"Knowing that this is Mary's work, not ours, and inspired by the life of Champagnat, we recommit ourselves to the mission, through spirituality,
service and shared life."
-Marists of Champagnat USA Proclamation, 2023
Our Journey...
Lay Marist Assembly
Early Days
For many years, Marist Brothers an Lay people around the country were in discussion on how to grow the Marist family and perpetuate St. Marcellin vision of making Jesus known and loved.
Lay Marist Assembly - In the summer of 2018, 75 Lay Marists gathered in Long Branch, NJ for the first-ever USA Lay Marist Assembly. The retreat-style assembly was guided by guest speakers Pep Buetas from Spain who is the Co-Director of the Secretariat of the Laity for the Marist Institute, and Patti Rios, a Lay faculty member at a school in Tijuana, Mexico.
Lay Marist Steering Committee - From the Lay Retreat, a steering committee was selected to devise a plan for the Marists of Champagnat. The committee spent 2018-2019 surveying Lay and Brothers in order to construct a proposal to the Marist Brothers in an organizational model for the Lay and Marist community to move the Marist Mission into the future
Lay Marist Council
Spring 2020
Marists of Champagnat
Formed in 2021
Meet the members of the Lay Marist Council!
In the spring of 2020 Maureen Hagan was hired as the director of the Lay Marists and a council of Lay and Brothers was formed.
This council has worked to build the foundation of this new organization to provide growth in Marist spirituality and
mission together.
In 2021, the Marists of Champagnat were officially established with the first cohort of 42 laypeople who made their commitment on June 6th. In 2022 and 2023, there were 62 Lay Marists who formally committed themselves as Marists of Champagnat. Each cohort journeyed together, along with a dedicated group of Marist Brothers, during a 6-month formation period that led to their commitment ceremonies. It is the hope of the USA Marist Brothers Provincial Council and Lay Marist Council that more and more Lay Marists will feel the calling to deepen their Marist spirituality and join the Marists of Champagnat.
1st Marist of Champagnat Assembly
July 2023
The first Marists of Champagnat Assembly took place in in Long Branch, NJ with over 65 Marists of Champagnat attending from across the country. The group recommitted themselves to the mission of making Jesus known and loved through spirituality, service, and shared life. Led by Lay Council members Matt Fallon and Maureen Hagen as well as Br. Sam Amos, Br. Peter Guadalupe, Mary Beth Martin and Jan Ann Carvalho, the assembly provided opportunities for faith-sharing through Mass, liturgies, and enriching breakout activities. In communion, the future structure for the Marists of Champagnat USA was discussed.
What are Marists of Champagnat Saying About Their Experience?
“I am so blessed to be a part of this. The commitment ceremony was filled with the Holy Spirit, bringing together many Marist communities across the US to spread Marcellin's mission, To Make Jesus Known and Loved."
Through the Marists of Champagnat, I’ve felt a great sense of communion and love from our nation-wide Marist family. I am honored to be part of an effort that will lay the groundwork to ensure that the mission of St. Marcellin Champagnat lives-on forever.