Today's Marists 2023 Volume 7, Issue 3

Today’s
2023 | Volume 7 | Issue 3
Marists
Society of Mary in the U.S.

Today’s
Marists
2023 | Volume 7 | Issue 3
Publisher
Editor
Editorial Assistants
Archivist
Editorial Board
Joseph Hindelang, SM, Provincial
Ted Keating, SM
Elizabeth Ann Flens Avila
Communications Coordinator
Philip Gage, SM
Randy Hoover, SM
Susan Plews, SSND
Susan Illis
Ted Keating, SM, Editor
Michael Coveny
Thomas Ellerman, SM
Mike Kelly
Joseph Hindelang, SM
Randy Hoover, SM
Bishop Joel Konzen, SM
Bev McDonald
Elizabeth Piper
Jack Ridout
Nik Rodewald
Bill Rowland, SM
Linda Sevcik, SM
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In this issue...
3 from the Provincial
by Joseph Hindelang, SM
4 Violence and the Disarming of the Heart
by Ted Keating, SM
6 The Power of Gospel Nonviolence
by Marie Dennis
Society of Mary of the USA
8 Feeling Safe in An Increasingly Unsafe World
by Mike Kelly
10 The Effects of School Violence on Adolescents:
A Catholic School Counselor’s Perspective
by Lauren Laba
11 Book Corner
by Ted Keating, SM
12 Non-Violence and the Spirit of Mary
by Bev McDonald
13 26 Pebbles: A Play Helping Us Understand
the Unimaginable
by Eric McNaughton
14 Trauma, Violence, and Religious Education
by Nik Rodewald
16 From Gossip to Conspiracy Thinking
by Gerald A. Arbuckle, SM
18 Hurt People Hurt People
by Aaron T. Hill, Sr.
19 My Peace, I give you….
by Jack Ridout
20 Marist Lives: Rev. George Lepping, SM
by Susan J. Illis
21 News Brief
21 Obituary
22 Love for the Sake of the Kingdom of God
by Tom Ellerman, SM
23 Donor Thoughts: Why I Support the Marists
by Dan Mohan
Cover Credit
The cover of this issue is a picture of the Salve Regina Window inside the Abbey
Church at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia.
Issue Dedication
This issue of Today’s Marists is dedicated to the children who have been victims
of violence around the world.
2 Today’s Marists Magazine

from the Provincial
Rev. Joseph Hindelang, SM
Be at Peace & Bring Peace to Others
A frequent intention that many of us pray for is peace. Peace is not simply the absence of
violence or war, but peace can be reflected in so many aspects of life. Peace impacts our
thoughts, words and the actions of individuals and groups.
It is common to joke that when contestants in pageants are asked if they could have one
wish what would it be, many reply, “world peace.” That is a common wish or hope for
most people, especially for young people. It is hard to explain why warfare is so common
in human history. In our modern world with such destructive weapons, it is sad that
warfare is still seen as an inevitable outcome or a solution to conflict. While we have just
marked the first anniversary of the beginning of the war on Ukraine, unfortunately there
are other wars or battles going on in parts of the world that do not get as much publicity.
It is not only global or regional fighting that is a violation of peace. Any violence between
people is a violation of peace. The use of weapons on another person or a threat to use
them is a violation of peace. Assault or road rage which are so common these days
are also violations of peace. A case could be made that useless destruction of natural
resources, our common earthly home, is also a violation of peace.
In addition to actions, we have to be more conscious of the fact that words, and before
that, thoughts, are where violence begins. When we speak or write hateful or threatening
words, we violate peace. Often as the back and forth of words escalate someone retaliates
with violent action. Just as hateful words can lead to violent actions, so it is often hateful
thoughts that lead to both.
When I was growing up there was concern that violence on television and in movies
might influence violent behavior in society. It is more common these days to find regular
and frequent hateful words and hurtful behavior in videos on social media. Too often this
meanness can lead to violent actions toward another or toward oneself.
In this issue of Today’s Marists, many of the articles are about peace. Peace is a common
hope for humanity, but more than that our call as followers of Jesus is to be people of
peace. After the resurrection of Jesus His frequent greeting to his disciples is, “Peace be
with you!” Those words of Jesus are commonly used at Mass and in other prayers. Peace
is often a petition in prayer and one of my favorite wordings is, “We pray for peace in
our world, in our Church, in our country, in our city, in our schools, in our families and
in ourselves.” It is a good reminder that peace is more than the absence of a global war.
Peace is the greeting that Jesus brings to us and the call that he gives to his disciples.
Fr. Jean-Claude Colin, the founder of the Society of Mary, lived during and after the
Napoleonic wars. There was much upheaval in France, in society and in the Church. He
reminded Marists that as daughters and sons of Mary, the first disciple of Jesus, we are
called to be people of peace. With his stress on “being instruments of divine mercy” and
“ardent love of neighbor” we are called to live and to promote the peace of Christ.
We are called to reflect the peace of Christ in our thoughts, spoken and written words and
our actions toward others, whether we are acting alone or as part of a group. Enjoy this
issue of Today’s Marists. Be at peace and bring peace to others.
A prayer that many are familiar with
is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
and is prayed regularly in our Marist
communities. It is a good appeal to the
God of peace and a reminder to us of our
call to be people of peace.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy…
Volume 7 | Issue 3 3

Violence and the
Disarming of the Heart
by Ted Keating, SM
We try to pick the themes of Today’s
Marists focused on issues affecting Marist
mission and ministry in the United States.
For this issue our Editorial Committee
had no difficulty selecting the topic of the
violence that accompanies us everywhere
in our country. Schools came to mind
quickly, especially with Notre Dame
Preparatory School and Marist Academy
(NDPMA) in Pontiac, Michigan being in
such close geographic proximity to the
school shooting at Oxford High School
in Oxford, Michigan this past year. It
obviously affected the students at NDPMA,
and in this issue you will find an article
describing how the school responded to
this incident. Many U.S. cities struggle
with “out of control” quantities of guns
that have become the routine answer
to handling conflict. Given the absolute
unexpectedness of these shootings that
can happen at any school any time, many
children associate school with danger.
Add to that the media coverage every day
about the horrors of what is happening,
especially in Ukraine, but also in the
Middle East and Africa. It is hard to define
the impact of the media coverage of all this
violence on the imagination and memory.
Now we seem to be returning to the world
order of Cold War that so many of us grew
up with, hoping that it was gone for good
after 1989.
We can talk ourselves into powerlessness if
we don’t pay attention to possible solutions
or ways to reduce violence. Some excellent
reflections in this issue begin to do that.
We should also take a look at some of the
best thinking on where all this violence
comes from and whether there are ways to
frame it for action. Are there ways that we
can help create a less violent world? Can
we build an inner vision that wards off the
contagious nature of violence?
I have always been deeply moved by the
words of Rabbi Abraham Heschel. It put
my own sense of the world’s violence
within the perspective of my own life and
how I can lean into the world’s violence
if I do not disarm the tendency towards
violence in my own heart. He was a truly
prophetic man that touched the hearts of
many. As a Jewish theologian, he wrote the
classic book on the Jewish Prophets. Rabbi
Heschel had grown to adulthood at the
onset of the Holocaust in Poland. Among
a host of inspiring quotes, (paraphrased)
he said it is critical to remember that
the Holocaust did not begin with force
of arms and weapons. It began with
speech - the horrifying ways that Jews
were first degraded, and then the infirm
and the disabled targeted. The dreadful
language was brought to the highest shrill
level of political speech propaganda and
media presentation in Germany during
the years prior to the emergence of
Nazis. The verbiage was all accompanied
by widespread efforts to explain the
difficulties of Germany as caused by the
Jews. The language was often backed by up
ugly and demeaning public caricatures of
the Jews.
We can hear Rabbi Heschel’s warning reenforced
in the simple wisdom of the Letter
of James:
In the same way, the tongue is a small
member and yet has great pretensions.
Consider how small a fire can set a huge
forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire.
It exists among our members as a world
of malice, defiling the whole body and
setting the entire course of our lives on
fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna. For
every kind of beast and bird, of reptile
and sea creature, can be tamed and has
been tamed by the human species, but
no human being can tame the tongue.
It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless the Lord and Father,
and with it we curse human beings who
are made in the likeness of God. (James
3:6-10)
Jesus is not far from James when he says
in Matthew 15:10-12: “He summoned
the crowd and said to them, ‘Hear and
understand’. It is not what enters one’s
mouth that defiles that person, but what
comes out of the mouth that defiles one.”
When I was a young religious, we were
introduced to an area of religious
formation for life in the community
by reflecting on defamation, slander,
uncharitableness and “charitable charity.”
The latter was a duty owed even to a
brother at whom you are furious and not
yet ready for forgiveness or reconciliation.
You had to show the “common signs” of
mutual greeting, of eye contact, of an
offering of help, if necessary, etc. Little did
we know that we were being prepared to
maintain the communion that can either
hold a community together or create a
religious community that is being eaten
alive by gossip, lack of charity and perhaps
even defamation and slander. How we
talk about someone or to one another is
the real glue of our religious order. (See Fr.
Gerald Arbuckle’s excellent essay in this
issue. He ends his essay with the caution
that gossip and backstabbing are what led
to the killing of Jesus.) This ethic of speech
is articulated today in the Catechism of
the Catholic Church on “Living in the
Truth” (2464-2492). This would seem
an appropriate and useful topic for a
bishop’s pastoral letter in these difficult
times when politicians seem to be locked
onto demeaning and dehumanizing
one another as a favorite tactic, thus
undermining the core civility necessary for
a civil society and its politics to thrive.
We can read from this small Marist
worldview an analogy to our larger world,
and it gets clearer on how we see our own
role in the rejection of violence by the
progressive disarming of our own hearts
(and language). There are a number of
great scholars these days studying the
question of violence. One, René Girard, has
been in the forefront. He is helpful to us
because of his strong Catholic roots in the
Eucharist. He had left the faith as a young
man but was lured back to it by his studies
of the Eucharist as an anthropologist. He
sees our identification with Christ in His
4 Today’s Marists Magazine

abandonment to the mocking, torture,
humiliation and execution of Jesus by the
religious and Roman officials as the very
model for our own refusal of this world’s
notion of “good” violence, the way that
the devil leaks into our world. After years
of study in anthropology and the nature
of religious violence, he finds the fatal
error is a belief that there can be “good”
violence. It may be necessary at times, but
it is never “good.” Such violence is always
dangerously contagious and spirals out
of control. Think of the “fog of war” after
it breaks the peace and progresses into
horrors. The great Mahatma Gandhi,
clearly a proponent of non-violence, said
that violence might be necessary at times
but never glorify it, and fall on your knees
and pray to God for forgiveness that you
had to engage in violence even if it were in
defense of the innocent victim(s).
Pax Christi International is represented
in this issue by Marie Dennis, a former
co-president of Pax Christi and deeply
involved in its worldwide work of peacemaking
and training in non-violent
alternatives to conflict. You may know
that this movement emerged at the end of
World War II when the French and German
Catholics looked across their border and
asked how in the world they could have
done what was done to one another as
followers of Christ. Its foundations were
laid at the point in history when the U.S.
dropped the atomic bombs on Nagasaki
and on Hiroshima. So most of its work
since then has also focused on nuclear
disarmament as a first step in bringing
about a more peaceful world free of
violence and especially free of the constant
MAD threat of nuclear warfare. It is also
a spiritual communion inspiring a more
peaceful world beginning with the inner
conversion of “disarming the heart.”
The work by Pax Christi on nonviolence
prepares each of us to live out the Sermon
on the Mount and its demanding call to
forgiveness, reconciliation and a new world
united in peacemaking.
Let me close this reflection with the
hopeful, inspiring but demanding words
of Martin Luther King, Jr. looking forward
to the “Beloved Community” that he was
fostering in everything he was doing:
To our bitterest opponents, we say: We
shall match your capacity to inflict
suffering by our capacity to endure
suffering. We shall meet your physical
force with soul force. Do to us what you
will, we shall continue to love you. We
cannot in all good conscience obey your
unjust laws, because noncooperation
with evil is as much a moral obligation
as is cooperation with good. Throw us
in jail, we shall still love you. Bomb our
homes and threaten our children, we
shall still love you.
Send your hooded perpetrators of
violence into our community at the
midnight hour and beat us and leave
us half dead, and we shall still love you.
But be assured that we will wear you
down by our capacity to suffer. One day
we shall win freedom, but not only for
ourselves. We shall so appeal to your
heart and conscience that we shall win
you in the process and our victory will be
a double victory.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Christmas Sermon for Peace
~ December 24, 1967
Additional
Resources
Catholic Nonviolence Initiative:
https://nonviolencejustpeace.net
How to talk to your kids about
school shootings:
http://bit.ly/42Y965f
Pax Christi International:
https://paxchristi.net
Pax Christi USA:
https://paxchristiusa.org
Volume 7 | Issue 3 5

The Power of Gospel
Nonviolence
by Marie Dennis, Pax Christi International Program Chair for the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative
We live in very violent times – from gun violence in United States
communities to wars in Ukraine, Yemen, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo and South Sudan; from violence against migrants
and nonviolent demonstrators in Iran and Myanmar and Russia,
to trafficking in humans and weapons; from racism, to destruction
and exploitation of Earth, our common home.
Given this, to live the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount seems
impossible. Yet, it was in the brutally violent context of Roman
occupation that Jesus proclaimed a new, nonviolent way of life
rooted in the beloved community, the unconditional love of God.
He taught his disciples to love their enemies (cf. Mt 5:44) and to
turn the other cheek (cf. Mt 5:39). When he stopped her accusers
from stoning the woman caught in adultery (cf. Jn 8:1-11), and
when, on the night before he died, he told Peter to put away his
sword (cf. Mt 26:52), Jesus marked out the path of nonviolence.
He walked that path to the very end of his life, to the cross, where
he took the evil/the violence upon himself – rather than inflicting
it on others – and overcame it by his suffering and death. Jesus’
Resurrection from the dead was – what John calls – “the vindication
of nonviolence over violence.”
For Pax Christi members around the world nonviolence is a
spirituality, a way of life, a deep commitment to live the values
that we believe shaped the early Christian community in the
first century context of occupied Palestine. For us, the so-called
“hard sayings” in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount are central. But
the challenge is how to interpret that message in the context of a
21st century world immersed in extremely complex situations of
violence. What does “love your enemy” mean now at a personal
level, but maybe even more importantly, what does this worldview
offer in a social context or politically?
In the public arena, nonviolence is often misrepresented,
misunderstood, too narrowly defined or wrongly dismissed as
either passive or naive. Very strong evidence, however, suggests
a different conclusion - that active nonviolence is both powerful
and effective. It is also much, much more than crossing a line or
chaining oneself to a fence - much broader than civil resistance.
Nonviolence is not the same as pacifism. Pacifism is an ethical
stand against violence, whereas nonviolence is not just not violent.
It is active engagement in creative and proven-effective strategies
for building a more just and sustainable world. The “two hands” of
nonviolence are noncooperation with injustice and steadfast regard
for the other person.
In fact, one of the great gifts of our age is the growing recognition
of active nonviolence as a positive, constructive and powerful
force for social change; a process for ending violence without
lethal force; for transforming conflict; for effectively protecting
people and communities at risk; and for fostering just and peaceful
alternatives.
For decades Pax Christi members around the world have been
actively countering many different expressions of violence. Richly
diverse nonviolent tools and strategies have been the “bread and
butter” for Pax Christi member organizations for decades: trainings
in strategic nonviolence for communities negatively affected by
extractive projects throughout Latin America; accompaniment of
communities at risk in the Middle East; sports for peace programs
in Haiti and South Sudan; reintegrating former combatants into
their communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
nonviolence trainings throughout Africa’s Great Lakes region
for young people and religious Sisters; work against racism
and the death penalty in the United States; advocacy to reduce
military spending and support diplomatic solutions to seemingly
intractable violent conflicts – the list is endless.
After 9/11, we said over and over with millions of people around
the world, “war is not the answer” to no avail. We began to ask
what we could do that would contribute to a worldwide shift from
a perpetual logic of violence as the only way forward to a logic
of nonviolence. We began to think about the size and reach of
Catholic institutions:
• What if the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide had a full
understanding of the power and effectiveness of active
nonviolence and the connection of nonviolence to the heart of
the Gospel?
6 Today’s Marists Magazine

• What if we all knew how to apply nonviolent tools to defuse
conflict before it became violent?
• What if the Catholic Church committed its channels of
communication and diplomacy, its vast spiritual, intellectual
and financial resources to promoting active nonviolence?
• What if Catholic schools, colleges, universities and seminaries
integrated programs on nonviolence and just peace into their
curricula, their research and their community outreach efforts?
These questions were discussed at the small conference on
nonviolence and just peace that was held in Rome in 2016,
cosponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and
Pax Christi International. Among the 80 participants were many
people living in contexts of violence and war – from Iraq and
Afghanistan, Palestine and Uganda, South Sudan and Colombia,
Guatemala, Mexico, Sri Lanka and more. Many participants had
deep experience with effective nonviolence under extremely
challenging circumstances.
What they shared with us in those few days helped us to begin to
develop a deeper, more nuanced and more complex understanding
of nonviolence - as an option that is actively working to stop
repression and violence, but is also working to promote social
justice, human dignity and a healthy planet.
During the conference we wrote an Appeal to the Catholic Church
to Re-commit to the Centrality of Gospel Nonviolence, urging the
Catholic Church to follow the example of other faith communities,
including the Quakers, Mennonites, United Church of Christ and
Church of the Brethren and to “integrate Gospel nonviolence
explicitly into the life, including the sacramental life and work
of the Church through dioceses, parishes, agencies, schools,
universities, seminaries, religious orders, voluntary associations
and others,” adopting just peace as one example of a new
nonviolent framework for Church teaching.
Our message on “just war” was very clear: We believe that there
is no “just war.” Too often the “just war theory” has been used to
endorse rather than prevent or limit war. Suggesting that a “just
war” is possible also undermines the moral imperative to develop
tools and capacities for nonviolent transformation of conflict. It is
time, we said, to replace just war thinking as the default response
to potential or actual violence with a massive investment in
nonviolent approaches that really make for peace.
The Catholic Nonviolence Initiative then spent more than two years
exploring contemporary Catholic practices of nonviolence and
just peace in violent settings across the globe. Through this effort,
it became clear that Catholics have a vibrant, if under-nurtured,
spirituality of nonviolence deeply rooted in their relationship with
Jesus, their closeness to scripture and in the intimacy of liturgy and
personal or communal devotional practices.
Deep Catholic faith has driven out indifference, educated for
effective obstructive and constructive nonviolent practices and
approaches, and provided communities experiencing conflict with
transformational processes that keep conflict generative. Perhaps
most important, those who engage in nonviolent practices generate
by their actions a profound and contagious theological hope in
those around them.
In our book, Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace, there are
many stories about effective nonviolent action in Kenya, Croatia,
Philippines, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Syria/
Lebanon... . (http://bit.ly/433brf4)
For example, in the Central African Republic,
trauma-healing teams stabilize communities in
situations of extreme violence. In the Philippines,
civilian land courts are decreasing violent
property disputes through a restorative justice
process. For over 8 years in northern Kenya,
Kanini Kimau worked with two neighboring
communities that perceived each other
as enemies; whoever killed an enemy
was praised as a hero. In a context of
disorganized, communal violence that was
vulnerable to political manipulation by
armed militias, Kanini accompanied the
communities as they learned nonviolent
ways of interacting to reduce killing
raids, re-establish security, stabilize
communities, resume restorative
land practices and re-establish local
self-reliance.
Pax Christi International’s
Catholic Nonviolence Initiative
continues to listen very carefully
to people from different contexts, believing
that nonviolence in the context of occupation in
Palestine; nonviolence in the context of poverty or street
violence in Haiti; nonviolence from the perspective of liberation
theologians in Latin America; nonviolence in Eastern Europe
facing a frightening future; nonviolence intersecting with structural
racism in the United States; nonviolence in post-colonial Africa;
nonviolence in Myanmar following a military coup; nonviolence
in Ukraine… will all look very different. And each context needs its
own nonviolent tools for transformation.
The Ukraine war has greatly intensified the choice between life and
death. Either we will develop diverse, powerful nonviolent tools to
address root causes of conflict before it reaches such catastrophic
proportions or we will remain stuck in the old story that violence
and war are inevitable. The realization of a new paradigm based on
nonviolence is more imperative than it was a year ago – and more
difficult.
Pope Francis is responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a
follower of Jesus, taking the Sermon on the Mount seriously. In the
midst of this crisis he is shifting our gaze from a focus on justifying
methods of war to ways of ending it, mobilizing every possible
resource - spiritual and political - to break the spiral of violence and
to foster a just and lasting peace.
In his 2017 World Day of Peace Message, Pope Francis said, “to be
true followers of Jesus today also includes embracing His teaching
about nonviolence. …I pledge the assistance of the Church in every
effort to build peace through active and creative nonviolence.”
In spite of the enormous violence of the past century, a paradigm
shift toward the power and practicality of active nonviolence has
been steadily emerging. In the last one hundred years, nonviolent
strategies have taken root and accelerated on every continent.
Pax Christi’s Catholic Nonviolence Initiative believes that the
institutional Catholic Church could be a transformational force,
moving a broken world toward the just peace for which we all
yearn.
Volume 7 | Issue 3 7

Feeling Safe
in an increasingly unsafe world
by Mike Kelly, Director of Marketing, Notre Dame Preparatory and Marist Academy, Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep navigates
through a number of close-to-home tragic
events with community support, security
and prayer.
In early March 2023, Krista Grettenberger
testified before the Michigan House
Judiciary Committee on proposed gun
control legislation introduced in the wake
of the deadly shooting in February 2023 at
Michigan State University (MSU).
In a Detroit News account of that March 8th
hearing, Grettenberger said that her son
called her on the night of February 13th at
8:18 p.m. from Berkey Hall, a building on
MSU campus and told her that he had been
shot. He was one of the five injured in the
incident that also killed three university
students.
“My son called my cellphone and said, ‘I
love you, Mom. I’ve been shot. There’s a
shooter,’” recounted Grettenberger, who
also mentioned that it was not till later that
she learned the horror of what her 21-yearold
son had endured.
“In his classroom, my son came face-to-face
with the gunman and pleaded for his life,”
recalled Mrs. Gettenberger, who lives near
MSU’s East Lansing campus in neighboring
Okemos. “‘Please don’t shoot me,’ were the
words he said before the gunman shot him
in his chest.”
It was yet another in a seemingly endless
series of heart-breaking post-shooting
accounts by victims, families, or first
responders playing out in Michigan’s state
capital, as well as countless other cities and
states across the country.
Oxford Shooting Continues to
Reverberate
In fact, even though the MSU shooting
occurred almost a year and a half after
another tragic Michigan school shooting at
Oxford High School, the legal, and political,
wranglings continue to play out in the wake
of the Oxford High School incident that
killed four students and injured seven more,
including a teacher, in November of 2021.
For the Notre Dame Prep (NDP) community
in Pontiac, Michigan, the MSU shooting
brought back the horror of first hearing of
that shooting at Oxford High School, which
is located less than 15 miles from NDP.
Courtney Plas, the mother of two NDP
students, Jackson, a senior, and Reagan, a
sophomore, said she cannot remember a
scarier time to be a parent sending children
to school.
“We live in Oxford and know many of the
families affected by the shooting, which
has really shaken our family and our entire
community,” she said. “One always thinks it
can never happen here in my town.”
Plas said now, more than ever, parents need
to have hard conversations with their teens
about their mental well-being along with
areas of concern.
“Do they feel comfortable and safe in their
environment, and what do they do if they
don’t feel safe and comfortable,” she asks
her children on a regular basis.
Plas, who is a pharmacist and business
owner, said she and her husband are in fact
comfortable that their kids attend a school
with an already robust safety protocol in an
environment that also weaves faith into the
fabric of their daily activities.
“We are blessed that every time we have
asked our kids the safety question about
Notre Dame Prep, they both say that they
absolutely feel safe at Notre Dame.”
Plas points out that while raising teens is no
easy task, “we think Notre Dame Prep has
helped mold our kids into the empathetic,
kind and selfless Christians they have
become. And for that we thank the school
and all of the staff.”
School Quickly Offered Support
and Prayers
One of the NDP staff members who was
truly engaged in the aftermath of the
Oxford shooting is Denise Mahoney,
one of three social-emotional/academic
(SEA) counselors at the Marist-sponsored
school. She and her colleagues joined the
entire school faculty and staff in a multifaceted
response that focused on support
for students, many of whom had family,
friends, and acquaintances who attend both
Oxford High School and MSU.
“Our students were very connected to the
Oxford shooting,” she said. “They were
angry and terrified. Their immediate
reaction, understandably, was fear that this
could happen here at NDP, and many felt
unsafe anywhere they went. This one hit too
close to home and made school shootings
more ‘real’ to them.”
She also said many Notre Dame students
were friends with the victims and they
struggled with shock, grief and disbelief.
“Everyone seemed to be on edge, and most
people were just plain scared for quite some
time,” said Mahoney, the mother of three
boys.
Additionally, she says, it is indeed fortunate
for Notre Dame students that they attend a
Catholic and Marist school and can freely
draw upon God to help get them through
troubling events like the Oxford shooting.
“We are able to pray together, which I
believe is the best thing about being at
a school like Notre Dame Prep,” said
Mahoney, who has a sophomore at the
school. “We can come together and pray
for those involved, pray for strength and
healing and pray for protection.”
She said she has frequently discussed with
students the fact that God did not cause
events like Oxford and MSU, but rather is
there to help them get through the difficult
times and that they will find a way to bring
good out of dark situations.
8 Today’s Marists Magazine

“This helps the students find hope and
peace as they navigate the fear and
confusion,” she said.
Already Robust Safety and
Security Protocols
Scott Tewes, a member of the Oakland
County Sheriff’s Office, has been a fixture
on the Notre Dame Prep campus for
many years. Part of an expansive and
robust security team at NDP, he is a daily
uniformed presence in the main lobby of
the school and sees just about everyone
Above: Raising donations for Oxford High School
Below: NDPMA shows support for Oxford High School
who enters the building. He recalls the days
immediately following the Oxford shooting.
“From my perspective at the security desk,
I sensed a great sadness in our school
after the Oxford incident,” he said. “I did
not observe any outward sobbing, but the
students weren’t their usual jovial and
loquacious selves. The area around my desk
was more solemn during the end of class,
passing in the halls, and before and after
school.”
Tewes said he was glad to see the students
and staff respond quickly in support for
Oxford.
“Soon after the incident, almost every
student was wearing a blue ‘Oxford Strong’
tee-shirt in support of the victims, which
also helped to unify the entire school,” he
added. “And prayer became an even bigger
part of our school day.”
Since the Oxford shooting, a number of
school safety initiatives were added or
strengthened, according to Tewes.
“But because the school already had so
many safety measures and procedures in
place to deal with a situation like Oxford,
the only significant change after the
shooting was to keep the cafeteria doors
locked during most of the day, except
during lunch when the area is monitored
by me or another member of our security
detail.”
Tewes also said that since Oxford, the
Sheriff’s Office has ratcheted up training,
which means he now goes through active
shooter training two or three times a year.
“I can engage a threat within the school
in mere seconds, and I have a radio to
alert the entire county if there was an
active threat,” he said. “Our other security
personnel remain mobile and walk around
to make sure doors are locked at the main
campus and the lower school building.
These personnel are my eyes throughout
the campus while I’m stationed here at the
desk. And they are linked to my radio and to
the radios in the high school office, middle
school office, athletic office and assistant
principal’s office.”
Faith Continues to Guide
As for Courtney Plas, she is hoping for a
happy and safe ending to the school year.
Her son, Jackson, will graduate and head off
to college in the fall. Daughter Reagan, who
is looking forward to her junior year at NDP,
said she remains relatively satisfied with
campus security.
“One of my favorite things about Notre
Dame Prep is how safe I feel on campus,”
Reagan Plas said. “There just seems to be
a lot of constant communication between
faculty, administration, security personnel,
and safety officers.”
School counselor Mahoney adds that
while they are absolutely necessary, school
safety and security drills are unfortunately
becoming as much a part of academic life as
math and science class.
“After the MSU shooting, some of the
chatter I heard among students was that
they are so tired of this and of how common
it has become. Nevertheless, it is sad to note
that they seem to be getting used to it in
a sense,” she said. “It is just a part of their
world. It is all they’ve really ever known.”
For Andrew Guest, NDP’s head of school, it
is important that despite the tragedies that
sometimes surround them, the students
need to know they are loved by God and the
faculty and staff.
“Particularly in today’s environment,
they need as much normalcy as we can
give them,” he said. “The predictability
and routine of school, sports, religion and
extracurriculars can help keep their minds
focused and provide them the support they
need to overcome the issues we face today.
“As a Catholic Marist school, we continue to
offer our prayers and support for all those
affected by events like Oxford and MSU.
We know that Mary, our Mother, and our
Heavenly Father are there to guide us and
watch over all of us during these times of
trouble.”
Volume 7 | Issue 3 9

The Effects of School Violence on Adolescents:
A Catholic School
Counselor’s Perspective
by Lauren Laba, NCC, Director of Personal & Academic Counseling, Marist School, Atlanta, Georgia
Schools in the United States are supposed to be safe havens for
students, but unfortunately they are not always as safe as they
should be. In recent years, school violence, in particular school
shootings, have become a growing concern and its impact on
the mental health of adolescents cannot be overemphasized. The
trauma caused by school violence can have a lasting impact on
students’ mental and emotional well-being. Catholic schools,
while statistically having a lower incidence rate of being a site of
a school shooting, are not immune to this problem. Violence in
Catholic schools affects not only the students but also the staff,
parents, and the community at large. The negative effects of
violence in schools are far-reaching, and can affect the academic
performance of students, their mental health and their future
prospects.
Violence in schools comes in many forms, including physical
assault, bullying, bomb threats, and school shootings. In a
report from 2020, the US Department of Justice indicated that
some markers of school violence have been on the decline for
some time, but multiple-victim homicide incidents have been
increasing. (http://bit.ly/3U46TB6) Of course, these catastrophic
and absolutely tragic events are the types of school violence
incidents that most frequently make the news. These incidents
leave students who were not directly involved feeling scared,
helpless and even traumatized.
The effects can be devastating for students who witness or
experience violence in schools. Such trauma can lead to a range
of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) and even suicide. Recently at
Marist School, after the disclosure of a statement of concern made
by a student, school administrators had to address the concern in
the most appropriate way - bringing the local police department
to campus for a thorough safety assessment and alerting the
various community groups (parents, students, faculty/staff).
While the cause for concern all turned out well, as a Marist School
counselor I can speak firsthand about the mental health impact
on a student who is not directly involved. For such a student,
the principal’s announcement and police presence on campus
is naturally alarming. Students at Marist are not accustomed to
these types of occurrences, so it was emotionally alarming for
many students and led to an inability to focus on schoolwork and
a need for counseling interventions or parent pickup.
For as long as science has been able to understand human
development and neuroscience, it has been understood that
adolescents have underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes and brains.
(https://bit.ly/3mcqxy9) Therefore, they make more impulsive
and irrational/irresponsible decisions and have more difficulty
than adults in emotional modulation, etc. In this current era,
schools have to take any random comment or one made “in jest,”
seriously. These precautionary measures lead to heightened
security, which is alarming for students not directly involved.
The psychological impact of school violence on adolescents
can manifest in different ways. Some students may become
withdrawn and isolated, while others may become aggressive
and violent themselves. Studies have shown that students who
experience violence in school are at a higher risk of developing
mental health problems later in life. School violence can also
have an impact on academic performance. Students who have
experienced violence or trauma (whether at school or outside
of school) may find it difficult to concentrate in class, leading
to a decline in grades and academic performance. Moreover,
school violence can create a negative school climate, making it
challenging for students to feel safe and learn effectively.
One of the major effects of school violence on adolescents is
an increased risk of developing PTSD. PTSD is a mental health
disorder that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a
traumatic event. (https://bit.ly/3MaWqC1) Symptoms of PTSD
can include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of triggers and
hypervigilance. Studies have shown that students who witness or
experience violence in schools are at a higher risk of developing
PTSD than those who have not experienced violence.
10 Today’s Marists Magazine

In addition to PTSD, school violence can also lead to anxiety and
depression. Anxiety is a common response to traumatic events
and can manifest as feelings of fear, worry and nervousness.
Depression can result from prolonged exposure to stress and
can lead to feelings of sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness.
Students who experience school violence may also develop a
sense of helplessness and hopelessness, which can exacerbate
feelings of anxiety and depression.
Violence in schools can also increase the risk of suicide among
adolescents. Suicide is a leading cause of death among young
people in the United States, and studies have shown that exposure
to violence can increase the chances of suicidal ideation and
behavior. (http://bit.ly/3Gh8uxO) Students who have experienced
violence in school may feel hopeless and alone and may see
suicide as the only way out of their pain.
Preventing school violence is essential to protecting the mental
health of adolescents. Steps that schools can take include
implementing anti-bullying programs, fostering student/adult
relationships on campus, providing mental health resources
for students and increasing school safety measures. I can
confidently say that the Marist School administration is taking
school violence concerns seriously and is responding with the
appropriate steps in all of the aforementioned ways. Additionally,
parents and caregivers can support their children by listening
to their concerns and providing a safe and supportive home
environment.
When school violence occurs, it is important to provide support
for students who have been affected including counseling,
therapy, and academic support. Schools should also work to
create a supportive and inclusive environment for all students,
including those who have experienced violence or trauma.
In conclusion, school violence has a significant impact on the
mental health of adolescents in the United States. Incorporating
steps to prevent school violence and provide support for students
who have been affected is crucial to protecting the mental
health and well-being of adolescents. I feel blessed to work in a
Catholic school with a robust staff and incredible student support
personnel, including the critical element of pastoral care and
campus ministry. The Marist School administration is committed
to the safety and protection of everyone on campus. As a society,
we must collectively come together to recognize the critical
importance of the issue of school violence and work together
to provide our young people with safe school environments
conducive to healthy relationships, growth, learning and positive
mental health.
Book Corner
by Ted Keating, SM
Pope Francis’ analysis of
world conflict in our present
world is summed up as: a
unique and terrible world
“war in installments.” (World
Day of Peace Message,
2017) The largest refugee
crisis in world history was
not in World War I or II,
it is now with nearly 103
million people on the move
caused by a number of
local wars around the
world. Pope Francis sees
this as a unique moment
in history when creative
approaches to non-violent strategies that clear
the head from the gripping “logic of violence” is
seen as essential.
The Church has moved from an unsettled
relationship with non-violence (look on the internet
for the stories of Ben Salmon in World War I in
the US, and Franz Jägerstätter in World War II
Germany). Vatican II spoke clearly and respectfully
for the first time about the option of non-violence
in warfare. The US Bishops’ Peace Pastoral held it
up as a worthy alternative in our time. Pope Francis’
World Day of Peace Message in 2017 laid out the
logic and strategies of non-violence as a preferred
option for the Church never ignoring that ethical
approaches to war that may still require a limited
type of warfare strictly controlled by the traditional
ethics of war articulated by the Church. Diplomacy
itself is a refined approach to the avoidance of war
and strongly praised by Pope Francis. We are living
in a time when it is maligned, and the false path of
the “logic of violence” is seen as the first option.
Marie Dennis, Pax Christi International Program
Chair for the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, is the
editor of Choosing Peace: The Catholic Church
Returns to Gospel Nonviolence published by Orbis
Press. It brings a number of Catholic thinkers from
around the world who attended a joint conference
between the Pontifical Council for Justice and
Peace and Pax Christi International in 2016 prior to
Pope Francis Message in 2017. The book contains
chapters by some of the Conference speakers
and discussion and analysis from the Conference
are included. This is an excellent read to catch a
moment of significant change emerging in the
paradigm of the Church’s approach to peace issues.
Volume 7 | Issue 3 11

Non-Violence and
the Spirit of Mary
by Bev McDonald, Marist Laity, New Zealand
I start this reflection from the premise that non-violence assumes
that justice will eventually prevail, that choices should be
made from a place of love rather than hate and that
voluntary suffering has value as an important facet
of life. (Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, https://
bit.ly/3U6iK1q) Non-violence at its best draws us
into full conversion of body, mind and spirit. It
calls us to fully embrace the humanity revealed
in Jesus even in his redemptive suffering. Nonviolence
commits us to a spirit of listening and
compassion for the other; not acting against the
well-being of any person but only against their
project. Today we see external non-violence used as
an ‘activist’ strategy to achieve goals and intentions.
Conflict resolution and seeking understanding engages
the mind as well as the body, offering a deeper form of nonviolence,
but it is full conversion of heart that brings us closest to
the Gospel. We are called to embrace all humanity as part of one
wounded family of God. It is this non-violence as conversion which
I want to reflect on from a Marist perspective.
Most are familiar with Article I:2 (1872 Marist Constitutions) and
the three aims of the Society of Mary. “To undertake various works
for the greater service of God …renewed by [Mary’s] merits and
prayers… spend themselves for their own perfection, …the salvation
of their neighbour; and hold more loyally to the Roman Catholic
faith… .” Article X:49 on the ‘spirit’ of the Society reads, “…let them
continually strive to draw upon her spirit and breathe it: a spirit of
humility, self-denial, intimate union with God, and most ardent love
of neighbour… .” The next line states: “…considering themselves as
exiles and pilgrims on earth…avoiding anything that might suggest
display, ostentation, or a desire for attention; loving to be unknown…
without deceit or cunning; …acting always with such great poverty,
humility, and modesty, simplicity of heart, and unconcern for vanity
and worldly ambition that…they seem to be unknown and indeed
hidden in this world. … this spirit…is the very pivot and foundation of
their whole Society.”
Jean-Claude Colin, founder of the Society of Mary, was born in 1790
during turbulent times. Caught in revolution and a governmentimposed
church schism, his family supported priests loyal to Rome
and his father, Jacque Colin, fled into the woods to avoid arrest and
death in 1793. He lost everything until pardoned in 1794. Jacque
and his wife Marie, died from illness in May/June 1795, leaving the
Colin children in the care of an uncle. Jean-Claude knew deeply the
cost of resistance, but he also learned that political powers wax and
wane. Interestingly, it was women who quietly but resolutely led the
refusal to accept the constitutional church and clergy. One can only
wonder how that impacted his perception of Mary.
Throughout his troubled childhood, the Colin family courageously
risked their lives to resist what they knew as wrong. Jean-Claude’s
first Confession was from a priest hiding in a weaver’s room, and
he recalls secret Masses in barns at midnight. He and the
early Marists were steeped in the theology of the cross
and self-denial which they had acutely experienced.
They neither resorted to violence nor cynical
despair. They trusted in God alone and endured
the suffering for the greater good. Fr. Colin’s
family took no political side but considered
everything within the broader context of Christ’s
death and resurrection for the salvation of all.
They held a sense of grace working in and through
all things.
I suggest that Fr. Colin’s spiritual guidance and
actions as founder give us a sound model for discerning
non-violence today. He emphasized reading the signs of
the time. We are living through our own turbulent history with
unrest, distrust and angst on a global scale. Currents of discontent
agitate for anger, violence, uprising and disaffection with authority.
Environmental tragedies, wars, injustice and political volatility
abound. In this maelstrom, we are called to bring the Gospel and
‘be’ the presence of Christ. Fr. Colin speaks of never extinguishing
the smouldering wick and that the kinder we are, the closer we
come to the spirit of Christ. (A Founder Acts, 206.4) When it comes to
politics he cautioned, “…we must stand aloof from all these things
and not make political gestures. …, we are of no colour; we have to
care for everybody.” (A Founder Acts, 202) He was not a pacifist. “I
must give the last drop of my blood in the cause of fidelity. But …
when the usurper has triumphed, and power is in his hands, …then
I must recognise the hand of Providence in it. It is God who guides
all things… .” (A Founder Speaks, 31:5) Fr. Colin wanted Marists to
commiserate with human weakness and meet people where they
were; “All for souls.” (A Founder Acts, 200) He counselled for mercy,
care, mutual respect, attentive empathy and a desire to cooperate
with the grace of God at work in the other.
The three great “Nos” to greed, pride, and power highlight the
demands of Marist spirituality. It calls us to the best of being
human yet is also beyond us without God’s help. To fully embrace
non-violence; body, mind and spirit, we Marists need look only to
the aims of the Society. Greed, pride, self-interest, self-protection,
power or self-promotion were anathema to him. Everything
is within the frame of the mercy of God. Fr. Colin expected
detachment and self-control through living the spirit of Mary in
order to draw others into relationship with God. Non-violence
is inherent in that spirit which sees everyone as in God’s family.
Even the worst of us is a loved sinner. Fr. Colin prized humility
and courage and saw the spirit of Mary doing good like a seed
hidden and unknown in the ground. The temptation will always
be to use non-violence as a means to an end, but he calls for it to
permeate our way of being and embrace it as central to our ongoing
conversion to the spirit of Mary for the greater glory of God.
12 Today’s Marists Magazine

26 Pebbles:
A Play Helping Us Understand
the Unimaginable
by Eric McNaughton, Fine Arts Department Chair and Theater Director, Marist School, Atlanta, Georgia
On December 14, 2012, a young man
entered Sandy Hook Elementary School
in Newtown, Connecticut and murdered
26 people. Twenty of them were firstgraders.
The community and the nation
were devastated, especially in a town that
everyone regarded as a safe place where
“this kind of thing just doesn’t happen.”
In the aftermath of that horrible event,
playwright Eric Ulloa journeyed
to Newtown and spent six months
interviewing the community to understand
how a community heals – or tries to
heal – after such a terrifying ordeal. The
testimonies of the town’s citizens became
the basis for his play, 26 Pebbles.
The title refers to the way that a pebble,
when dropped in water, causes ripples that
change the environment forever. Twenty-six
pebbles represent each of the lives lost on
that day. The surrounding community at
large and those who survived that shooting
would never be the same.
One might say that all school settings would
never be the same, considering the memory
of schoolchildren being killed. Like all
schools, Marist School certainly has sought
deeper ways of understanding and coping
with such tragic events over the years - not
only by improving security measures, but
also by dealing with mental health needs
with more conviction and resources.
Yet, after the Robb Elementary School
shooting in Uvalde, Texas in May of
2022, and in light of the countless similar
tragedies that have continued, many of us at
Marist School feel at a loss for words again.
Indeed, many are not even sure how or what
to feel anymore.
The Marist School community felt
compelled to share the story of 26 Pebbles
as a way of using the medium of theater to
encourage understanding and empathy
within our community.
Ten years after the shooting at Sandy
Hook Elementary School, Marist School
students gathered for a special presentation
of Eric Ulloa’s powerful play. Faculty and
students performed a stage reading of the
play, offering testimonies of bewilderment,
horror and pain. While the play was a very
somber and emotional experience for the
audience, it also offered hope.
In fact, students were reminded of the
power of theater to bring such hope to life.
For centuries, the theater has been a place
to explore the large ideas and dynamics
that shape the human experience. Theater
artists work to take a story that exists in
two dimensions, from the words on paper,
and expand it into three dimensions using
actors on a stage with an audience. The
story allows the audience to understand
our common humanity, which is conflicted
more often than not.
In the case of Sandy Hook Elementary, the
play allowed students to feel the human
side of the story, behind the politics and
behind the headlines, and created a space
for memory that can endure.
To a person, the student body was struck by
the human struggles of this small town as
they grappled with the unreality of violence
in a school, even moreso in an elementary
school. From the local shop owners who
could not believe such violence could occur
in their community to the fellow students
at the murderer’s high school who looked
back at the possible warning signs, the play
surfaces questions that come to mind when
a shooting occurs in a school - What drives
a person to do such a thing? Why violence?
Why there?
The play provided no easy answers to
those difficult questions, but did allow
everyone to relate to the feelings of those
who experienced such unspeakable losses.
In so doing, the play was a powerful way to
connect.
All artists ask themselves some version
of the following question every time they
create a play: “Why this play…and why
now?” As a theater director and Marist
teacher, I clearly saw that the exploration of
empathy is an important part of our Marist
experience and spirit that animate the
school. It was this exploration of empathy
that connected so deeply with our student
body and faculty/staff.
In the end, the play tries to help everyone
look at the world through a variety of lenses,
in the hope that those performing the play
and those who view it would understand
our world from a place of empathy and
generosity.
continues on page 15
Volume 7 | Issue 3 13

Trauma, Violence, and
Religious Education
by Nik Rodewald, Theology Teacher and Campus Minister, Marist School, Atlanta, Georgia
Silence. Long, uninterrupted silence. That is what I remember most
about Marist School’s performance of 26 Pebbles, the documentary
drama that Marist School presented this academic year, under
the direction of theater director Eric McNaughton. It is not that
the play itself was silent – the play told the story of 26 parents and
community members affected by the shooting that occurred in
2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Rather, the silence that struck me was the silence experienced
leaving the theater and the silence that my homeroom students
had when I asked what they thought of the play. In the middle of a
school day, 26 Pebbles was experienced, and then it was as if time
stopped and all was silent.
In a sense, this is unsurprising; that is, after all, precisely
what trauma does. Trauma “interrupts the plot” as renowned
psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk puts it:
trauma is really a wound that happens to your psyche, to your
mind, to your brain. Suddenly you’re confronted with something …
you are faced with horror and helplessness. That nothing prepares
you for this and you go like, oh, my God. And so something switches
off at that point in your mind and your brain. And the nature of
trauma is that you get stuck there. (https://nyti.ms/3FUoqG3)
26 Pebbles tells the story of trauma that interrupted the plot of
so many lives in Sandy Hook and Newtown. We, as empathetic
listeners, are caught up in that trauma, and are also silent. As I left
the theater that day, I could not help but call to mind how much
trauma surrounds us on a daily basis: the Covid-19 pandemic,
a catastrophic war in Ukraine, ongoing civil wars throughout
the world, the fentanyl crisis that has robbed us of so many,
school shootings that just seem to be getting worse and worse
and increasing hate crimes and suicide rates, especially among
LGBTQ+ youth. These are, of course, only the major and public
traumas that surround us; many more family and individual
traumas plague those around us, though they remain hidden from
view.
As a Campus Minister, these traumas raise two primary issues –
one theological, and one pastoral. It is on these issues that I will
focus.
14 Today’s Marists Magazine

The Theological Problem
“From midday a darkness fell over the whole land, which lasted until
three in the afternoon; and about three, Jesus cried aloud, ‘Eli, Eli,
lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:45)
While hanging on the cross, Jesus quotes Psalm 22. This psalm
begins with the question: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken
me?” or, as one translation viscerally puts it: “God, my God, why
have you abandoned me – far from my cry, my words of pain?”
Jesus dies seemingly without an answer to the question. In this
way, perhaps the experience of Jesus on the cross is not so far
from our own. Why does this trauma exist? Why does God permit
it to happen, repeatedly, with no end in sight? Why can God not
intervene and break the cycle of violence?
Theologians have approached this question differently over the
centuries, but there is one thing that nearly every theological
approach holds in common: it simply is not satisfactory. No amount
of theological distance between God and the harmful actions that
inflict trauma seems sufficient. On the surface, it seems as though
collapse into nihilism may be our only option.
Yet some theologians have chosen to reframe the question. Instead
of asking ‘why’ violence and trauma exist, some theologians have
instead emphasized God’s solidarity with a suffering world. This
reflection in turn asks us to consider our response to trauma,
violence and suffering.
God’s response to suffering was to enter the theater of human
history, not with the riches and privileges owing to divinity, but in
solidarity with the dregs of human society. As Howard Thurman
puts it:
Jesus was not a Roman citizen. He was not protected by the normal
guarantees of citizenship - that quiet sense of security which
comes from knowing that you belong and the general climate of
confidence which it inspires. If a Roman soldier pushed Jesus into a
ditch, he could not appeal to Caesar; he would be just another Jew
in the ditch. (Jesus and the Disinherited, 23)
Jesus is born as a poor, Jewish man. He lives his life poor, homeless
and unprotected by civil society before being murdered as a
criminal. That image can help us to recognize that, while God
permits suffering and violence, God does not shield God’s own self
from that suffering and violence. Moreover, that violent death is
transformed into the Resurrection.
In this way, Christ becomes a “dangerous memory” for Christians:
not only does the story of Jesus inspire us to an ethic of nonviolence
and resistance of evil, but it becomes a reminder that God does
not leave anyone alone in the suffering. God suffers with and
transforms death into new life. Suffering remains a mystery, but
we have the consolation of knowing how it ends; to borrow from
the writer of Psalm 22: “My soul lives for the Lord! My children will
serve, will proclaim God to the future, announcing to peoples yet
unborn, ‘God saves.’”
The Pastoral Problem
Dealing with trauma is hard enough on the personal level; it is even
harder to create an environment where children can learn to thrive
amid a trauma-filled world. Even so, by creating positive memories,
emphasizing restorative practices and enriching embodied
experiences, adults can help children to develop the theological
resilience necessary to navigate a world filled with trauma and
violence.
Creating Positive Memories
Perhaps the most important part of any adult-child relationship
is that the child feels cared for and safe. As soon as children give
up on the adults that care for them, Bessel van der Kolk says, they
are “done for.” Children are, “wired to stay as close to the people
who are supposed to take care of them as possible.” If this trust is
betrayed, children will often see themselves as the problem and
adopt an identity of being – at the core – a fundamentally flawed
human being. On the flip side, as van der Kolk notes, “study after
study shows that having a good support network constitutes the
single most powerful protection against becoming traumatized.”
Creating quality time with children – time that communicates love,
care and joy – goes a long way towards teaching them to live within
a violent and traumatic world without succumbing to it.
Restorative Practices
Restorative Practices, which include talking and communitybuilding
circles, as well as more ‘justice’ oriented practices such
as victim-offender mediation, help students to process trauma
by giving them spaces where they can engage in free expression
of emotion and resolve their own conflicts. This free expression
encourages empathy and understanding, while building
community in meaningful ways.
Enriching Embodied Experiences
Embodied experiences help build not only a sense of community,
but they also address the physiological effects of trauma on the
body. By creating spaces where spirituality is engaged through
song, movement, yoga and play, adults can help children to process
the effect of trauma on their bodies within spaces of communal
connection.
Conclusion
Fundamentally, the call to ministry in these traumatic times is
a call to help young people live within a trauma-inducing world
without being consumed by it. In doing so, we have the privilege
of helping them to see the ways in which Jesus enters the violence
of his own world; and, with the grace of God, perhaps they can
come to find the ways in which God is redeeming the trauma and
violence of this world for the sake of the world to come.
26 Pebbles, continued from page 13
This play deals with challenging subject matter and elicits
a heavy emotional experience, but it is not violent and does
not focus on the violence. The subject matter addresses
more the reaction to that day rather than the actions of that
day.
Hearing these stories in this manner helped us process the
violence that seems far too common in schools these days.
In addition, the stories provided an opportunity for students
to learn about a time, a place, and a people not unlike their
own, in the hope that we can continue to cultivate empathy
within our community.
Such a Marist-like approach could be another fruitful step
in our collective interest to understand the whys of violence
in schools.
Volume 7 | Issue 3 15

From GOSSIP to
CONSPIRACY THINKING
by Gerald A. Arbuckle, SM, MA(Cam), Ph.D., Cultural Anthropologist, New South Wales, Australia
The following is a summary of an article by the author: “From Gossip to Conspiracy Thinking: Analysis and Scriptural Evaluations,”
Australasian Catholic Record, vol. 99, no. 2 (2021).
Gossip is designed to ruin an individual’s or group’s reputation;
it demonizes its victims in private. “There is no such thing as
innocent gossip,” says Pope Francis. Conspiracy thinking is a
public expression of gossip. It is the belief that an organization
made up of individuals or groups was or is acting secretly to
achieve some malevolent end. Conspiracy theories are concerned
about the struggle between good and evil, the conflict between
villains acting in secret to manipulate the unsuspecting masses
and the few who, having seen through their plot, are doing their
upmost to thwart it.
Throughout history significant political, economic and cultural
crises have encouraged conspiracy theories to emerge. The
theories seek to explain that these crises are caused by secretive,
evil plots comprising many actors: a mysterious ‘them’ who
manipulate life against us. The theories then give “us” a reason
to scapegoat “them.” Hitler claimed that Jews were poisoning the
German Aryan blood and Aryan soul, thus holding back Germany
from becoming a dominant nation; they had to be eliminated.
Conspiracy Theories Give False Comfort
Conspiracy beliefs may satisfy people’s needs for certainty,
security and a positive self-image in a world they feel is
disintegrating. When the comforting securities of cultures
crumble, paranoia makes sense. The beliefs offer an artificial
simplification of the vast unknowable forces that people feel are
manipulating national and global societies. They respond to a real
need for persons and cultures that cannot maintain their selfesteem
unless they perceive themselves to be victims of intrigue.
An inability to live with uncertainty and ambiguity draws people
to conspiracy theories when they validate their apprehensions.
One story answers all their fears. Thus, the anarchists who
invaded the Capitol in Washington, DC in 2021, stormed the
buildings with absolute certitude that the elections had been
rigged.
In conspiracies, trust, truth and objectivity lose out. As long as
the group is protected from the assumed source of evil, nothing
else is important, no matter what moral or physical violence the
innocent experience. The preservation or the restoration of the
status quo must be achieved at all costs. As conspiracy theories
provide their devotees with a much-needed sense of identity and
security in the midst of chaos, they are not easily discredited by
the rational presentation of facts.
Conspiracy Theories Cause Harm
Conspiracy theories are ubiquitous and can cause immense
harm to people, influencing political policy decisions and social
behaviours, including medical choices. People are marginalized
because they are assumed to be causing harm to individuals and
groups; by transferring the blame for their afflictions on to others,
people are able to distract themselves from the real causes.
In Holland, lockdown restrictions to control the spread of
Covid-19 evoked destructive riots. Many protestors endorsed
conspiracy theories that assumed the government had nefarious
motives, such as exaggerating the perils of the virus to suppress
the people, or imposing forced vaccinations with mysterious
substances that facilitate mind control. Anti-vaccine conspiracy
theories poison the minds and endanger the bodies of many
citizens.
Sociologist Michael Butter lists three foremost ways why
conspiracy theories were particularly dangerous during the
Covid-19 pandemic: they led to radicalization and violence;
they encouraged people to disregard medical knowledge and,
as a consequence, endangered themselves and others; and
they helped to undermine trust in elected politicians and the
democratic process as such.
Vulnerable peoples, such as migrants, minority groups and
people who are poor, were in constant danger of being wrongfully
blamed, stigmatized and further marginalized for falsely causing
the virus and its consequences. For example, in India the Muslim
minority has become a scapegoat forCovid-19. In Russia, Vladimir
Putin blamed a Western conspiracy to humiliate Russia by
propagating “false” statistics about the numbers of Covid-19 virus
victims there.
Pastoral Response
Conspiracy theorizing is one of the most problematic subjects
for researchers and others to expose. Devotees apply so much
intellectual and emotional energy to their conspiracy theories
that it is nearly impossible to keep track of what they are saying
and argue against them. Although a dialogue is theoretically
possible, it will not usually have the desired effect.
However, if people are not entirely convinced of a theory there is a
greater chance that they will accept that the theory lacks objective
truth. A sensitive low-key approach is necessary and people need
to be listened to and invited to give the sources of a conspiracy
16 Today’s Marists Magazine

theory. In a calm atmosphere the challenger is then able to show
that a theory has no foundation in reality. Though education
reduces the susceptibility of people to conspiracy theories, we
require educators who are skilled for the task.
Scriptures and Conspiracy Beliefs
Trust, that conspiracy theories destroy, includes an expectation
of honesty, the assumption that others will do their best to
meet their commitments, because they have the appropriate
knowledge, skill, or ability. Lying is any deliberate deceptive
message.
Truthfulness in communication first demands avoiding lies
and deceiving people directly and intentionally. Otherwise
communication becomes a violent manipulation of people.
Truthfulness, however, is much more than not telling lies or
deceiving; it necessitates disclosing
information to those who have a right to
it. Not lying is ethically essential for any
human communication; to knowingly
create or foster conspiracy beliefs is to
falsify truth.
In the Scriptures, truthfulness is listed
among the premier values. History is a
battle between divine Truth and Satan
and his followers. In the Old Testament
the commandment, “You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbour” (Exod 20:16)
defends God’s people from evil and harmful
untruths and infidelities. Lying violently
opposes the covenant that unites the
people of God and evokes fidelity and
reliability. The thankful reaction to
the gift of the covenant is fidelity
and truthfulness before God and
toward each other.
St. Peter warns his readers against leaders
who aim to exploit their fears; he writes to
reassure Christians whose faith has been
disturbed because the predictions of Christ’s
second coming have not been confirmed. They
must carefully assess the credentials of leaders
before accepting what they are saying: “But false
prophets also arose among the people, just as there
will be false teachers among you, who secretly bring
in destructive opinions” (2 Peter 2:1). The same wisdom
is needed today lest deceitful people twist reality by their
conspiracy theories to suit their malicious intentions.
Yet the commandment “Neither shall you bear false witness
against your neighbour” (Deut 5:20) applies to all forms of
scapegoating. Just as Adam, in the Genesis myth, tries to blame
Eve for what has happened rather than admit his own role in the
incident, every person has the capacity to blame others for their
afflictions and to ignore their own role in causing them. Jesus
condemns this process of shifting the blame on to others: “You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye” (Matt 7: 5).
Gossip, conspiracy thinking and scapegoating ultimately killed
Jesus.
Conclusion
The potential for gossip and conspiracy
theorizing accompanied by scapegoating of
innocent people is within every human
heart. These behaviours are often
closely linked with feelings of fear, uncertainty
or being out of control; commonly personal and/
or cultural crises encourage such reactions. Scapegoating
falsely focuses on an external cause of problems thus negating or
lessening the guilt of the agent; it also makes people feel bonded
as they unite with others to scapegoat the victims.
Volume 7 | Issue 3 17

Hurt People Hurt People
by Aaron T. Hill, Sr., Director of Inclusion and Diversity, Marist School, Atlanta, Georgia
Elisha Is Jeered
… Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road,
some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here,
baldy!” they shouted. “Get out of here, baldy!. He turned around,
looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the
Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled fortytwo
of the boys. And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there
returned to Samaria. (2 Kings 2:23-25)
Hurt people hurt people. Those who have been hurt or broken
in life often respond by striking out and hurting or harming the
people who are near them. Many abusers are victims of abuse.
Many bullies are victims of bullying. These pain patterns get
passed on generation after generation. The passage from Scripture
above forces us to evaluate everything we know about God, and
what we know about God will influence everything we know about
being human: sin, Satan, grace, mercy, salvation, heaven, hell, and
redemption.
If there is any passage in Scripture that will challenge our
consistent understanding of God it is 2 Kings 2 as quoted in
the opening paragraph. Here we have the prophet Elisha at the
beginning of his ministry. His mentor, Elijah, has just ascended
into heaven in a fiery chariot, but before he ascends, Elijah grants
Elisha a double portion of his spirit. Israel has newly appointed
Elisha as Elijah’s successor. On his journey to Bethel, Elisha
performs a miracle, then he is suddenly ambushed by a group of
boys who hurl humiliating insults at him. Before the boys could
humiliate him any further, Elisha cursed them in the name of the
Lord. And on that day, two bears killed 42 of the boys. Then the
prophet, without hesitation, continued his journey.
Elisha’s choice to express himself violently is not a coincidence. In
1 Kings:19, Elisha first meets Elijah and becomes enamored of him.
Elijah went up to [Elisha] and threw his cloak around him. Elisha
then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and
mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go
back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” So Elisha left
him and went back. [Elisha] took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered
them. He burned the plowing equipment and gave the cooked food
to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and
became his servant. (1 Kings 19:20-21)
It is my interpretation that someone had to teach the young man
Elisha how to be mercilessly violent. Further examination shows
that Elisha was born into an environment where indoctrination
into a tradition of violence was typical. So the prophet was a
product of his social location, a culture where people automatically
tolerated men who acted out in a feral manner, especially if the
victims were women and children. The ancient world normally
expects such behavior from men. Sadly, these men were never
exposed to other options in their lives.
It is reasonable to conclude that you cannot expect someone
to give you something they have never received, nor to act in a
manner they have never witnessed. Elisha felt disrespected, and he
reacted in the way that other men in his social location would have
reacted. He was born into patriarchy, which explains his instinct
for feeling disrespected. Unfortunately, patriarchy has not gone
anywhere since antiquity. Patriarchy as a system does not allow
men to express the full range of their emotions, and as a result,
men have conditioned themselves to bottle up their feelings.
18 Today’s Marists Magazine

Often men express themselves either through silence, violence,
or indulging in vices and these forms of expression are socially
acceptable today. These false walls of insulation are meant to
protect us from hearing “you’re soft,” “man up” and “men don’t
cry.” This defense mechanism is experienced when we screw the
top onto our bottled up hurt, and life begins shaking us. Before
we know it, when we finally open up, we explode. Consequently,
those around us receive the residue from what was in us the entire
time.
I believe the tragic first passage of scripture serves as a prophetic
message to us that there are consequences when we do not do the
necessary heart work.
Hurt people hurt people. That’s how pain patterns get passed on,
generation after generation after generation. Break the chain
today. Meet anger with sympathy, contempt with compassion,
cruelty with kindness. Greet grimaces with smiles. Forgive and
forget about finding fault. Love is the weapon of the future. (Tweet
from Yehuda Berg, August 22, 2013).
At this moment, when our own pride, image, or feelings come
under attack, we have a choice: we can retaliate like the world or,
we can look up for help. (Prepare Love Praise (R) Ministries NFP,
https://www.preparelovepraise.org)
From Jeremiah’s message to the house of David to Paul in his
letter to the Romans, the scriptures are replete with instructions
for nonviolence.
This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from
the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no
wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow,
and do not shed innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3)
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is
honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on
you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is
mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is
hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for
by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)
In a real sense, we are lovers and fighters. As God’s beloved,
we fight for our integrity, character and purpose in this world.
Some people, who don’t walk in the daily reality of God’s love,
fight for other things. Some people are fighting to get approval
from others. Some are fighting for positions of influence, power
and control. Others are fighting to overcome the fear that would
otherwise paralyze them. When we enter the reality of being
beloved by God, however, we begin to recognize God’s weapon of
choice – the power of love.
We must begin, then, by loving ourselves as God loves us, and in
turn we begin to love others as God loves them. This, in fact, is
what Jesus referred to as the second great commandment: “You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39). We cannot
love our neighbors without loving ourselves first.
God loves us so much that He made a way for us to be
transformed and empowered by His love. No matter the situation
the circumstances, we find that God’s love empowers us to choose
nonviolence. The ultimate expression of God’s love for us is Christ
Jesus. (http://bit.ly/40KV8Cg) Hurt people hurt people, but for the
power of love!
My Peace, I give you…
by Jack Ridout, Today’s Marists Editorial Board Member
Jesus extends his peace to us at every turn in the Gospels
and compels us to do the same to each other. In today’s
world we do not always see peace around us as it is quite
the opposite on television, in movies, the war in Ukraine, in
politics, through violence on our streets and neighborhoods.
Rather, one is left with the opposite of peace. Instead of
“howdy neighbor” you get “I’m right and you’re wrong” with
no room for middle ground.
As peace is offered by Christ, our response must reflect a
willingness to extend that same peace to others, and as a
result I believe you must be peaceful yourself. Everything
mentioned above can leave one anxious, fretful and unable
to extend that peace so freely offered by Jesus.
Before we can fully realize peace, I think we can start by
bringing that peace to ourself. I offer a few suggestions that
can hopefully bring peace to you, and in turn enable you to
return that peace offered by Christ to others.
P
PRAY, try to spend a few minutes in prayer with Jesus.
Light a candle. This can be formal prayer or your own
conversation with God. If feasible, your prayer time should
occur at the same moment each day when it can hopefully
be as quiet as possible. Consider including Mary in your
prayer as she leads us to her son, Jesus.
E
ELIMINATE negativity as much as possible from your
thinking, speech and attitude towards others.
A
ACCEPT your talents and limitations — not everyone can be
a doctor, but strive to do the best you can with what God
has given you. This does not mean that you cannot improve
yourself or push to do greater things, but do not frustrate
yourself with unrealistic goals.
C
CALM yourself — for example, try to reduce time spent on
social media (it will still be there when you want to engage).
It can assist and entertain, but should not dominate your
life.
E
EXERCISE — walk around the block, explore nature, get
away from your normal surroundings. Exercise your mind by
reading something serious or light each day!
“It is by extending oneself, by exercising some capacity
previously unused that you come to a better knowledge of
your own potential.” (Harold Bloom, Stories and Poems for
Extremely Intelligent Children of all Ages)
Hopefully, these suggestions can bring into our hearts and
the hearts of those around us … Christ’s peace!
Volume 7 | Issue 3 19

MARIST LIVES
REV. GEORGE LEPPING, SM
Through the War With Mary
by Susan J. Illis, Archivist, Archives of the Society of Mary, US Province
“That was when we felt the freedom of the air, the trees, bushes,
the birds; everything seemed to be different. Everything seemed
to be greener. Everything seemed to change to a brighter color. We
were free.”
Marist missionary Father George Lepping recorded his feelings
upon hearing of the surrender of the Japanese, after being their
prisoner for 3 ½ years during World War II in a Japanese camp.
He was forced to endure another month of imprisonment before
he could experience the reality of freedom. However, his feelings
of relief upon hearing of the war’s end could only compare with
those experienced by his family a short time later, when his
telephone call proved that the reports of his death were untrue.
George Michael Lepping was born on October 19, 1909, the middle
child of seven. Growing up in a large family in what he called “the
edge of poverty,” George contributed to the household economy
from a young age, first by gathering and reselling junk and later
by selling newspapers. He used his earnings to contribute to his
mother’s Christmas savings accounts and support charities at
St. Vincent’s School. When he entered the Roman Catholic High
School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he paid for his own used
textbooks and carfare, easing the burden on his parents.
After graduating from high school and working for a few years,
George was called to religious life. He joined the Marists for the
most prosaic of reasons - the diocesan Catholic seminary was full
at the time, but St. Mary’s Manor, the Marist seminary in Bucks
County, was able to accept him.
In 1938, only four months after his ordination, Fr. George Lepping
departed for his mission in the North Solomon Islands in the
South Pacific, bypassing the year of parish work most Marists
completed before embarking on missionary work. At the time, his
classmates believed he was fortunate to be going far away from
the war looming in Europe. Little did they realize he was sailing
straight into another line of fire.
Lepping spent the first few years of his missionary life ministering
to a large Catholic population in Lemanmanu, Buka, before
moving to Poporang, Shortland Islands where his station was less
populous but geographically larger. On February 27, 1942, after
being evacuated and then returned to Poporang, he wrote to his
parents: “If America can send sufficient help we may be saved. If
not, then we will probably be under Japanese rule. In what way
they will treat the missionaries, no one knows.” Two weeks later,
on March 15, he wrote: “I am in very good health and am happy
here. We are ready for the worst, but we are in hopes that the
Missions will not be molested! We are in the hands of God and
nothing happens without his permission!”
Only a few weeks later, Fathers Lepping and fellow Marist
missionary Maurice Boch were placed under house arrest by
the Japanese, which proved to be little more than an annoyance
as during their frequent “checks” the Japanese soldiers would
steal from the priests’ meager stores. Five months later, Lepping
and Boch were transported to Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, the
Japanese prisoner of war camp, where they spent another six
months. This period was very difficult, as scant and spoiled food
kept them in a constant state of hunger and sickness.
On February 28, 1943, all missionaries were taken to the Mission
Prison Camp in Vunapope, Papua New Guinea. Initially, they
found the conditions a huge improvement. They were able to
celebrate Mass with homemade banana liquor and enjoy the
company of 350 fellow missionaries, including confreres Rev.
Joseph Lamarre, SM, and Brother Joseph John Redman, SM, who
20 Today’s Marists Magazine

joined them early in January 1944. There
were many women religious in the camp
as well. However, frequent bombings,
many of them conducted by the American
military who had no idea what the camp
was, also began in 1944. Bro. Joseph, who
was in poor health, prayed that he would
be taken so the priests might be spared.
His prayers were answered on February
11, 1944 – the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
- when Bro. Joseph was killed by an
American bomb. The missionaries endured
months of such bombings until they were
moved to the jungle in June 1944, where
they remained until being released by the
Australians on September 13, 1945. A few
days after his release, Fr. Lepping wrote:
“We went through the war with Mary; we
will start rebuilding with her at our side.”
Fr. Lepping had many stories from his
experiences in the camps. He would regale
visitors with the stories especially the
youngsters in the minor seminary when he
would visit. He seemed like an adventurer
from across the world. He told how they
would see the planes coming and each had
to find a place to hide from the bombings
that were frequent. One day he was taking
a shower when the bombings began. He
dashed into a safe spot with nothing to
cover him but the small towel he had been
using in the shower. This turned out to be
a moment of lightness and laughter in an
otherwise tragic setting with many deaths
of fellow religious.
Despite his long imprisonment, Fr.
Lepping held no ill will toward the
Japanese, other than resenting their theft
of his chalice containing gemstones from
his mother’s engagement ring. He even
volunteered to mission to Japan after
the war. Other than trips home to visit
family and fellow Marists, George Lepping
remained in the missions (but not Japan)
until his retirement in 1989. He spent the
last years of his life at the Marist Provincial
House in Washington, DC, where he died
on August 26, 2005.
OBITUARY
Father Phillip F. D'Auby, SM
1924-2023
Father Phillip F. D’Auby, SM entered eternal life on March
11, 2023. He was born on January 13, 1924 in New York
City, New York to Lafayette and Jeanne. At the age of 15
the D’Auby family moved to San Diego, California. A 1944
graduate of St. Augustine’s High School, San Diego, he
then attended Los Angeles Junior Seminary 1944-1947
and St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo 1947-1951, Novitiate of Our Lady of the Elms
on Staten Island, New York and Marist College, Washington, D.C.. He professed
with the Society of Mary on September 8, 1958 and was Ordained at the Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., on February 4, 1961.
Fr. Phil ministered at St. Catherine’s Church, Kealia, Kauai, Hawaii, St Theresa’s
Church, Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii, All Hallows’ Church, San Francisco, California,
Second Novitiate in Bedford, Massachusetts and Star of the Sea Church, Honolulu,
Hawaii. He served in Campus Ministry and as Chaplain for several organizations
including the Kauai Catholic Youth Organization and the Young Men’s Institute.
Fr. Phil retired in 2002 at Marist Center in San Francisco, California. In 2019 he
relocated to St. Anne’s Home in San Francisco, California.
Memorial donations may be made to the Society of Mary (Marists) online at:
societyofmaryusa.org.
News Briefs
Marist School
Names
Next President
On July 1, 2023, Marist School will welcome J.
D. Childs as the first lay president in the school’s
122-year history. Childs was selected after an
extensive global search Marist undertook with
the assistance of Partners in Mission School
Leadership Search Solutions and educational executive search professional
Dr. Patrick Slattery. Fr. Bill Rowland, SM, who has served as school president
since 2017, will step down following the 2022-2023 academic year to assume
the new leadership role of Rector of Marist School.
Volume 7 | Issue 3 21

Love for the Sake of
the Kingdom of God
by Tom Ellerman, SM
The history of the Society of Mary is parallel to a long period of
change, violence and innovation of every sort: political, economic,
scientific, sociological, technological and ecological. All this
change has brought about and continues to bring about not only
benefits, but also great harm to humans and the environment. In
Father Colin’s Constitutions, there is hardly a hint of all this upset.
Fr. Colin prefers, rather, to focus on the causes of all this unrest,
which are human beings.
One way of looking at this chaos is to view it as a struggle for unity
in the face of diversity. This struggle begins in the minds and hearts
of humans. Diversity is a fact and unity a goal, an ideal. The Marist
Constitutions of 1988 reminds members of their diversity and the
challenges that diversity represents. “They must be careful to avoid
all discrimination which might arise from differences of race,
nation, region, or culture. They try to understand each other, to
listen, to communicate frequently in friendship, and to go beyond
their own views and interests for the sake of the “Kingdom.” (C 29)
In Numbers 436 to 441 of the Founder’s earlier Constitutions of
1872, a rather detailed treatment of striving for unity in the face of
diversity is presented. Fr. Colin makes an interesting connection
between obedience and the love of God and neighbor. Obedience is
absolutely necessary for the welfare of the Society of Mary. It cannot
function and thrive without it. The kind of obedience needed,
however, cannot exist without mutual love. Fr. Colin then presents
us with a mini-program for mutual love.
First of all, we must remember who we are. We are members of the
same family, and members of the same body. What one member
does or fails to do affects all the others. We must at least strive to
be of one mind and one heart. The Society of Mary cannot be what
God calls it to be without this mutual love.
Fr. Colin then lists some practices, both positive and negative, to
promote mutual charity. Some of these practices are:
• remove any opportunities for discord and jealousy
• offer signs of true friendship
• anticipate each other’s needs
• do not speak ill or disrespectfully of others
• avoid quarreling among themselves
• should anyone quarrel, they should quickly make amends
• helps to unity of mind and heart by accepting the common
teaching of the Church
• frequent communication
• eliminate any causes for division with regard to material things
In #440, Colin returns to the connection between obedience and
mutual charity. He recognizes that there are different situations
and necessary accommodations in the practice of obedience.
In #441, Fr. Colin looks at this goal of unity in diversity from the
superior’s point of view. He exhorts superiors to do all they can
to preserve and promote perfect harmony. There can be no room
for jealousy. A lot depends on the way that authorities treat those
whom they must guide. Some suggestions are:
• unperturbed expression and kind words
• kind treatment
• lift their spirits when they are ill
• provide for their needs
• appropriate consolation
• prevent strife and difference of opinion from disrupting a
community
• fairness in the distribution of goods
• good personal example
• frequent communication with their higher superiors
Much of what Father Founder says to us can be applied to our
families, societies, governments and nations. The evils that afflict
us begin in us, have their effects upon us, and in the end must be
combated and conquered by us. Would that our world would listen
to Jean-Claude Colin and his message from Mary, Queen of Peace.
Prayer to Our Lady Queen of Peace
May she who experienced the cares
and hardships of earthly life,
the weariness of daily toil, the hardships
and trials of poverty,
and the sorrows of Calvary,
come to aid the needs of the Church and the human race.
May she graciously lend an ear
to the devout pleas of those
all over the world who beg her for peace.
May she enlighten the minds of those who rule nations.
And finally, may she prevail on God,
who rules the winds and storms,
to calm the tempests in men’s warring hearts
And grant us peace in our day.
What we seek is true peace
grounded on the sturdy foundations of justice and love
—on a justice which recognizes the legitimate rights
of the weak as well as those of the strong;
on a love which keeps men from falling into error
through excessive concern for their own interests.
Thus each person’s rights may be safeguarded
Without the rights of others being forgotten or violated.
(http://bit.ly/3MlMKEy)
22 Today’s Marists Magazine

Will your legacy be the
momentum that continues
our Marist ministries?
DONOR THOUGHTS
Why I Support the Marists
by Dan Mohan
Why do my wife Linda and I support the Society of Mary? The easy answer is because
I am a graduate of Marist School in Atlanta, Georgia (class of ’78), as are our two sons
Jack (class of ’11) and Quinn (class of ’13).
Marist School laid the foundation for my growth and development as an adult. Marist
was and continues to be a premier academic institution, preparing its students to
succeed academically in college and beyond. However, the mission of Marist School
has always been broader than challenging its students to achieve academic excellence.
Rather, its mission is to “form the whole person in the image of Christ by blending three
distinct traditions: the pursuit of academic excellence, the heritage of Catholic
education, and the spirit of the Society of Mary.” Through religious instruction,
communal worship and religious activities Marist guides its students in the
formation, nurturing and development of each student’s spiritual, moral and ethical
being.
This was certainly the experience at Marist for both my sons and me. To this day my
closest friends are my high school friends. We are forever connected by our shared
experience as Marist students and by the deep relationships we formed with each other
during our time together at Marist.
The foregoing certainly explains why my wife and I support Marist School, but does not
fully explain why we also support the Society of Mary. As I pondered the answer to that
question, it became clear: we support the Society of Mary out of a sense of gratitude and
a sense of commitment and hope.
When I was at Marist, the Marist priests were a significant presence at the school.
As I reflected on my time there, my thoughts turned to the Marist priests who had a
profound impact on my life: Fr. James Hartnett, Fr. Charles Brogley and his 10 words a
night, Fr. Thomas Gilroy (who taught me math and also delivered the most thoughtful
homilies at Sunday Mass) and Fr. Lawrence Schmuhl. I also thought of the Marist
priests who kept the spirit of Mary and charism of the Marists alive at Marist School
while my sons were students, in particular Bishop Joel Konzen, Fr. John Harhager and
Fr. Ralph Olek.
We support the Society of Mary in a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving for the work
of these men, and all of the other Marist priests and brothers who have fulfilled their
commitment to Christ and to Mary through their service at Marist School. We also
support the Society of Mary out of a spirit of commitment and hope for the future.
Marists are unique. They are missionaries, charged with the task of “going from place to
place, announcing the word of God, visiting the sick and imprisoned, attending to the
most neglected, those who are poor and those who suffer injustice.” They carry out this
mission with grace and humility. We therefore pray that God inspires men to consider
a vocation with the Marists, and we pray that our financial contributions assist the
Society in continuing to do this vital work in our community and in other communities
across the globe where Marists are serving.
Like many people, you may want
to leave a legacy. Be the cause of
something great. A bequest through the
Marist Development Office is an easy
way to create a lasting memory of things
you care most deeply about.
Our ministries are rooted in mercy and
a deep sense of compassion, inspired by
the way of Mary.
Planned gifts, in particular, allow
you to fulfill personal, financial and
philanthropic goals while establishing a
legacy of support that will echo in Marist
ministries in the locally and globally.
Our ministries include parishes, schools,
community projects, foreign missions,
care for our senior Marists and recruiting
and educating new Marists.
To learn more about Planned Giving
with the Marists contact:
Marist Development Office
617-451-3237
development@maristsociety.org
Volume 7 | Issue 3 23

Society of Mary in the U.S.
815 Varnum St, NE
Washington, DC 20017
Non Profit
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Merrifield, VA
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“We Marists seek to bring
compassion and mercy
to the Church and world
in the footsteps of Mary
who brought Jesus
Himself into our world.
We breathe her spirit in
lives devoted to prayer
and ministry, witnessing
to those values daily
in community.”
To speak with a member
of the Vocational Team,
call toll-free 866.298.3715
societyofmaryusa.org Q @smpublicationsusa E SocietyOfMary.Marists.USA
24 Today’s Marists Magazine