The members of the Provincial Chapter will meet March 1-5 at the Marianist Retreat & Conference Center in Eureka, Missouri.

The delegates will review the reports of the Provincial Council, hear presentations from Bro. Mark Motz (vocation director) and Allison Hewitt (Office of Mission Advancement), review the results of the pre-Chapter meetings, and address the six propositions that have been submitted.  

The members of the new Provincial Council, along with three brothers from the District of India, will be present for the entire meeting.

Please pray for the work of the Chapter. I'll report on the Provincial Chapter proceedings after the minutes have been finalized.

As you may be aware, the terms of the entire Chapter membership end with this session. As soon as personnel placements for the next ministry year are determined, we will hold an election for new Chapter membership.

After the Chapter, the brothers from the District of India -- Fr. Sudhir Kujur and Bros. Darwin Joseph and Lucian Tigga -- will meet with Allison and then with Fr. Oscar Vasquez and Bro. Bernie Ploeger. We hope to ensure a smooth transition for the new province leadership.

Rest in peace, Fr. Francis

We bid farewell this week to Fr. Francis Nakagawa. He lived a long and fruitful Marianist life, and was especially loved by the Japanese community in Honolulu.

May he rest in peace and pray for all of us on our journey of faith.

We are now registering for the second of our three 2018 regional workshops on Body, Mind and Spirit, focusing on issues of health and well-being.

Feedback from our first session in Honolulu has been very positive.

The San Antonio workshop will be:

• In the University Center at St. Mary's University
• March 16-17 (Friday evening and Saturday)

Housing for this workshop will be in the local communities.

You may submit any transportation costs to the province for reimbursement.

The Dayton workshop will be April 6-7. Please attend the workshop closest to your home community. A limited number of rooms are available.

Learn more and register!

Online encouragement for the Lenten journey

Looking for new sources of inspiration and encouragement for your Lenten journey? Check out these online resources:

• Sacred Space - A prayer structure connected to a daily Mass reading, from the Irish Jesuits.

• Pray-as-you-go - A downloadable audio presentation that includes scripture reading, music and reflection questions, from the British Jesuits.

• Message of the Day - From Pope Francis, a link to one- to two-minute daily inspirational video delivered to you by email.

• Jesuit Prayer - A collaboration of the U.S. Jesuit provinces that offers the daily scripture, a reflection and a prayer for the day

• Daily Inspiration - From Loyola Press, this presents part of the daily scripture and a brief reflection

• Living Lent Daily - By registering, you'll receive a daily email that draws on Jesuit Fr. William Barry's book, A Friendship Like No Other. 

One of the characteristics of today's "Internet Generation" is a preoccupation with safety. Understandably, these children feel vulnerable just going to school.  

They have also been called "Generation Columbine" as they have never known a world without school shootings. Marianist educators engage these students every day. What does Marianist bring to this encounter?

There are no simple answers, but in his characteristically pastoral and engaging way, Pope Francis helps us out. His address for World Youth Day has a message that is prophetic: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."  

Read the Pope's message.