The Society of Mary embarked on a journey to expand its communities of faith to America. This voyage led Marianists across the ocean to the Ohio River, arriving in Cincinnati, OH, in 1849 to take the first step in creating a Province in the U.S.A.
Service Work Kicks Off New School Year
About 450 incoming University of Dayton (UD) business students built walls for a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton house during move-in weekend in mid-August.
“At UD, our students embrace the call to serve from day one,” said School of Business Administration Dean Trevor Collier. “Our business students engage in meaningful community work throughout their undergraduate careers—administering microloans through the Greater West Dayton Incubator, managing investments for the Dayton Foundation, assisting with income tax filings, and much more. These experiences help them see their careers as a calling, deeply connected to their communities.”
“Last year’s Flyer Nation Habitat for Humanity Build was a huge success and allowed us to build a home in the Edgemont neighborhood near UD Arena. We are excited to begin working on Flyer Nation Build #2 and hope this continues to be an annual event,” said Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton’s Development Director David Mauch.
At St. Mary’s University, about 400 volunteers comprised of students, faculty, staff, and alumni came together on Saturday, August 24, for Continuing the Heritage – a longstanding day of service benefiting an array of local nonprofits.
“Beginning the school year with a day of service sets a tone of community, collaboration and purpose,” said Pete Oviedo, Director of Community Engagement. “It aligns with the St. Mary’s mission to develop leaders who are committed to service and social justice. Service work encourages students to connect with each other and the community in a meaningful way, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose from the outset.”
Some of this year’s volunteer sites included SAISD Book Buddies, San Antonio Food Bank, City of San Antonio Graffiti Wipeout, and St. Stephen’s CARE Center. Since 1997, 24,547 volunteers have offered more than 66,681 hours to organizations that provide much-needed services throughout the area. Oviedo estimates those volunteer hours equate to more than $2 million in economic impact.
Students at Chaminade University of Honolulu (CUH) carved time out of their schedules to dig deep into the campus garden, cultivating a true sense of community as they collaborated to beautify and enrich their environment.
The mission is to empower students to define and deepen their experience through impactful ʻāina-based community building rooted in Marianist and Native Hawaiian values.
They also took time to pause and be mindful during the Fall Spiritual Convocation, also known as “Red Mass,” a longstanding tradition at CUH. One of the pillars that characterize a Marianist education is to educate for formation in faith. “It also affords the opportunity to ask for God’s blessing on our Chaminade ‘ohana as we come together as a community to live and learn,” said University President Lynn Babington.
In The News
Renewal of Vows
The Marianist Sisters in Dayton celebrated the renewal of temporary vows for Srs. Emily Sandoval and Rose Rucoba on Wednesday, July 31st. Fr. Timothy Eden presided at the Mass. Bro. Dennis Bautista and novices Alex Roman and Pepe Gutierrez also participated in the blessing and the following meal. Congratulations, Emily and Rose and blessings on your continuing ministries!
Youth Hostel in India Promotes Marianist Education
In Jharkhand, one of the poorest states in India, just outside the city of Ranchi, the Marianist Sisters run a hostel for girls. Adèle Hostel is where young students are cared for and provided a safe space to live during the school year. The sisters work on a small neighborhood scale but with a larger perspective. Education, concern for others, a well-integrated view of life, and spiritual growth are all essential for quality human relationships, and the dignity of every man and woman is natured. Click here to view more.
50 Years Leading in Faith, From the Heart
By University of Dayton President Dr. Eric Spina
I have witnessed Fr. Jim Fitz‘s pastoral care in numerous settings — from presiding over Baccalaureate Masses before thousands to sharing tenets of the Marianist philosophy of education with new trustees. He provides thoughtful reflections and blessings at groundbreakings and building dedications. In times of sorrow over the death of a student or colleague, he offers words of solace and support. In times of joy over the beginning of a new academic year, he personifies the inclusive hospitality of the Marianists who welcome and respect the gifts that all bring to our campus.
Not every administrator wants to live next door to college students, but living in community is meaningful to Fr. Jim. He shares a house with other Marianists in the heart of the student neighborhood, where his religious community hosts weekly spaghetti dinners and conversations with students. That ministry spills out into other parts of the neighborhood. As co-advisers for various Marianist Student Communities over the last several years, Fr. Jim and my wife, Karen, enjoy sharing a bowl of ice cream or a potluck meal with students as they encourage them to explore their faith and follow their dreams.
In Fr. Jim’s world, no dreams are impossible if you have faith. Click here for the full article.
Marianist Ministries in Action
Sisters Celebrate 60 Years in Africa
by Sr. Clémence Nabede, FMI
As part of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the presence of the Marianist Sisters in Africa, a new ministerial commitment became a reality. In the land of Burkina Faso, the sisters assumed the responsibility of managing the Lycée Sainte Eugénie. The diocesan school is located in the central-eastern region of Burkina Faso, in the province of Boulgou, and the beautiful city of Tenkodogo.
Saint Eugénie Secondary School was founded in 2017 by Fr. Athanase Guiri. In a context where the schooling rate for girls remains low, the main goal is to provide human and spiritual formation, offer an integral education to the students in the light of Gospel values, and develop a better society.
Youth ministry is one of the mission’s priorities besides conducting the school – inspiring hope despite great economic and security challenges. Click here to watch a video.
A Marianist Moment
Making Marianist Connections in Camino
Former National Coordinator for Marianist LIFE Toni Mesina participated in a pilgrimage this summer to the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James. The Camino de Santiago has many different route options, from a 74-mile walk to a challenging almost 500-mile trek and even a 621-mile adventure that leads to the shrine of St. James the apostle in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in northwestern Spain.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site has long united people across the globe, serving as a dynamic crossroads of cultures. Its rich blend of traditions, languages, and stories creates a mosaic of exploration and global connection. For Philadelphia resident Mesina, one connection was unlike any other, for she met a fellow Marianist from the United States on her spiritual journey.
She started her expedition in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, climbing the Pyrenees on day one and hiking more than 500 miles in 37 days. In the last two weeks of her travels, she met Michael Christiansen, who graduated from Chaminade High School, a Marianist college preparatory high school for boys in Mineola, Long Island, New York. He had started his devotional venture in La Puy, France, walking more than 1,000 miles.
“We both laughed at the coincidental randomness of it all. We ended up hanging out with a solid group of international pilgrims and finishing together. It was great,” Mesina exclaimed. “The Marianist world gives you family wherever you go!”
From the Archives
Lost Larynx But Not Gift Of Gab
Bro. Walter Hausfeld (1897-1981) had his voice box removed in 1961 while teaching at a school in Cleveland, OH. But this Marianist Brother didn’t let a thing like that silence him. He was described in his obituary as “a self-made optimist.”
He spent the greater part of his life teaching in various schools of the
Society of Mary, from New York to Pennsylvania and Ohio to California. When his voice became hard to hear, he started using a loudspeaker in his classes at Purcell High School, where he taught mechanical drawing.
Hausfeld mastered the esophageal speech method to retain his oral communication ability. An article published in the Catholic Telegraph in 1964 focused on his health hardships and perseverance, which earned him the reputation of “a great talker who would not be denied the gift of his tongue.”
If you’d like to see images from the archives, visit and “like” this Facebook page.
Pray With Us
Please join us in prayer for these members of the Marianist Family.
Bro. Gerard “Jerry” Anthony Sullivan, 93, died on Aug. 3, 2024, in San Antonio, TX, with 73 years of religious profession.
Bro. Jerry was a beloved teacher, substance abuse counselor, pastoral associate, retreat leader, and prison chaplain, as well as a grateful friend of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He thought of his life in the Society of Mary as “an incredible adventure,” once writing that “I get on my knees every night and thank Mary and God for the wonderful gift of my vocation.”
Click here to read his full obituary.
Click here to see pictures of Bro. John through the years.
Each year, the Society of Mary recognizes brothers and priests who are marking milestones in their first profession of vows or priestly ordinations. Thank you to our 2024 Jubilarians! The FamilyOnline highlight concludes this month, but you can find them all here. Below is a picture from the Jubilee celebration in Dayton, OH, this month. Click here to see more pictures from the event.
BROTHER DANIEL KLCO
50 Years of profession
I first met the Marianists in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1970 when I needed a place to stay while attending Western Michigan University. At the time, I was discerning the diocesan priesthood, but the experience of prayer, community, and ministry in the community and the example of the brothers’ lives changed everything. Click here to read more.
FATHER ROBERT BOUFFIER
50 years of ordination
Fr. Robert Bouffier entered the Marianist Novitiate in Rose Hill, VA, in 1966 after graduating from Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY. He professed his first vows in August 1967 in Charlottesville, VA, and graduated from University of Dayton in 1970. Fr. Bob finished his MA in theology in 1972 and went on to study theology at the Boston College-Andover Newton Joint Doctoral Program. He was ordained a priest in November 1974. Click here to read more.
FATHER JAMES FITZ
50 years of ordination
In the book of Proverbs, we read: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Marianist life has given me a vision. It is a vision expressed well in the opening chapter of our Rule of Life: “Our goal is to be transformed into His (Christ’s) likeness and to work for the coming of His kingdom.” (article 2). In whatever I have done as a Marianist religious, the vision and dream of God’s kingdom have been the inspiration for my ministry and life. Click here to read more.
FATHER JOHN THOMPSON
25 years of ordination
It has been a joy to serve the Church and the Society of Mary as a priest these past 25 years. Celebrating the sacraments, preaching, accompanying youth and young adults on their faith journey, and being with people in their most joyous times and in their most vulnerable times have been a gift to my life. Serving as a Marianist priest in schools, parishes, positions of leadership and in the missions allowed me to share the gift of our Marianist Charism in various cultures and different languages. Click here to read more.
Good to Know
Solidarity Walk in St. Louis
The Archdiocese of St. Louis Immigration Task Force and St Louis University are hosting a Solidarity Walk and Mass in honor of the World Day for Migrants and Refugees. The Mass will be on September 29, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. at the Cathedral.
The Marianist Province of the U.S. is a proud sponsor of this event. The Catholic Church has been celebrating World Day of Migrants and Refugees since 1914; this will be its 110th celebration. The Archdiocese reminds us as Catholics that it is important to stand in solidarity with our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters, and we believe this event will be a public way to show support.
There is no need to RSVP. Bring one of your community members and/or a friend to the walk and the Mass celebration with Bishop Rivituso. Click the picture for more details.
Embark on a Marianist Encounters Journey
The entire Marianist Family and ministries are invited to a transformative weekend at the Marianist Encounters Conference in Dayton, OH, at Bergamo Center, Mount Saint John, Oct. 3-6, 2024. This immersive gathering will deepen the commitment to Pope Francis’ calls to action through the Global Compact on Education and Laudato Si’ initiatives.
Registration is open! The program includes:
- Field trips & site visits to Marianist ministries and dialogues on justice themes
- Tours of Mount Saint John’s 100 acres of natural areas and sustainability features including the solar farm
- Plenary talks, workshops & breakout sessions led by experts from Marianist ministries
- Prayer, reflection, and networking
Join us as we encounter Mary’s spirit of hope and renew our commitment to promoting justice, the integrity of creation, and global education.
Learn about the Marianist Family Encounters Project goals, view conference information, and register here. For questions, contact the co-chairs: Bro. Jesse O’Neill, SM or Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI.
Marianist Women’s Summit and FMI (USA) 75th
Anniversary
The Marianist Sisters invite you to a “Marianist Women’s Summit” and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of its USA Foundation from Oct. 25-26 in San Antonio. The summit will provide an opportunity for lay and vowed women in the Marianist Family to visit, pray, and converse about Mary’s Magnificat call in our lives.
The event will take place at the Marianist Sisters’ Our Lady of the Pillar Community on Friday and at St. Mary’s University School of Law on Saturday. The guest speaker will be Dr. Neomi De Anda, a theologian and Lay Marianist who serves as the Executive Director of the International Marian Research Institute and is an Associate Professor in Religious Studies at University of Dayton.
All attendees must register. The final registration date is Oct.1, 2024.
Refunds for cancellations will be issued up to Oct. 10, 2024. If you would like to register online and pay by credit card, please visit tinyurl.com/marianistwomenssummit or use the QR code.
Check Out More Marianist News
Via Latina from the General Administration of the Society of Mary
Sharing Our Marianist Stories podcast from North American Center for Marianist Studies
Justice Jottings from the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative
AMU Newsletter from the Association of Marianist Universities
District Update #84 from the Marianist District of India
FatherSide Chats is a web video series featuring Fr. Gene Contadino. Discover new episodes every Tuesday about a variety of topics. Click the graphic to view episodes. Click here to read more.
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