top of page

Updates

to keep you informed and inspired along our journey of encounters.

Living the Marianist Mission: Service, Justice, and Integrity of Creation at Chaminade College Preparatory, West Hills, CA

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

Mystical Rose Oratory Award

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

Chaminade University Students Discover Hawaiian Saint Marianne Cope’s Relics

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.

Carbon-free Electricity at the University of Dayton

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

Community and Mission at Casa de María

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

Marianist Encounters at MLC-NA Assembly 2026

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

The 2026 Marianist Province Assembly: Embracing Our Roots, Forging Our Future

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,

Magnifica Humanitas

Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, defends human dignity and authentic relationships amid the challenges of an AI-dominated culture by framing human vulnerability as essential to depth and solidarity, and presents the Virgin Mary as the ultimate spiritual model for achieving genuine communion. Read Magnifica Humanitas, Link: Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026) and share your reflection on our Marianist Encounters’

Marianist Charism in Action

Brother Tom Giardino, SM, received the Cathedral Latin School Alumni Association 2026 Merit Award as Man of the Year. This award recognizes an individual whose outstanding achievements in their field bring distinction to Cathedral Latin School. Bro. Tom Giardino’s lifelong dedication to the Marianist charism began at Cleveland's Cathedral Latin School, where the 1960 Salutatorian and student leader excelled in academics, journalism, and the school community. Following his d

From After-School Care to the 'Wednesday Route': Marianist Mission in Action

Originating from the sodalities founded by Father Chaminade and Mother Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, the Marian Alliance (Alliance Mariale in French) is a contemporary Marianist branch comprising consecrated lay women who live independently in the world under private vows and who meet regularly to share their faith and support one another; the branch is currently seeking official recognition as a Secular Institute. In the June issue of Magnificat, the Marian Alliance (Allian

STEM and Sails: Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School’s Second Annual Regatta

Guided by Art teacher Mrs. Goldberg, Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School’s 3D design students blended mathematics, teamwork, and recycled materials to construct themed vessels for a successful and spirited Second Annual Viking Regatta on Lake Erie. Mrs. Goldberg’s 3D classes ended the school year by creating a vessel to compete in the annual regatta. Students in each class had to determine who would be the riders in their boat. Then came the use of their math skills to determ

Faith in Action: Marianist Environmental Cleanups

FamilyOnline’s May 2026 issue features several articles highlighting our Marianist Education and care for creation through environmental cleanups by our Marianist Schools, such as St. Mary's South Side Catholic High School and Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School. Inspired by the Marianist Family Encounters Project, students, faculty, and families from St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School in St. Louis and Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School in Cleveland recently put its

Guardian Angels & Community Service

Led by seniors Joaquin Tanjuatco and Nico Contreras, the Guardian Angels at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, TX, concluded a highly successful school year, completing 42 diverse volunteer projects totaling over 2,000 hours of community service. The Guardian Angels finished the school year with a flurry of service projects. We recently got to work with horses at the Saddle Light Center. These horses are used for therapy for children with special needs. We also par

Assembling Blessing Bags: Community Service in Action at St. Mary's South Side

St. Mary South Side’s service club joyfully assembled blessing bags filled with essential supplies and personalized notes of God's love to support and uplift its unhoused neighbors. A few weeks ago, our service club took in donations and assembled bags of food and toiletries for the unhoused. Our AV (Audio Visual) club put together this little video about it. Click on the link to watch the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NH-0cTUKdE The following is a summary of the

Caring for Creation and Community: A Tribute to Mary in May

On May 8th, 2026, the St. Mary’s South Side school community honored Mary by dedicating a day to diverse charitable, environmental, and educational projects that put the values of the Marianist Family Encounters Project into action, supporting the poor and caring for the Earth. On May 8th, St. Mary’s South Side school-wide dedicated a period to promoting the goals and values of the Marianist Family Encounters Project (MFEP). Rather than participating in our usual monthly ac

The Marianist Family Encounters Project in Action: Barry University's Ecological Action Showcase Embodies Laudato Si’

Students and faculty from Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory, Hollywood, FL, recently participated in the Ecological Action Showcase at Barry University, where they presented environmental initiatives, celebrated a student's award-winning sustainable project, and deepened their Marianist commitment to ecological justice and the teachings of Laudato Si'. On April 30th, 31 students and three moderators from CMCP attended the Ecological Action Showcase at Barry University in

CCP High School’s APES Students Visit the TreePeople

AP Environmental Science students from Chaminade College Preparatory High School in West Hills, CA, visited the Los Angeles nonprofit TreePeople for an interactive field trip that connected their classroom studies of ecology and conservation to real-world environmental stewardship. On 4/27/2026, Chaminade College Preparatory High School’s APES – Advanced Placement Environmental Science students visited the TreePeople. TreePeople is a nonprofit environmental organization in Lo

Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s Earth Day 2026: Joining Neighborhoods for a Cleaner Community

Students and faculty from Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cleveland, OH, joined the neighboring communities of Euclid and Collinwood for a collaborative Earth Day cleanup featuring educational environmental vendors, including Cuyahoga Waste Management and the Euclid Library. On Saturday, April 25, 2026, the City of Euclid and the Collinwood area of Cleveland joined forces to celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up the community. Members of the community went out to the parks, beaches, an

Integrating Ministry and Ecology in St. Louis

Through diverse ministries and mindful daily living, the Chaminade Marianist Community in St. Louis, MO, actively integrates environmental sustainability and social outreach to fulfill the goals of Laudato Si’ and the Global Compact on Education. Our Chaminade Marianist Community has remained committed to sustainability and to the goals of Laudato Si' and the Global Compact on Education. Five of our community members are actively engaged in a variety of ministries: parish

St. Mary’s South Side Trash Bash Cleanup at the Mississippi River Front

As part of an annual community initiative, St. Mary’s South Side faculty and their families volunteered to remove 450 pounds of hazardous and general waste from the riverfront Sr. Marie Charles Park, helping to protect the Mississippi River watershed and restore the space for all residents. This past weekend, in the second week of April, St. Mary’s South Side faculty and future faculty, along with their family members, gave their time to clean up a neighborhood park and our s

Have a story to share? 
Write to support@marianistencounters.org
bottom of page