Marianist Lay Community
of North America
Being Church in the Modern World
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Greetings!
You’ll see in this newsletter that several new Lay Marianists have joined the Marianist Family. We congratulate them and are grateful to their formators for guiding them and walking with them.
The commitment these individuals make is one of faith. It is first, a personal commitment – an extension of their baptism in the Body of Christ, and second a commitment to one another as a community, whether it be to a local MLC or to the Marianist Lay Community as a whole. I also ask for your prayers for a group of young adults I met with in December who have discerned, individually and collectively, to deepen their own faith by exploring together the Marianist charism over the coming year.
While commitments should always be celebrated, I specifically draw attention to these commitments as we approach February 2, when, in 1801 the first sodalists made their first commitment to join in Mary’s mission.
The intentionality that commitment requires is a reminder for us all that commitment is more than a one-time event. Just as we make New Year’s resolutions, perhaps February 2 should also be a reminder of our own Marianist commitment and what that commitment means. Perhaps we could ask ourselves:
- What will I do to deepen my own faith?
- What will I do to live the Marianist charism more intentionally?
- How can I more intentionally engage with my faith community, whether it’s my Marianist Lay Community, my parish, my small Christian community, etc.?
- How can I more intentionally be present to the life of the Marianist Family, activities sponsored Marianist Family Councils, attendance at the Lay Assembly this summer, and more?
- How does the investment of my time and resources reflect that my Marianist way of life is a priority?
- What can I do to integrate my faith into my daily work and family life?
The list could go on. I invite you to deeper prayer and participation in things Marianist. I also encourage you to explore resources at
NACMS
, whether it’s for your own use or your community’s use, whether it’s for content about the charism or resources for deepening your spirituality. Finally, let us all pray for one another.
I wish you a blessed and grace filled 2020 and I look forward to seeing you in July at the Lay Assembly!
Yours in Jesus and Mary,
Matt Dunn
Chair, MLC-NA
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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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MLC-NA welcomes the following newly consecrated lay Marianists. We are grateful for your commitment to and presence within the Marianist Family in becoming true partners in Chaminade's vision and Mary's mission.
- Diana Gorham was consecrated as a Lay Marianist at the Marianist Retreat and Conference Center in Eureka, Missouri
- Morning Star Community – Rosie Errigo, Lucy Hartzell, Andrew Killian, Lanna Klausing, and Matty Spicer – made their commitment as members of the Marianist Family at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Dayton, Ohio.
- 14 men and women made their public commitment as Lay Marianists at Holy Rosary in San Antonio.
- Julie Guelker and Debbie Shaw made their commitment as Lay Marianists and are now connected with the Lay Marianist community at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis.
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Register to Explore Spirituality and Social Justice in Business
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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.
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3rd Annual Family Life Retreat
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St. Anthony Parish held its 3rd Annual Family Life Retreat on Sunday, September 29th. Attached is a picture of the hardworking Akoni `O Malia Lay Marianist's members. The community sponsors this event every year assisted by Brother Dennis Schmidt of the Marianist Center of Hawaii on Oahu. The entire parish works together to offer this cherished event.
The theme this year was Life is a Journey to the Kingdom. Life is challenging, and we want our families to know that our parish is there to support them every step of the way. Our Lord Jesus chose to enter the world as an infant born of our Blessed Mother. He spent the majority of his life here on earth within the family unit. We believe that he wanted us to know how important family life truly is!
The Marianist Lay Community has been working with Father Syl to assist our families in forming the vocational choices of their children. The parish is fortunate to have an early learning center and grades K - 12. The Marianist schools are a blessing and activities always include the wonderful CCD and Faith Formation programs.
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MLC-NA echoes the US Bishops' call for peace in wake of escalated tensions with Iran as expressed by Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles:
"In the face of the escalating tensions with Iran, we must pray urgently that our world’s leaders will pursue dialogue and seek peace. Please join me in asking our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, to intercede, that Jesus Christ might strengthen the peacemakers, comfort the suffering, and protect the innocent and all those in harm’s way, especially the men and women in our military and diplomatic service."
Let us join the church and world and call upon the Blessed Mother in our prayer for peace..
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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.
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Advent Marian Meditations
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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.
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Reflections on Marian/Marianist Feast Days
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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.
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Mary, Mother of God
Blessed Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon
Foundress of the Marianist Sisters and the Marianist Family
Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
Founder of the Society of Mary and the Marianist Family
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See more information and prayers for all these Marianist Feast Days
here
.
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January 22
Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
Founder of the Society of Mary and the Marianist Family
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“We feel called to give new vitality to the witness of Blessed William Joseph’s life and teachings. We recall his special sensitivity to the world in which he lived and his missionary passion toward the world he loved. It is our task now to incarnate in our lives that legacy which, with his beatification, is a gift for the whole Church.”
from
Sent by the Spirit, #2
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O Lord our God,
to make you better known, loved, and served
thanks to our alliance with Mary,
let us present to the world
the spectacle of a people of saints.
from “Walking with William Joseph Chaminade,” p. 77.
by Roger Bichelberger
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Lord, increase our faith…..
that we might follow the wisdom and example of our founders to come to know Jesus through Mary’s faith-filled “yes.”
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.
for the unwelcome, the disheartened, the stranger, and the lonely, may we welcome them, share with them, and provide for them with joy and warmth in the spirit of Marie Therese.
with a deep and strong faith of the heart, to guide us in Blessed Chaminade’s call to be in mission with Mary.
Lord, send us your gift of hope….
that Mary’s example of contemplation and reflection give us a model for listening more deeply to one another.
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.
for those suffering or grieving the loss of loved ones, may we wrap them in our arms of comfort and walk by their side in love.
as we pray for our departed Marianist Brothers and Sisters and Marianist family members who have enriched our lives through their presence, especially Fr. Kenneth J. Sommer, (Dec. 17) and Bro. Thomas E. Deasy, (Dec. 18). May they be held in God’s loving embrace as they join the fellowship of saints.
as we celebrate the continuing growth of the Marianist Family.
for a new year filled with hope and blessings for all.
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Graduate Assistantships at University of Dayton
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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.
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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
Chair-Elect
Vacant
Head of Education
Jim Barrette
LeeAnn Meyer
Margy Lisjak
Rob Brodrick
Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch
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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