist Laity & Colin s Hope for a Marian Church THE MARISTS IN THE UNITED STATES

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1 ociety of ary HE ARI IN HE UNIED AE arist Laity & Colin s Hope for a arian Church Calendar

2 ary of Nazareth, the first disciple of the Lord and other of the Church, is the heart of our identity as arists. his remarkable woman of faith has called us to this way of life. e believe that we have been called by a gracious choice into the family of ary. It is her work that we do and so we commit ourselves to think, judge, feel and act as she did. As a consequence, these qualities mark us as arists: mercy and compassion, availability, welcome and hospitality, simplicity manifest in everyday ordinariness and a common touch. e are self-effacing apostles who demonstrate a spirit of joy and respect for others; we are called to be humble and hidden and unknown in the world. Our spirituality, which is both mystical and practical, responds to the reality and circumstances of today s world. Jean-Claude Colin, acting on what he believed to be ary s desire, encouraged us to establish a arian Church, a Church with the heart of a mother beating at its center. At our best, we are instruments of God s mercy working to help others taste the boundless love of the Lord, especially those who find themselves on the margins. As arists, we seek to go where the Church is not. e should enable all with whom we come into contact to experience the gift of reconciliation as well as peace of heart and mind. ary is the icon of God s pirit. As her fellow disciples, we pray that with God s grace we become the same. tatement of Identity, U Province of the arists Assembly and Chapter of June

3 arist Laity & Colin s Hope for a arian Church he theme of our Calendar is a celebration of arist Laity as an expression of Jean-Claude Colin s strong hope for a new and arian Church. was a remarkable year for the ociety of ary. It was the th anniversary of the ociety and the year of the approbation of our new Constitutions. he uperior General, r. John Jago,, wrote a letter to the ociety entitled ary other of Our Hope reflecting on the events of that significant year and as a call to a re-foundation of the ociety focusing a great deal on arist Laity. e could think of no better way of articulating the theme of this calendar than with excerpts from his inspirational letter: e must continue to foster throughout the ociety of ary the sense of our mission as a ociety. e are not destined to be a group priests and brothers simply doing good works and living under a broad and easy rule. he call of Colin is to an adventure. It is not to launch a special devotion to ary, or even so much to imitate her and present her as a model for sanctity. It is to enter into her work, a work designated for her by divine providence in these last times, the work of gathering in mercy and compassion all the people of God into a Church which is not triumphal and legalistic but attending to the fears, doubts and allergies of men and women of our time. e are to be extensions of ary in her work of renewing the Church into a kingdom of mercy. In the mind of the ounder the ociety s mission was to bring a new presence and influence of ary to the Church. Lay men and women were to be involved in the pursuit of that mission, for the original arist project included a plan for a lay branch. or this reason our refounding in the area of evangelization will take special interest in the current flowering of the gifts of the laity in the Church. However, present efforts to share ministry with the laity remain at the level of sharing with them part of the traditional role of the priest in a church still too hierarchical in conception and structure. As arists we must dedicate ourselves to the more important and radical task of transforming the Church into a communion and a people. uch a Church will demand a different form of leadership, one based not so much on hierarchy as on the ability to create an atmosphere in which people can recognize their gifts and have the courage to offer them for the task of the Kingdom. A leadership which fosters a network of relationships through which a community can care for itself and pursue its goals. A leadership which desires to let go of its power to the group after it has helped it to develop its effectiveness. he development of the laity offers the Church a rich potential for mission. It opens up new avenues for evangelizing the different levels of culture: politics, business, law, the media, the world of work and amusement. It makes possible a Church which, while retaining its visible and institutional character, is much less a bureaucracy and more and more of a communion of people dedicated to the Lord s mission. A growing number of arists have made their own this vision of Vatican II. he difficulty has been in developing the strategies to put it into practice. It is not easy. e need first to overcome the inertia caused by the training of traditional ministers, the expectations of an older generation of laity, and by a set of structures which were once adequate but no longer fit the future. Each arist community, whatever its apostolate, must find time to reflect together on this vision and hope. It must set itself to the task of consciously, and through a systematic corporate reflection develop a plan to turn the vision into a reality. e must not give up hope in the face of failure. his is not a task for a day, but a quiet revolution. A arian Church will stress gentleness over aggression, relationship over separation, attachment over self-sufficiency, the activities of care and concern over patterns of violence he development and empowerment of the laity is the real challenge of the parishes. e must dedicate ourselves to the difficult task of transforming them into centers of communion and evangelization. e must be careful to preserve this tradition (of Colinian education). Lack of numbers will not present an overwhelming problem if we are able to engage the laity who have labored for years in these schools to adopt in a more explicit manner the arist spirituality and Colinian way of education. e must strive to transform the staff and the parents into a faith community and invite them to share the task of handing on the Christian aith and values to the students. As we celebrate our arist Laity month by month in this Calendar, let it be as an expression of that Colinian hope for a arian People on fire with that revolution of tenderness that Pope rancis calls us to be A Church of ercy under the banner of ary, the icon of God s pirit. e as her fellow disciples of Jesus Christ lean into that hope in prayer, witness and action.

4 he ociety of ary and its mission are not integral without the inclusion of the laity working side by side with us, to our mutual advantage and growth, sharing a common source of life and inspiration: ary to whom we belong. Conference of English-peaking Promoters of the.o.. tatement..

5 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY ary, other of God New Year s Day t. Elizabeth Ann eton t. John Neumann Epiphany of the Lord observed Acceptance of issions of Oceania, ass and Prayers for ociety of ary artin Luther King Day Inauguration Day t. arianne Cope t. rancis de ales econdary Patron of ociety of ary t. homas Aquinas econdary Patron of ociety of ary 0 January DECEBER 0 EBRUARY

6 ary is the icon of God s pirit. As her fellow disciples, we pray that with God s grace we become the same. tatement of Identity, U Province of the arists Assembly and Chapter of June

7 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY east of the Presentation of the Lord arists Renew heir Vows Our Lady of Lourdes President s Day Approbation of r. Colin s Constitutions, ass and Prayers for ociety of ary ebruary JANUARY 0 ARCH 0

8 ay our most sweet mother, the Blessed Virgin ary, favor and increase this part of her well-beloved family! How desirable it would be to gather the whole world together under her banner, for her honor and the salvation of souls! Jean-Claude Colin in Draft.O.. Constitutions..

9 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY Ash ednesday t. Katherine ary Drexel Laudatory Brief of Pope Pius VII ass and Prayers for ociety of ary Daylight avings ime Begins t. Joseph Patron of ociety of ary observed irst Day of pring Annunciation 0 arch EBRUARY 0 APRIL

10 In the hird Order, ary extends her arms to every age, sex, condition, degree, shade of meaning which can be found in souls. r. Denis-Joseph aîtrepierre. Overview of the Origin of the...

11 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY Palm unday Holy hursday Holy riday Holy aturday Easter unday Earth Day Divine ercy unday t. Peter Chanel, artyred ass and Prayers for Vocations to ociety of ary Pontifical Approbation of the ociety of ary by Pope Gregory XVI, ass and Prayers for the ociety of ary 0 April ARCH 0 AY 0

12 Our ociety has always included laity who experience and live with us the awareness of the gracious choice to be members of ary s family. Conference of English-peaking Promoters of the.o...

13 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY t. Damien de Veuster other s Day Ascension t. Philip Neri ass and Prayers for Living Benefactors emorial Day Visitation of he Blessed Virgin ary 0 ay 0 APRIL JUNE 0

14 arist Laity are people who discern a call to bring the presence of ary to the church and the world of our day, according to the tradition of the ociety of ary: a presence that is quiet, encouraging, supportive, faith-filled, and constant. he arist ay by the arist Laity ervice Committee, 0.

15 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY Pentecost unday t. arcellin Champagnat, died rinity unday ather s Day Corpus Christi observed irst Day of ummer acred Heart of Jesus olemnity of ts. Peter and Paul ass for the Pope 0 June AY 0 0 JULY

16 ary was the support of the Church in the beginning and she still is at the end of time..the ociety of ary is about a mission beyond the Church to those who do not belong or, let us say, no longer belong to the community of believers. he target of our apostolate is the whole world, not only the Church. Alois Greiler, sm, retreat to U Province.

17 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY t. Junipero erra Independence Day t. Peter Chanel, born Bl. Carlos anuel Rodriguez antiago t. Kateri ekakwitha Pledge at ourvière to found the ociety of ary,. ass and Prayers for ociety of ary ts. Anne and Joachim, parents of ary, grandparents of Jesus 0 July JUNE 0 AUGU 0

18 or the laity to exercise their full role in the missionary activity, the suffering and the prayer of the Church, there is urgent need for a fresh, vital apostolic spirituality within the reach of all. Our arist spirituality, in its simplicity, is just that. inspired by the image of ary present in the Church from the very beginning. Conference of English-peaking Promoters of the.o...

19 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY t. Alphonsus de Liguori econdary Patron of ociety of ary t. Peter Julian Eymard, ormer arist ounder Blessed acrament Congregations t. John Baptiste Vianney, the Curé of Ars hird Order, in eminary with r. Colin ransfiguration r. Jean-Claude Colin,, born 0 olemnity of the Assumption of ary arists Renew heir Vows 0 August 0 JULY EPEBER 0

20 Because they bear the name of ary, arists desire to be like her and follow Jesus as she did. Contemplating ary in the mysteries of Nazareth and Pentecost and her role at the end of time, they come to share her zeal for her on s mission in his struggle against evil, and to respond with promptness to the most urgent needs of God s people. arist Constitutions n.

21 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY Labor Day irst Vows of arist isters, Nativity of he Blessed Virgin ary th Anniversary of American National ragedy olemnity of the ost Holy Name of ary arist Patronal east ass and Prayers for ociety of ary Our Lady of orrows irst Day of Autumn Election of irst uperior General of ociety of ary, irst Profession of arists ass and Prayers for ociety of ary t. Vincent de Paul econdary Patron of ociety of ary t. ichael Archangel with Archangels Gabriel and Raphael Patron of ociety of ary 0 eptember AUGU 0 OCOBER 0

22 o cultivate ary s spirit is also to cultivate a sense of service: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. inging the agnificat frees me from all self-concern: I am fully available for service. o know how to serve is another way of disappearing, of making oneself hidden and unknown. hat is required for service? wo things: identify the need, be equipped to respond to it. Gaston Lessard, sm

23 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY arist College in Atlanta opens, 0 Became arist chool in and moved to suburban DeKalb County t. other héodore Guérin t. rancis of Assisi Bl. rancis Xavier eelos Columbus Day Jesuit artyrs of North America 0 October EPEBER 0 NOVEBER 0

24 he ociety must begin a new Church over again. I do not mean that in a literal sense, that would-be blasphemy. But still, in a certain sense, yes, we must begin a new Church. he ociety of ary, like the Church, began with simple, poorly educated men; but since then the Church has developed and encompassed everything. e too must gather together everyone through the hird Order. Jean-Claude Colin, sm It is a new humanity and a new Church which must be reborn from the maelstrom of our present times. Pius XI 0

25 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY All aints ass for Deceased arists ass for Deceased Benefactors Daylight avings ime Ends Veteran s Day t. rances Xavier Cabrini Death of r. Jean-Claude Colin,, ass and Prayers for ociety of ary t. Rose Philippine Duchesne Presentation of the Blessed Virgin ary hanksgiving Day 0 November OCOBER 0 DECEBER 0

26 or well over a century and a half, commitment to the arist way has been a source of joy and consolation for many thousands of people. It has placed them in a special relationship with ary and through her with Jesus. ary has become for them a protector and guide. heir lives have been changed as they learn from ary how best to follow Jesus. hey have felt the support, encouragement, challenge, and companionship on the spiritual journey that comes with belonging to the arist family. he arist ay by the arist Laity ervice Committee 0

27 UNDAY ONDAY UEDAY EDNEDAY HURDAY RIDAY AURDAY irst unday of Advent Immaculate Conception Our Lady of Guadalupe irst Day of inter Christmas 0 December NOVEBER 0 JANUARY 0

28 ociety of ary Province in the United tates DECEBER PHOO CAPION OP LE: ary Ghisolfo, principal of Notre Dame de Victoires chool in an rancisco, shares some encouraging words with a hesitant nd grader getting ready to step into role in a school play. ary is a former national director of arist Laity for the U and provides an explicitly arist approach to education, discipline and environment in the school. O HE RIGH: A arist laity group of the District of Africa visiting disabled children in Our Lady of Consolation Center, Bambili, Cameroon. NEX O HE RIGH: Jack Ridout, vocation director, with the winners of an essay contest on Vocation at Notre Dame de Victoires chool in an rancisco. Jack has taken private promises to live in accordance with the arist Constitutions as a lay person and has been director for vocations for years. BELO: he plenary group gathered at the hird European arist Laity Encounter in Los Negrales near adrid, pain in with the U Director of Laity, Christine Columban in the back row hidden and unknown as she describes it. O HE LE: Delegations from UA, Canada, exico, Peru and Brazil at the Negrales gathering with Christine Columban seated in the front row, second from the end. BOO LE: ichael Coveny, Director of the arist ay at arist chool in Atlanta, Georgia talking with a prospective new student and her father. ichael teaches an elective course on arist tudies at arist chool. COVER o order prints of the front cover Visitation go to OCIEY O ARY INORAION Please contact us about arist locations in the U.. and abroad by contacting arist Provincial House in ashington, D.C. at - or info@maristsociety.org. O UPPOR HE ARI IN HE U.. arist athers & Brothers of the United tates Office of Development Isabella treet, Boston, A 0- r. Paul Carr, Director s. Denise D Amico, ecretary elephone: -- ax: -- maristdevelopment@gmail.com O UPPOR HE ARI IION arist oreign issions Office of the United tates Isabella treet, Boston, A 0- Rev. alter Gaudreau,.., Director r. Paul Carr, Associate s. Denise D Amico, ecretary Office: --0 ax: -- aristissions@gmail.com Rev. Paul rechette,.., Provincial uperior he ociety of ary in the United tates of America Varnum treet, NE ashington, DC 0 At our best, we are instruments of God s mercy working to help others taste the boundless love of the Lord, especially those who find themselves on the margins. As arists, we seek to go where the Church is not. e should enable all with whom we come into contact to experience the gift of reconciliation as well as peace of heart and mind. ary is the icon of God s pirit. As her fellow disciples, we pray that with God s grace we become the same. (tatement of Identity for the U Province ) societyofmaryusa.org