Marianist Lay Community
of North America
Being Church in the Modern World
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Greetings!
There is fundamental development happening in the Marianist Family. The 2018 General Chapter of the Society of Mary nailed it when they wrote in their final document:
“We want to thank God because for years, the Marianist Family has been in the process of development. We realize that all the groups (branches) that constitute it have made a great journey together always energized by the richness of our charism that has, in its essence, this family dimension. We believe that we are at a time when we can make a significant progress in strengthening the experience of being a Family. This Family is a spiritual atmosphere in which each branch breathes the air of the Spirit, is fed and finds its identity. For our part, we express the conviction that the future of Marianist religious life will be as a family or it will not exist. This requires us, in many cases to change perspective. We are not the only depositories of the Marianist Charism nor are we its guarantors. We are a specific embodiment of the Charism.”
[1]
I see the perspective our General Chapter has discovered. The laity have to take their proper place in the church. They realize that the world today requires the unity of everyone in the church. The religious cannot do all that is needed to be done. The Laity are discovering their leadership more and more.
Have we not seen the need for unity in our struggle to combat the coronavirus and work against racism in these times? It is clear that by being in sync we have strength to work effectively against these evils.
Being together in the strengths of our charism, we have effectiveness. Did not Chaminade work with Adele and Marie Thérèse to develop a Family of unity that was enormously effective in their time? Not only their external efforts were successful, but they also led so many at various levels with a spirit of compassion, of integrity, of appreciation of each other. Actually, it was the Spirit of Mary.
This grasp of what family means is sometimes strong, yet, sometimes lost. However, it is essential for our Marianist life.
We are undergoing a type of paradigm shift in our life as Marianists. A paradigm shift is a scientific term. It is better to say that we are experiencing a paschal mystery shift in our life as Marianists. We are rediscovering the powerful spirit-filled reality of what it means to be a Marianist Family, the Family of Mary.
I have been the Marianist Religious Advisor on the Leadership Team of MLC-NA for about five years. I want to share with you my experience on the Team. We have meetings every month. I tell you that the energy of the team is extraordinary. Young people and experienced compose the team. They have a deep love for the charism. They are willing to put in extraordinary effort to develop the Marianist Family.
In addition, I am a mentor for the Marianist Student Communities here at the University of Dayton. My experience is that students discover the charism and the power of community in an extraordinary way. They become leaders at the University. They leave with a desire to live the Charism.
I am also part of an MLC here at the University. They too have a deep respect for the charism. They want to come together and grow in their personal spiritual development to do something for the wider community.
The main dynamic I want to get across in this newsletter is that what our General Chapter realized what is happening in North America and in many countries throughout the world.
“We Marianists present to the world, united to Christ by means of our alliance with Mary, and strengthened by the Spirit, we work to build the Reign of God,” the Second International Meeting of Marianist Communities proclaimed. (The Mission of Marianist Lay Communities, International Meeting of MLCs, Lliria, Spain, 1.3)
We are united as one Family, one network in imitation of who the original Marianists were at the time of Chaminade, Adele and Marie
Thérèse.
Moreover, wait until you see what the Leadership Team has coming for you. After the Assembly, all of us will be invited to get to know each other throughout the continent.
The charism shows to the Church and world the model of unity, family, and community working together.
Blessings,
Fr. Ted Cassidy, SM
[1]
A Man Who Does not Die, In Mission with the Family of Mary xxx General Chapter of the Society of Mary, July 2018, Par 3.
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Welcome to Paul Combest, Head of Temporalities
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With vacancies as a result of Leadership Council members assuming new roles as a result of last December’s elections, the Council appointed Paul Combest to fill the vacant role of Head of Temporalities.
Paul is the Director of Operations and serves on the Mission Integration Team at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, Texas. He received formation pursuing a vocation with the Society of Mary. His work experience includes Campus Ministry at St. Mary’s University, Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry for the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, and Assistant Director of Facilities at Nolan Catholic High School. Paul served for nine years on the Coordinating Team for LIFE South and was a founding member of the Tecaboca Board of Ministry. Paul was instituted as an Acolyte by Bishop Kevin Vann in 2012. Paul was also a co-chair for the 2014 Lay Assembly held in San Antonio. Paul is a member of the San Antonio Marianist Family Council representing Central Catholic. Paul has completed the Marianist Lay Formation Institute (MLFI), Teaching As Ministry (TAM), and Growing in Commitment to the Marianist Charism. He currently serves on the committee for the Marianist Sisters Vocation Fund and has served as a member of the Task Group for the Marianist Center for Lay Formation. Paul holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from St. Mary’s University, and a Master's degree in Pastoral Ministry from the Oblate School of Theology.
We are grateful for Paul’s gifts and welcome him to the Leadership Council.
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Virtual Lay Assembly 2020
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Registration is officially open for the 2020 Virtual Lay Marianist Assembly for anyone in the Marianist Family! Please join us on July 18th and 19th as we center our Assembly sessions around the following theme:
Turning Toward Justice
. The schedule can be found on the accompanying PDF, so please look it over, register, and join us for any session that interests you. We can't wait to see you there!
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Zoom Creates MLC Connections
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Just about 6 weeks ago, the MLC-NA Leadership Team offered Marianist communities all over the US and Canada to meet using our Zoom platform. We opened the door to Zoom, and our amazing MLCs responded! Over 10 communities reached out to us to schedule their community meetings via Zoom and almost all of these communities have met multiple times as they have had positive experiences meeting virtually. The communities who have utilized this resource have ranged from recently graduated students from our Marianist Universities to communities who have been active in the Marianist family since the 70s!
MLC-NA is grateful the Marianist Family has found this service to be helpful. Please continue to reach out if your community would like to meet via Zoom as we all continue to experience social isolation and stay at home orders. To schedule a meeting, email
[email protected]
. We will check our calendar and provide you with a link that you can share with your members. Participants can use mobile devices, tablets, or computers and can also call in if they don't have video capability.
Connection and intentionality are still possible and could be experienced in deeper ways right now. Let’s keep being adaptive, creative, and inclusive communities, as we have been inspired to be by our Marianist Founders.
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Please use these email addresses for the following purposes:
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Call For Photos: MLC-NA is starting the very exciting project of creating our own website! As a result, we are looking for any MLC or Marianist laity to share photos of your community, your commitment ceremonies, Assemblies, and any other MLC-NA events. Please email photos to
[email protected]
and thank you for your help on this!
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As an expression of our commitment to "do whatever he tells you" in support of Mary's mission to respond to the needs of the world, the Visitation State Community has chosen to put some of the resources with which we have been blessed at the service of others. We are particularly committed to enabling small communities and fledgling service projects to thrive; to grow, and respond to the genuine needs of the young and the poor and to engage in the struggle for peace and justice.
All Marianist are invited to be a part of the Visitation State Community’s Seed Grants.
Either through
submission of a grant request
or by making a financial contribution (503c tax deductible) to the fund from which the grants are sourced.
For financial contributions, make checks payable to Marianist State Community and mail to:
Visitation Marianist State Community
6539 Harrison Avenue # 1118
Cincinnati, OH 45247
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Marianist State Commitment and the Vow of Stability
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One of the unique vocations within the Marianist Family is the "State of Religious Living in the World' with lay people taking a vow of stability to continue to live according to the Marianist charism. For short, it is called a State Commitment. The Visitation Marianist State Community has developed an educational/formational program for those wanting to learn more about a State Commitment and about the Vow of Stability such a commitment entails. The program is available for groups of individuals or for existing Marianist Lay Communities and can be delivered in-person or virtually. For more information, please contact Jim Vogt,
[email protected]
, Linda Zappacosta,
[email protected]
,or George Lisjak,
[email protected]
.
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As a faith community, MLC-NA is the national association to which all Lay Marianists in North America belong. It is self-supporting through contributions from individuals and local communities.
Your support helps us to:
- Employ a part-time Administrator
- Maintain communication tools such as the newsletter, database, and Zoom accounts used by numerous committees and communities
- Support the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative and the International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities
- Support the creation and launch a new lay formation process for initial and on-going formation
Contributions can also be sent to the address at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Reflections on Marian/Marianist Feast Days
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Reflections are provided each month to heighten awareness of those feasts holding special significance for the Marianist Family and to allow for more focused reflection on the meaning of those days. The reflections are available at
Reflections on Marian/Marianist Feast Days
. Thanks to
Jean Fitzgerald for sharing a reflection during June.
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Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Mary, Queen of Peace
St. Benedict
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See more information and prayers for all these Marianist Feast Days
here
.
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Choosing Hope Over Fear
Almighty God, most merciful and providential, as people of faith, we come to you today in a spirit of humility and hope. During these challenging times help us to restore the sacred responsibility of our leaders to the common good, to equality and inclusion, and to protect the disempowered. We know that every human being is a person of dignity and worth. In this powerful and troubled nation, guide our efforts to shape a more just democracy that values this truth. Root out the corrosive power of money and restore the common good as the purpose of our politics.
Dear God, we ask that you deliver this nation from cynicism and from the erosion of trust that divides us. Help us to remain ever hopeful and to hold firm to our faith in the spirit of self-governance and the dignity of democratic representation. Empower us with free and honest elections reflecting the collective wisdom and the will of the people. Watch over us in this moment of our nation’s history and grant us the insight to know the right way forward and the perseverance to create a truly faithful democracy.
God of humanity, open our eyes to the rightful priority of people over money and power in our politics.
God of abundance, let the wisdom of our democracy be guided by the richness and diversity of the American people.
God of liberation, free our democracy and our elected officials from the stranglehold of money and special interests.
God of conversion, soften the hearts of our lawmakers and open them to needed reforms in our democratic institutions.
God of unity, energize people of goodwill across the nation to join movements for positive change.
God of righteousness, help us create a democracy that addresses the needs of the silenced and the marginalized.
God of truth, restore the faith of the American people in the promise and the spirit of our democracy.
God of reconciliation, help us shape a shared national identity rooted in kindness and healthy civil discourse.
Amen.
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Written by Sr. Quincy Howard, OP. Sister Quincy is a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa and a Government Relations Specialist at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.
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Lord, send us your Spirit….
That we might be your instruments in sowing peace in our world and bringing light where there is darkness.
As we seek to sustain our passion and energy in the ordinary moments of each day and see the face of God in those around us.
As we hold in prayer those who suffer from pain, illness, and anxiety. May they experience healing and comfort through the gentleness and patience of the care providers.
As we continue the work of our Founders. We pray that together we can engage in the work of God and respond to crisis and uncertainty with faith, hope, and love.
As we pray for those in turmoil and strife due to institutionalized discrimination and marginalization, those in need of medical care who lack adequate insurance, and those that need to feel loved (all of us).
Lord, give us hope…..
For all those continuing to be impacted by natural disasters, racism, serious illnesses and injuries. May we continue to console, to love, to transform, and to give.
As we hold in prayer those who are enduring pain and suffering because of their faith, their race, or their differing views. May God’s healing embrace give them strength for their journey and comfort in their suffering.
As we pray for our departed Marianist Brothers and Sisters and Marianist family members who have enriched our lives through their presence. In a special way we pray for Bro. Hugh Charlson (June 25). May they be held in God’s loving embrace as they join the community of saints.
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Thank you to all who have visited our web form - we have hundreds of updated records.
If you haven't updated your information, please take a few moments to fill out this
brief questionnaire
(it's a Google form). Each member of a family should register separately so we have individual emails for future elections, etc.
Please also encourage your community members to keep their information current. Individuals may follow the link or a community rep can send us a community roster.
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MLC-NA Area Representatives
(Click on names for emails)
Southeast (FL, NC)
Northeast (PA, NY, NJ, MD, VA)
OH, KY, IN
Central States (CO, IL, KS, NE, MO, WI)
Texas
West Coast (CA, OR, WA)
Hawaii
Canada (French-Speaking)
UD-formed Communities (Many are virtual)
To Be Determined
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NEWSLETTERS
Read the Signs of the Times and Sign Up for these Marianist Family Newsletters
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Matt Dunn
Margy Lisjak
Abbey Saurine
Paul Combest
LeeAnn Meyer
Rob Brodrick
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch
At-Large (Member Engagement)
Corinne Woodruff
MSJC Rep
Maureen O'Rourke
Kelly Welling
Sarah Gray
Maureen O'Rourke
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AMAZON DONATION PROGRAM!
Did you know that when you buy stuff at Amazon.com, Amazon will make a donation to MLC-NA?
How? By using Smile.Amazon.Com.
Please consider using smile.amazon.com and selecting Marianist Lay Network as your charity. There is no additional cost to you and it really is the same site as Amazon.
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