This evening we begin the Provincial Chapter, I ask that you continue to pray for the blessing of the Spirit upon our meetings.

I am pleased to announce that Bro. Michael O’Grady has accepted an appointment to a three-year term as the Texas Area Coordinator. This appointment was made at the Provincial Council meeting of August 17. The consultation of the brothers in San Antonio reflected their strong support of and confidence in Bro. Mike. It also reflected a concern that the Area Coordinator work with the Marianist Sisters and Lay Family to strengthen our bonds of mutual support and shared ministry. Congratulations and a huge thank you to Bro. Mike!

The St. Louis area brothers joined the younger brothers meeting for Eucharist, social and dinner on June 21. Please see the photo below that reminds us of the wonder of our common life as Marianist religious. The oldest brother in the Province with the youngest professed brothers in attendance at the meeting.

Bro. Justin Quiroz, Bro. Francis Heyer and Bro. Leno Ceballos.

Novice Steve Kim has withdrawn from the novitiate and will be returning home to Korea. We express our gratitude to Steve for discerning God’s call in the U.S. these last few years as a Marianist aspirant living in San Antonio and a Marianist novice living in Dayton. May God through Mary continue to bless your journey.

Here are some of the novices and young Brothers enjoying a summer night together!

Over the next few weeks, I will share a bulletin from one of our Marianist parishes. It will give you a chance to read a little bit about what is happening in our parishes. In this week’s Notes, we invite you to read the most recent bulletin from St. Francis de Sales. Click here to read the bulletin.

Once again, I would like to invite province members to complete a short survey on your thoughts for an Ecology Retreat in 2022. The retreat will have a contemplative/prayerful spirit at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery, where we will have a chance to pray with the monks. We are not at this time seeking any kind of commitment to attend the retreat. We are simply looking for your ideas and reactions as we explore this and prepare for the future as a response to Laudato Si. Please take 5-10 minutes to answer a couple of questions. Click here for the survey.

The following is submitted by Erica Duarte, National Life Coordinator.

The 2021 Summer LIFE Program was one for the books! This year the summer program was presented in a hybrid format – mainly virtual, with most MLCs gathering locally at their schools. Even in a virtual environment, this year saw an abundance of blessings. Most significantly, 206 students and 45 moderators from 24 institutions attended LIFE this year, more than we have had in the last decade. Additionally, each program included a dedicated vocations session to educate students about vocations and offer ways to include vocations in their MLCs. Sr. Gabrielle Bibeau, FMI and Bro. Mark Motz, SM, led this session at each program. We welcomed a new group to the LIFE community, Kellenberg Memorial High School from the Meribah Province, who brought 23 students and three moderators to LIFE South.

The regional coordinators, coordinating team members, and moderators currently serving LIFE all worked incredibly hard to share their individual gifts, making this year a great success. Just as our founders showed us how to persevere and rely on the Holy Spirit, they refused to let any challenge deter them. Sr. Katherine-Francis Miller, LIFE moderator from Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu, expressed these sentiments, saying, “The team is an extraordinary witness of a group of people so committed to the Marianist charism and mission, so committed to serving youth to grow as spiritual leaders, so committed to Jesus and Mary. [The program was] so inspiring and challenging.”

August 26: Frank Gomes

August 27: Lawrence Scrivani

August 29: Robert Dzubinski, John Schlund

August 30: Michael Galvin

September 1: Roger Bau, Francis Heyer

August 26-30: Provincial Chapter