Last Friday, September 4, the General Administration sent to us the information on the Marianist World Day of Prayer, 2020. This year, we will all gather virtually on October 11 at the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de El Salto located in the city of Latacunga in the center-north of the Inter- Andean Region of Ecuador in South America. Communities are encouraged to celebrate this prayer together. Click here to download in English. Click here to download in Spanish.

Thank you to the community in Hollywood for sending in pictures of Bro. Don Neff’s local jubilee celebration. I know that we are all eager to be able to gather and celebrate our jubilarians. We pray together for all our jubilarians. Please feel free to send in pictures of your local celebrations.

Please click here for helpful resources on surviving in this time of COVID.

The Province Personnel Book 2020-2021 is in the mail. Please note: We intentionally limit the distribution of the Marianist personnel because we are increasingly conscious of both printing costs and the privacy of Province members. Please respect these serious concerns; do not give a copy to someone outside the Province. Please destroy copies of last year’s personnel; do not simply recycle them. You can also find a regularly updated copy on the portal. Please contact Ann Mueller if you have any questions.

Bro. Allen Pacquing, who is now the Associate Director of Community Engagement -Marianist Student Initiatives at St. Mary’s University, will profess his Perpetual Vows at Guadalupe Chapel on the University campus October 3 at 5:00 p.m. Mass. Due to the guidelines for the City of San Antonio, attendance will be limited but we will be live-streaming. The announcement/invitation will be mailed shortly to all communities.

This week’s reflection is submitted by Sister Nicole Trahan, FMI, Campus Minister at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton, Ohio. Sr. Nicole responded to the question, “When have you seen God in your midst as you have worked with your students during this time of pandemic?"

When students at Chaminade Julienne left school on Thursday, March 12, we had no idea that it would be the last time we’d see them in person as a group. Friday, March 13, as our faculty and staff gathered for a day of reflection, we didn’t realize it would be the last opportunity to gather as a community for a long while.

Like most of you, the situation in which we currently find ourselves has taken us largely by surprise. Who could have seen it coming? We were not fully prepared for what it would mean to finish the year with distance learning and distance ministry.

But as the year came to a close, I realized that by being creative and working together, we’ve met this challenge. Using social media and Google Meets, we’ve been able to offer our school community moments of reflection, opportunities for faith sharing, messages of hope and resilience, and space for community building.

For example, one of my co-workers, Michelle Khawam, worked with a team of Marianist ministers from across the US to create an online Marianist retreat focusing on the wisdom of our founders and charism for this time of pandemic. A number of our students, faculty and staff participated in this retreat even joining together virtually for sharing each day.

While this situation is not ideal, it has forced us to be creative and find new ways of ministry. And isn’t that core to our identity as Marianists?

September 12: Nicholas Rufo

September 12: The Most Holy Name of Mary, Patronal Feast of the Society of Mary

September 14: Anniversary of the death of Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, 1836

September 15: Our Lady of Sorrows