Marianist Lay Community
of North America
Being Church in the Modern World
|
|
Greetings!
December is absolutely about waiting for the birth of Jesus. Yet, it is not a coincidence there are two major Marian feasts in the same month, the Feasts of Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe. We, as Marianists, know Mary is the model of waiting for Jesus, so it is appropriate to honor Mary during this month. Perhaps the reality we tend to forget in our society of individuals is that Mary waited with her family and her community. It is so important to realize that waiting for Jesus is not a solitary experience. Mary may ponder all that happens to her in the silence of her heart but her next inclination is to reach out to family and community. After the visitation by an angel, she visits her kinswomen, Elizabeth. When Jesus is crucified, she finds her way to the upper room. This Advent season, while we celebrate these feasts honoring Mary, let’s reconcile any differences that are distracting us from wholeheartedly receiving Jesus at Christmas and reach out to our first community, our family, then to our Marianist community. We can wait together with Mary to welcome Jesus at Christmas and every day of the year.
Blessings,
Jim Barrette
Head of Education
|
|
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.
|
|
Marianist Family Welcomes the Morning Star Community
|
|
Front row from left: Andrew Killian, Lanna Klausing, Madeline Spicer, Rosie Errigo, Lucy Hartzell
Back row: Facilitators LeeAnn Meyer and Bro. Mitch Schweickart
|
|
During a mass on Saturday, November 23, members of the Marianist Family welcomed the Morning Star Community and witnessed their commitment as Lay Marianists. These five students met weekly over the course of their semester at the University of Dayton to learn more about the founders, Mary, and the Marianist approach to prayer, social justice, and global mission. With help from several Marianist lay and vowed religious presenters, the students reflected on their own call as Lay Marianists and discerned what living the charism in daily life might look like moving forward individually and as a community. They chose their name, Morning Star, to represent Mary's guidance and the hope of a new day. They felt the name embodied Mary's strength, courage, and unwavering spirit, while simultaneously maintaining her kindness, compassion, and loving nature. Please offer a prayer that they may continue to grow and be inspired along their journey to strengthen their commitment each day.
|
|
Register to Explore Spirituality and Social Justice in Business
|
|
The conference April 3-5 is sponsored by the Marianist Business Network and will be held at the Bergamo Retreat Center in Dayton, Ohio. This conference was originally scheduled for October 2019, but was just moved to April 2020. The Marianist Business network is a group of business people who are associated with the Marianist Family and Marianist sponsored institutions. They are interested in exploring Business as Vocation.
The purpose of the conference is to:
- To provide an introduction to the nature and purposes of the Marianist Business Network
- To explore how the Marianist Charism and the Catholic social justice tradition provides a foundation for:
- The role of business in building the common good
- Building communities of work
- Addressing some of the complex and difficult issues of contemporary business.
- To explore how the Marianist Charism and Marianist Spirituality can support the call to a business vocation and to a work-life balance
- The Marianist Business Network is new. At the conference we will critique and develop its nature, its purpose, and its future agenda.
|
|
Some members of the Lay Leadership Team arrive at Rome for the World Council Meeting.
L- R: Beatrice Leblanc (President), Marceta Reilly (North America), & Mercedes De la Cuadra (Europe).
|
|
The meeting of the International Organization in Rome this year was very rich. The Dicastery Office which supports “organizations of the faithful,” did us the honor of welcoming us. Fr. Buontempo, Head of Associations and Movements of Lay People for the Vatican, received our team. We are very happy to report that we experienced an exceptional moment of Church--the dialogue was warm and friendly, and Fr. Buontempo seemed genuinely interested in the activities of the lay branch of the Marianist Family on all continents!
Fr. Buontempo also encouraged us in two fundamental areas:
- Promote as much as possible the support of the family as a fundamental nucleus for the transmission of the faith. In fact, he extended a warm invitation to us to participate in the next meeting of families in Rome in 2020. We will provide you with more details on this subject at a later time.
- Promote leadership training in our organization. I was delighted to see him bring up this subject as we are in full agreement as leadership development was listed in the priority challenges at our last International Meeting!
In addition, we had the opportunity to give him a copy of a draft policy for our organization on the prevention of sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults. The Vatican had requested to see the Child Protection Policy of each of the Organizations of the Faithful. Our draft outlined awareness training for our members in best practices for working with children and reporting procedures for handling accusations of abuse.
Click here
to read the full report of our meeting.
|
|
Leadership Election Results
|
|
Congratulations to
Chair Elect: Margy Lisjak
|
|
Head of Education: Abbey Saurine
|
|
Thank you to all of the nominees and candidates.
Thank you to Jim Barrette
, our outgoing Head of Education. Due to his leadership, we look forward rolling out a formation plan in 2020. We are grateful for his leadership and wish him many blessings in his ongoing ministry.
|
|
|
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Assembly Planning Committee invites Lay Marianists and Marianist religious to propose keynote addresses and workshop topics for the 2020 Assembly in San Antonio. Please use the following link to access the
proposal form
.
Proposals are due January 31, 2020.
|
|
Advent Marian Meditations
|
|
We invite you to consider the following Advent reflections for your prayer this season. Available through the NACMS website, these meditations may provide you with the space to enter more fully into the Advent season -
Advent Marian Meditations.
|
|
Reflections on Marian/Marianist Feast Days
|
|
As we begin this new liturgical year, reflections will be provided 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
We invite volunteers to sign up to provide a reflection for one or more of the dates via this link -
Marianist/Marian Feast Days
- or contact Margy Lisjak, at
margy.lisjak@mlc-na.org
with a request for a specific date or to be assigned one of the feast days.
Details regarding length and due date to meet publication deadlines will be shared with those who volunteer.
|
|
Dec 8
Dec 12
Dec 25
Dec 27
|
|
Immaculate Conception-Patronal Feast of the Marianist Sisters
Our Lady of Guadalupe-Patroness of the Americas
Nativity of Our Lord
St. John the Beloved-Patron of the Society of Mary
|
|
See more information and prayers for all these Marianist Feast Days
here
.
|
|
St. John the Beloved-Patron of the Society of Mary
December 27, 2019
|
|
We have all been conceived of Mary, we must be born of Mary, and formed by Mary to the resemblance of Jesus Christ. (
Marian Writings 2 § 678)
Marianist Family Prayer Book, vol. 2
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,
[
a
] here is your son,”
27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
John 19:25-27 New International Version (NIV)
|
|
Lord, send us your Spirit of hope….
as we patiently wait during these days of darkness and silence for the Light that shines as our guide to peace.
so we may be a place where God’s just word is lived and where all people are welcomed.
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.
so those weakened by life’s burdens may find hope in the care they receive from us.
as we ask Blessed Adele’s intercession for the immigrant children and families who are suffering. May her witness to the poor give us encouragement to continue to advocate for compassion and a just solution to this painful crisis.
as we call upon our world leaders to model compassion, work for justice, and raise up those who suffer.
for those who are suffering from injuries or illness. We especially pray for Orlando Gushoney and Jenny Collins - may your healing hand give them comfort and your deep love give them patience. We also pray for their care givers that they may feel the strength of Mary who accompanied you during times of deep suffering.
as we pray for our departed Marianist Brothers and Sisters and Marianist family members who have enriched our lives through their presence, especially Bro. Ralph Neumann (Nov. 6). May he be held in God’s loving embrace as he joins the fellowship of saints.
that Mary’s example of contemplation and reflection give us a model for listening more deeply to one another.
Lord, send us your Spirit of joy….
as we celebrate the gifts of the Marianist Sisters, whose presence in the United States has been a blessing to so many.
so we can respond with Mary’s “yes” and be the path to bringing to birth the love and joy of Jesus.
for the growth of the Marianist family as new lay communities undergo formation and discern their commitment.
As we pray in gratitude for the 200 years of witness of our Marianist brothers in continuing Blessed Chaminade’s vision for bringing Christ to our world through education.
that we, like Marie Therese, find within our hearts the joy and love in serving others.
|
|
Graduate Assistantships at University of Dayton
|
|
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
at the University of Dayton –a Catholic and Marianist Institution. Share your faith ministering to college students while pursuing a Masters in Theology or Pastoral Ministry. Work alongside seasoned campus ministers and engage in holistic ministerial formation as you form your own ministerial identity and approach. Serve undergraduate students by journeying with them to cultivate faith, foster spiritual growth, and form Christian leaders through spiritual mentoring and discipleship, leading small groups, facilitating retreats, planning worship, coordinating service and justice initiatives, and more.
Six Campus Ministry positions available for 2020-21 within Residence Life Ministry, Christian Leadership and Retreats, and Liturgy
. Tuition, stipend, and housing are provided. Application and information at
https://udayton.edu/ministry/ga_program/index.php
or from Kelly Adamson, 937-229-2574. Applications due February 1.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
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
|
|
NEWSLETTERS
Read the Signs of the Times and Sign Up for these Marianist Family Newsletters
|
|
Matt Dunn
Chair-Elect
Vacant
Head of Education
Jim Barrette
LeeAnn Meyer
Margy Lisjak
Rob Brodrick
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch
Maureen O'Rourke
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|