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The Marist Family
The Marist Missionary Sisters are part of the Marits Family, that is formed by 4 congregations and laypeople who fellow the Marist Charism
The “Society of Mary” came to birth on 23rd July 1816, at the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Fourvière (Our Lady of Fourvière in Lyon, France).
The founders: a group of twelve seminarians, among them Jean-Claude Colin and Marcellin Champagnat. Their vision was all embracing: this ‘Society of Mary’ to which they were committing themselves would gather together priests, brothers, sisters and a third order of lay men and women.
- It would be a “family” with four branches.
They were bound together by their spiritual ideal: to put themselves, like Mary, at the service of the Church through a work that was discreet and hidden, yet generous and dynamic.
The Marist Fathers
The Marist BrothersThe foundation of a Society bearing the name of Mary “to respond to the great needs of the peoples” became a reality with Jean Claude Colin. In a dechristianised France, the Marist Fathers conducted missions in the countryside and set up schools. In 1836, at the request of the Pope, they agreed to go to Oceania. Father Favre, first successor of Father Colin, supported our Pioneers.
Today, about 1,100 Marist priests are dispersed in all the continents.
The Society of Mary is an international religious congregation of priests and brothers devoted to living the Gospel in Mary’s way.
The Marist Brothers
On January 2nd, 1817, Saiht Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist Father, founded in La Valla, France, the lay religious Institute, or religious Institute of Brothers, under the name of Little Brothers of Mary. He saw it as forming a branch of the Society of Mary.
In 1863 the Holy See approved the Marist Brothers as an autonomous Institute of pontifical right. While respecting our original name, it gave us the title of Marist Brothers of the Schools (F.M.S.- Fratres Maristae a Scholis).
At a ceremony and Mass in St. Peter’s Square on April 18, 1999, Pope John Paul II declared that Marcellin is a Saint of the universal Church.
The Marist Sisters
The Marist Sisters were founded during the Post Revolution France when society was living in a time of great upheaval.
The Marist Sisters recognise Jeanne-Marie Chavoin (Mother Saint Joseph) as their Foundress and Jean-Claude Colin as their Founder.
Marist Sisters called think, judge, feel and act as Mary in today’s world. “Simply fitting in wherever we can be of service, seeking in return neither esteem nor acknowledgement…” (Constitutions 6).
To be a Marist Sister is ‘to be called by a gracious choice’ to follow Christ, by living the Gospel as Mary did, in a Congregation which bears her name (Constitutions 2)
Lay branches
From the beginning lay people have wanted to live the Marist spirit. They have formed groups around the religious - Fathers, Brothers, or Sisters. These groups have taken on different forms: in one country, a Third Order; in another, Fraternities… but, whatever their name, these groups gather together men and women, married or single, who wish to be inspired by the Marist intuition in order to live their commitment as lay persons in the Church and in the world.
In small groups, they share their faith, their reflection, their prayer and their friendship…
(Taken from Qui enverrai-je? Sœurs Missionnaires de la Société de Marie)
