FEATURES OF LAY MARIST LIFE

Extended Bureau of the Laity Features of lay Marist life
courage. In the community we find united the
brothers who have given their life to education
and Marist mission. With wisdom, they transform
the challenge of illnesses and suffering into holiness.
Often, with a smile, they teach us to let God
work in us, through the docility of the Holy Spirit.
(Brazil)
The Transmission of a Gift:
the Marist Charism
At no time did anyone pressure me or try to
convince me. It was always in giving humble
witness that the people, particularly certain
Marist Brothers, showed me the meaning of the
work of Marcellin. (Canada)
When I reflect on what has made the Marist
charism my own, I can only say that it’s
been the way in which the Marist Brothers I’ve
known have embodied that charism. These individuals
have been a blessing to me, helping me
understand by their very lives what it means to
be Marist Marcellin Champagnat’s compassion,
his caring nature, his determination and steadfastness,
the broadness of his views, his intense
commitment to education: such are the qualities
that I have perceived in my dealings with various
Marist Brothers. These men have made Champagnat
real for me by their simplicity, compassion,
determination, and vision. (USA)
During these years at school, I have known
closely the Marist Brothers, their life and
their way of thinking. Their life consecrated to
their mission, their constant efforts to provide a
good education for children, their humility, their
faith in God and their devotion to the Virgin have
made them a model to follow, which has radically
influenced my life and my way of thinking. During
these years at school, I have known closely the
Marist Brothers, their life and their way of thinking.
(Greece)
During my school years, I had several Brothers
as teachers. It was, however, when I had
between 12 and 14 years old that my greatest
attention got focused upon the Marist charism
and that I was drawn towards it. What did I
learn about Marcellin and the first Brothers that
touched me so much? The personality of Marcellin
which one could sense in the documents,
his way of approaching children, young people
and the Brothers themselves, his love for them,
his understanding and affability, his ability to be
touched by the needs he saw and his response
to the needs. I was also drawn by his plans and
projects - which were not “his” - he had a treasure
and was not hesitant about wanting to share
it with others. I suppose that everything that I
was coming to discover I saw actualized in the
Brothers with whom I was involved. (Spain)
Touched by the welcome of the brothers and
the family spirit, the simplicity, we felt attracted
by the charism of the brothers and of
Marcellin Champagnat. That corresponded to
our commitments to the poorest of children and
young people. We belonged to the association of
former students of the Marist school. (France)
It is important to point out that my first contacts
with the Marists Brothers were very rewarding
because they opened their doors to me,
a complete stranger, when I had arrived as only
a supply teacher. The charism of the Founder
was reflected in them, especially in Brother Felix
Aldunate (deceased), who shared his happiness
with an indescribable smile and his capacity to
be attentive to everyone. I did not find it very
difficult to enter into the wonderful world of the
Marists, because I love their pedagogy, their pres-