Updates

The Marianist Retreat & Conference Center (MRCC) hosted the Marianist Invitational Cross Country Meet, organized by Coach Dan Didier and held in memory of Lt. Dan Riordan, bringing together runners, families, and students from the three Marianist high schools in St. Louis for an afternoon of community, competition, and remembrance. Our second article is about MRCC's restored woodland trails. Our third article covers an upcoming symposium on tech ethics, to be held both online

The Marianist Family celebrated the 40th anniversary of Bro. Don Geiger Eastern Tallgrass Prairie in Dayton, Ohio, honoring his pioneering legacy of ecological stewardship, scientific research, and holistic education. Our second article is about Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI, the present director of MEEC, and her vocation journey. During the 2026 Season of Creation, the Marianist Family marked the 40th anniversary of Bro. Don Geiger Eastern Tallgrass Prairie at Mount St. John in

Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School's sophomore class participated in a faith-based retreat focused on environmental stewardship, which combined prayer, community service with local nonprofits, and reflections on integral ecology. Last month, the entire sophomore class at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton, Ohio, participated in a full-day retreat focused on Care for Our Common Home. The retreat aimed to inspire students to care for the Earth by showing how

Bro. Tom Wendorf, SM, the new Assistant for Education & Co-chair of the Marianist Family Encounters Project, shares his reflection on teaching in a Marianist and Catholic way in our institutions, where education is an act of hope, as described by both Pope Francis in 2019 and now Pope Leo XIV in 2025. With classes and school retreats well underway, I wanted to introduce myself and offer some words of encouragement and gratitude. I am Bro. Tom Wendorf, and following in the f

Chaminade College Preparatory in West Hills, CA, plans to begin construction on its new solar- and battery-equipped Student Services building on June 1, 2028, after completing a baseball stadium, pedestrian bridge, and surface parking lot. Chaminade College Preparatory, West Hills, CA, is taking a major step forward in modern campus infrastructure and environmental stewardship with the upcoming development of its new Student Services building. Designed with both student conve

Central Catholic High School's Guardian Angels service club and Button LIFE students began the school year with extensive community outreach, including sorting donations, hosting blood drives, promoting environmental conservation, supporting mental health advocacy, and participating in Archdiocesan pilgrimages. Guardian Angels: Central Catholic High School's service club (the Guardian Angels) got our school year off to a great start on August 22, 2026, with a community servic

Bro. Ed Violett, SM, Provincial of the Society of Mary, joined the Marianist Educational Associates and Marianist Religious at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, TX, for their opening gathering. Bro. Ed shares his reflection. Marianist Educational Associates I had the privilege of joining the Marianist Educational Associates (MEAs) and Marianist religious at St. Mary's University for their 2026–2027 opening gathering, "Celebrating the Bearers of Our Charism." It was on t

The MSJC/MEEC Integral Ecology Team is hosting a free Zoom event featuring the ecology nonprofit Waterspirit to explore water justice, threats to water resources, and contemporary environmental impacts through prayer, reflection, and discussion, in celebration of the Season of Creation 2026. The international ecumenical Season of Creation begins on September 1 and extends through October 4. This year's theme, Living Water, draws from Ezekiel 47: 9, 12, a vision of sacred, flo

For the Marianist Family, September 14 holds profound dual significance: it is the universal feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the anniversary of the death of Venerable Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, who passed away on this day in 1836. Marie Thérèse was a foundational figure in Marianist history and a close, lifelong collaborator of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade. During the French Revolution, she served bravely in the underground Church in Bordeaux, helping to ho

St. Mary's University is expanding its Marianist mission by committing to 10,000 hours of community service across San Antonio during the 2026-27 academic year to honor Pope Leo XIV. The initiative was launched on August 22, 2026, with the annual Continuing the Heritage Day of Service bringing together more than 500 students, faculty, and alumni to support local nonprofits through hands-on projects. This aspirational pledge builds on St. Mary University's deep-rooted tradit

As a Marianist school that values hospitality, St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School has discovered innovative ways that support its recycling efforts for single-use plastics. At St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School, we have one small indulgence: brewing our coffee with K-Cups. We are certainly aware of the ecological concerns surrounding single-use plastics, but we make this exception for a good reason. With a small staff of daily coffee drinkers and a steady stre

We have highlighted several faith-based ecological events for the Season of Creation 2026, ranging from an opening papal Mass at Castel Gandolfo to interactive dialogues and the 40th anniversary celebration of Marianist Brother Don Geiger Eastern Tallgrass Prairie for the Marianist Family from September through early October. The Season of Creation, also known as Creationtide, is a global ecumenical observance that unites Christians in prayer and action for environmental prot

Pope Leo XIV's message for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is to actively care for creation and work towards peace. The University of Dayton’s Flyer Farm puts these Catholic environmental and social teachings into practice by sustainably growing fresh produce to feed its local community. The University of Dayton's Flyer Farm was highlighted in an article by the National Catholic Reporter (NCR). UD’s Flyer Farm is a three-acre urban agriculture and compos

Guided by the school’s Marianist values, Chaminade College Preparatory in West Hills, CA, is championing environmental stewardship and community engagement through extensive native plant distributions, sustainable campus upgrades, and active service initiatives for its students and staff. Chaminade College Preparatory (CCP), West Hills, CA, began the 2026-27 academic year by emphasizing the Characteristics of Marianist Education of Service, Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Cr

Our Marianist Universities are actively expanding their community impact through an award-winning open-air gathering space at Chaminade University of Honolulu, a pioneering on-campus dual-credit program for high schoolers at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, and a sustainable urban farm fostering multicultural connections connected with the University of Dayton. The newly completed Mystical Rose Oratory Pavilion at Chaminade University of Honolulu recently earned an Award o

Students in the forensic science lab at Chaminade University of Honolulu have uncovered all three ecclesiastical classes of relics of Hawaiian Saint Marianne Cope while examining soil from her original gravesite on Moloka‘i. A team of forensic science students at Chaminade University of Honolulu was tasked with analyzing soil from the original gravesite of Hawaiian Saint Marianne Cope. Through their examination, the students successfully recovered all three classes of relics.

At the University of Dayton, waste heat is now being converted into carbon-free electricity for the campus in a first-of-its-kind initiative. Through a landmark 15-year partnership with AES Ohio, Tallgrass, and Kanin Energy, the University of Dayton (UD) is now fulfilling 100% of its campus electricity needs with carbon-free power generated from industrial waste heat. Completed in early 2026, this first-of-its-kind initiative captures otherwise wasted thermal energy from a na

Managed by the Marianist Family of Valencia, Spain, on land granted by the Archdiocese, Casa de María is a missionary community that serves the neighborhood and city through social, educational, and celebratory activities rooted in the Marianist charism of solidarity, dialogue, and Christian development. Casa de María is an initiative of the Marianist Family of Valencia (most associates are members of the Marianist Lay Communities, and the Marianist religious community of the

Our Marianist Encounters team will present a workshop titled Marianist Family Encounters Project: The Journey Thus Far and the Path Ahead at the MLC-NA Assembly held in Louisville, KY. The workshop will highlight the ongoing initiatives of the Marianist Family Encounters Project (MFEP) across our Marianist ministries—schools, universities, retreat centers, organizations, and both lay and religious communities—since the project’s launch in 2022. Marianist Encounters advances t

FamilyOnline’s June 2026 issue offers a glimpse into the Marianist Province Assembly where the Society of Mary’s new Provincial Council, led by Brother Ed Violett, SM, was installed. The 2026 Marianist Province Assembly in Dayton, Ohio, gathered over 170 members of the Marianist Family under the theme “Embracing Our Roots, Forging Our Future” to explore how to carry the Marianist legacy forward while responding to the needs of a new generation. Throughout the four-day event,