Who’s Ready for Summer LIFE?
It’s been a long spell – 1,095 days to be exact – since the Marianists held an in-person Summer LIFE (Living In Faith Experience) program, a faith-formation gathering for high school students in Marianist schools and their moderators.
Summer LIFE Pacific 2022 kicked off June 19 – 24 in Occidental, California, with 53 students, nine moderators and its coordinating team.
“We were so excited to simply come together in Marianist community in person,” said Erica Duarte, Marianist LIFE coordinator, who acknowledged that COVID has been a challenge since 2020.
“The coordinating teams worked hard during the last two years to ensure students had meaningful LIFE experiences,” said Erica. “But there’s nothing like being able to look one another in the eye, pray together in front of the Eucharist, celebrate Mass together, join in song as a group and have meaningful conversations while sitting under the giant trees of northern California.”
The theme for Summer LIFE 2022 is “Fix My Eyes,” based on a song by the award-winning Christian pop duo “For King & Country.” Click here to check out the theme song.
“One thing we incorporated this year is an intentional vocation session in each program,” said Erica. “We’re excited to have Bro. Mark Motz, National Vocation Director for the Marianists, help lead these sessions.”
You can also follow Marianist LIFE on Facebook to be informed of its current activities.
Summer LIFE will host two more programs: LIFE Central, held July 10 – 15; and LIFE South, held July 20 – 25.
In The News
Need for Speed
University of Dayton researcher Feng Ye recently received a $166,520 National Science Foundation grant. He hopes to help improve the speed of 5G and beyond 5G wireless communication.
“If it’s just streaming videos or making Zoom calls, anything under 200 milliseconds to transfer data is acceptable,” said Ye, an assistant electrical and computer engineering professor. “But let’s say in the future, 5G or beyond 5G is used for remote surgery, that little needle can’t wait 200 milliseconds.”
Ye is applying for an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates grant to help with the research initiative. Click here to read more.
Marianist Charism on the Court
St. John Vianney High School was inducted into the inaugural class of the American Cancer Society (ACS) Sports Hall of Fame at a presentation ceremony this month. Head basketball coach, Kevin Walsh, accepted the award on behalf of the school.
Vianney was acknowledged for its leadership and engagement with ACS since the launch of Coaches vs. Cancer more than 25 years ago. Since then, the school has devoted many years to volunteering at the Hope Lodge, playing in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer tournament and raising money for the non-profit in its annual Paint it Pink game.
“It’s always a game that brings a lot of energy. To be able to raise awareness and money doing something we enjoy is a slam dunk and just another small way our students are proving to be ‘Men of Character and Accomplishment,'” said Walsh.
Education Grant Awarded
The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program under the U.S. Department of Education awarded a $100,000 grant to Dr. Eva Washburn-Repollo of Chaminade University of Honolulu to fund a summer program meant to increase Hawaii’s capacity in Filipino culture-based education in K-12 classrooms.
The federal funding will support a short-term curriculum development project spearheaded by Dr. Washburn-Repollo titled the “Cebuano Language and Culture Program,” in which program participants will travel this summer to the Philippines. Program activities began on June 13 and will conclude on July 23.
Marianist Ministries in Action
Helping People Offer Their Gifts to the World
As Vice President for Mission and Rector at University of Dayton, Fr. Jim Fitz is passionate about helping students find a vision for their lives. “If we do it right, our students will have a sense of their vocation,” said Fr. Jim.
Vocation answers the big existential questions, such as: Who am I? What am I passionate about? Where am I needed most? And how am I going to get there?
Fr. Jim has spent the last 12 years at UD guiding students as they discover their vocations and begin making meaningful contributions to the world. In turn, “it has become a fulfilling vocation for me,” he said.
Another significant portion of his work involves educating lay people to embrace the Catholic and Marianist mission of the university.
“Fr. Chaminade believed that the laity had an important role in the work of the Church and evangelization. Our lay colleagues enhance the university through their deep commitment to our mission and identity,” he said. “Almost every day, we see evidence of hate and violence. We need people who know how to fulfill Jesus’ call to love one another and to build the kingdom of God on earth. There are many wonderful opportunities for our students and laity to inject the love of God into our world.”
Teaching as Ministry
This summer’s Teaching as Ministry (TAM) workshop was held at the Marianist Retreat & Conference Center in Eureka, Missouri, June 13-15, 2022.
There were 26 attendees from sponsored schools across the Province, from Hawaii and Puerto Rico to Nebraska and Texas. Deacon Pat Wheadon, the workshop facilitator, said, “This is an opportunity for educators and support staff in Marianist-sponsored schools to come together, share their experiences, build community and most importantly understand their role in building relationships, sharing faith, understanding the Marianist Characteristics of Education as a pedagogy and being animators of the Marianist Charism.”
Click here if you’d like to learn more about Marianist formation opportunities.
A Marianist Moment
By Bro. David Betz
Time to Revisit our Marianist Saints List
We have 10 individuals who are Beatified and given the title of Blessed.
To be declared a Blessed, an individual needs a verified miracle attributed to their intercession. If a person is martyred, they can be declared a Blessed if it is proven the individual died for the faith.
A person then who has one verified miracle needs a second verified miracle to be declared a Saint. A martyr needs one verified miracle to be declared a Saint. Servants of God and Venerables are named after an intensive study into their lives, and it is proven that their lives were deemed holy and lived virtuously for the sake of God’s Reign on earth.
Click here to read more and view our list of Blessed Marianists.
From the Archives
Saints and Popes
Take a step back in time as you peruse pictures of Popes and Saints gathered with Marianist Brothers, like the photo below with then Pope Paul VI in 1964. Click here to find more well-preserved photos in the Marianist Connections collection.
If you’d like to see more from the Marianist Archives, visit and “like” this Facebook page.
Pray With Us
Please join us in prayer for these members of the Marianist Family.
Jubliee Celebrations
Congratulations to our California and Hawaii Jubilarians!
Marianists Celebrate Jubilees
Each year, the Society of Mary recognizes brothers and priests who are marking milestones of their first profession of vows or their priestly ordinations. This is the group of 2022 Jubilarians on Hawaii in a special section of FamilyOnline in which to honor them. Unfortunately, Fr. Patrick Philbin, was unable to attend the celebration due to illness.
FATHER PATRICK PHILBIN
70 years of profession – 50 years of ordination
As a young religious, I never expected that my ministerial experience would be so varied: extremely intelligent, well-to-do students of Irish and Italian ancestry at Chaminade Mineola, to struggling African-American males from the Watts area of Los Angeles at Serra High School in Gardena, to Asian-American students at the predominantly Asian University of California in Irvine.
BROTHER THOMAS SPRING
70 years of profession
I lost my father just before I turned nine. I met the Brothers of Mary (now Marianists) when I started attending Saint Louis College on the slopes of Kalaepohaku. They were friendly, cheerful, available and good teachers. And they were good, strong, gentle men, just like my father had been.
After several years with them, I found it easy to accept their invitation to become one of them.
FATHER JAMES HEFT
60 years of profession
As I get older, I become more and more aware of how much of my life is a grace. Like nearly everyone who becomes as old as I now am, I am increasingly aware of how short life is. As John Henry Newman wrote at the end of his Essay on the Development of Doctrine, “Time is short, eternity is long.” He wrote that when he was 44 years old. It has taken me longer to arrive at the same insight. I feel blessed to be living in the Church at a time of deep change — a time that gives me hope and an ever-deepening desire to discern the ways of the Spirit in the years that remain and to serve in the most useful ways possible.
BROTHER JOHN PATRICK DEMPSEY
60 years of profession
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, to James Dempsey and Mary Graham (both offspring of Irish immigrants), I am the fourth of six siblings — three of whom have died since 2017. We all attended Catholic schools from K-12 and are grateful to the Ursuline nuns of Cleveland, our elementary school educators. My father graduated from Marianist Cathedral Latin School in 1923, as did all his sons.
FATHER ROLAND BUNDA
60 years of profession
During the past 60 years as a Marianist, I have been graced and blessed to serve as a teacher at a number of our Marianist high schools, along with services as campus minister and principal. I have served as director of a Newman Center, an assistant novice master, and as a pastor at St. Anthony Church.
BROTHER THOMAS REDMOND
50 years of profession
I believe the words from John 1:16 “grace upon grace” sum up my experience of Marianist religious life throughout these 50 years. I’ve experienced God’s continued flow of grace upon me through an ongoing invitation into deeper prayer, through the meaningful relationships with my brothers in community and through those I have served in ministry.
Good to Know
Marianist Sisters Assembly
The U.S. Province of the Marianist Sisters (Daughters of Mary Immaculate) gathered in San Antonio May 31-June 3, 2022, to celebrate “Visitation.” The assembly included the installation of the Provincial Council, the renewal of Sr. Emily Sandoval’s temporary vows and the celebration of jubilees for Sr. Evangeline Escobar, FMI (60 years professed in 2021) and Sr. Gretchen Trautman, FMI (50 years professed in 2021). The province also marked 70 years of profession for Sr. Marie Abmayr, FMI, who was unable to travel but will celebrate in Dayton, Ohio, in August.
Rosary Wall
The Marianist Retreat & Conference Center is blessed with generous donations, including many plastic rosaries made available to anyone who attends either a MORE retreat or a retreat at the center. It has plenty of plastic rosaries right now but are looking for fancier, non-plastic rosaries to add to its Rosary Wall. The wall is not only beautiful, but guests can take a Rosary if they need one for themselves or a loved one. If you have a Rosary or several you’d like to donate, you can drop them by the retreat center or mail them.
Click here for contact information on the Marianist Retreat and Conference Center.
Parish Health Program
A new Parish Health program at Chaminade University of Honolulu focuses on education and screening. The program, unique on Oahu, allows nursing and health profession students to work one-on-one with parishioners after Mass or via telehealth appointments. It’s a win-win as students acquire hands-on experience, and participants, age 55 and older, receive tools and tips to improve their health. Read More.
Stay in Touch
Newsletters
AMU Newsletter from the Association of Marianist Universities
District Update #59 from the Marianist District of India
Gifts and Tasks from the Int. Organization of Marianist Lay Communities
Justice Jottings from the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative
Magnificat from the World Council of the Marianist Family
NACMS Newsletter from the North American Center for Marianist Studies
Via Latina 22 from the General Administration of the Society of Mary The Fulcrum from the Marianist LIFE National Office
Other Resources
Marianist Archives 
FamilyOnline Submissions
We welcome and encourage submissions of interest to our nearly 3,400 subscribers. Please send them to Theresa Petry.
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