A Brief Introduction to the Marist Way

Jean-Claude Colin, the Founder of the Society of Mary, wanted a branch for lay people living in the world’.  Such people living the Gospel as Mary lived it could reach those who had no contact with Church, could bring the values of the Society of Mary to more diverse groups of people. Thus today lay Marists – members of the Marist Way – do ‘the work of Mary’ in the world, each in his or her own environment. They bring people into contact with Mary’s Son, Jesus.  Father Colin envisaged … a community which would push the limits of welcome and mercy to the furthest extremes, in order to gather everyone into its fold. This is why the involvement of lay people was so important to his idea of the Society of Mary.

‘… our first concern is for the needs of others, no matter how great or trivial’.

‘… compassion is a virtue of sharing.  It is the ability to see another’s need and to respond to it.  Compassion allows us to enter into something of the experience another person is having.’

 These ideals are thus summed up:

‘The Marian Church lives in Nazareth in silence and simplicity.  She does not live in a castle.  Her home is like all the other homes.  She goes out to chat with the other villagers.  She weeps with them, she rejoices with them, but she never preaches to them.  Above all she listens.'

 The Marist Way enables those who wish to live the values of the Gospel as Mary did but whose vocation is to live in the world rather than in a religious community.  It provides the support of a community through its own members and its relationship with the Marist religious. Marist Way members can, as Father Colin wished, do ‘the work of Mary’ especially among those who have little or no knowledge of Mary and her Son.

Grateful thanks to Fr Craig Larkin SM for permission to use material from his book A Certain Way & to Simon Johnson and Fr Ray Chapman SM for their  help in setting up this website.