The Marist Family is made up of the Marist Brothers, Marist Sisters, Marist Fathers and Brothers, Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary and Marist Laity.

The school was divided into four houses named after the founders of the 4 religious congregations in the Marist Family.

They were St Marcellin Champagnat founder of the Marist Brothers; Fr. Jean Claude Colin founder of the Marist Fathers and Brothers; Sister Jeanne Marie Chavoin of the Marist Sisters; and Marie Francoise Perroton, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary.

School Principal, Sr. Masela Tenisio said being the last day of this school term, they wanted to highlight the significance of the upcoming celebration.

Each house performed songs, dramas and items highlighting the history and the work of the Marist family.

What happened 200 years ago?

The Marist Family was formed on the 23rd July 1816 in Lyon France at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fourvière. Four diocesan priests and eight seminarians pledged themselves to found a congregational bearing the name of Mary.

St. Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers, and Fr Jean Claude Colin, Founder of the Society of Mary, were among those who worked to carry out this promise. They were convinced that they were responding to a wish of the Mother of Mercy.

Sr. Masela said the 200 year anniversary would be a big celebration not only in Samoa but also around the world because the Marist family is a global one.

The main celebration will be held on Saturday 23 July, which will include a mass at the Mulivai Cathedral, entertainment, and a feast at the Tuutuu i le Loloto Hall.

Source

• sobserver.ws
• Image: sobserver.ws

They are part of a group of seven heading to Lyon to take part in Dare to Dream, the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Marist Family.

Jen Martinez, Sam Mao and Matt Grevatt will be making a presentation.

They belong to Logos, an Auckland based Marist youth development project. So they are familiar with making presentations in a New Zealand context. But this is the first time they will present in an international setting.

"We're told that our English will be translated by an App!" Jen said by phone the evening before departing.

She is uncertain how many of the 400 attendees understand English but expects there will be a number who won't. "I hope the App understands Kiwi".

The Logos team will be leading the workshop on chapters three and four of Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia "The Joy of Love".

The presentation seeks to explore the "vocation of the family", and "love in marriage". Their starting point is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Dare to Dream marks the 200th anniversary of the time when young Marists signed a pledge at Fourvière to found the Society of Mary.

The gathering, a joint initiative of the four religious branches of the Marist Family, takes place in the Marist School of Sainte Marie Lyon - La Solitude.

Fr Alejandro Muñoz SM of the ‘Dare to Dream' organising committee said the meeting is to encourage young people to dare to dream, like the group of young Marists did 200 years ago when they signed a pledge at Fourvière to found the Society of Mary.

Muñoz says the Dare to Dream programme aims to:

• Promote the coordination and integration of young Marists
• Celebrate of the bicentenary of the Pledge of Fourvière
• Prepare for the bicentenary of the founding of the Institute of the Marist Brothers on 2 January 2017.

The Marist Family consists of five branches: of the Marist Brothers (FMS), The Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM), The Marist Fathers and Brothers (SM), the Marist Sisters (SM) the Marist Lay Movement. It played an important part in the first evangelisation of the Pacific Islands, including New Zealand.

Source

• sm.org.nz
• Image: sm.org.nz