Updates

Led by their Campus Ministry, the St. Mary's South Side community has dedicated the school year to supporting the local St. Anthony's Food Pantry through weekly volunteer work, targeted food drives, and generous fundraising efforts to serve families in the Dutchtown neighborhood. St. Mary’s South Side has forged a relationship with the St. Anthony’s Food Pantry right here in our own Dutchtown community. Our students and families, organized by our Campus Minister, Mrs. Frey,

Colegio San José (CSJ), San Juan, PR, shared its annual report on sustainability and community service initiatives for the period from September 2025 to April 2026, detailing how the school leverages student leadership and local partnerships to integrate environmental stewardship, faith-based service, and integral ecology throughout its curriculum and campus life. Furthermore, CSJ aligned the school’s Eco-Schools Program with the goals of Marianist Encounters, highlighting fo

Students in Central Catholic's Dual Credit Evolution class spent an immersive day hiking and conducting fieldwork in local San Antonio parks to gain hands-on knowledge about regional ecosystems, species identification, and pressing environmental challenges. Our school does a lot of unique and amazing things. And, honestly, the annual Evolution Dual Credit field trip is one of them. On March 20, Mr. James Bendele’s Dual Credit Evolution Class explored God’s creation by spendi

Inspired by a visit from John Foppe, who shared his personal journey with a disability and his mission to help marginalized children, St. Mary South Side’s student leaders organized a fundraiser to support his organization, Friends of the Forgotten. L ast month, St. Mary’s South Side student leaders met with John Foppe, the Founder of Friends of the Forgotten and former Director of the St. Vincent DePaul Society . They learned about Friends of the Forgotten and its work to

Driven by the school's Marianist mission to foster engaged communities, Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory's Rho Kappa Club organized a student-led voter registration drive that empowered young voters to embrace their civic responsibilities while highlighting the ongoing need for civic education. The voter registration initiative at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory powerfully embodies Goal 5 – Empower through Family Spirit , which seeks to strengthen resilient local c

Gross Catholic High School's Spring Mission Day guided students through a series of spiritual presentations, team-building exercises, and school-wide reconciliation to help them deepen their Catholic faith in preparation for Holy Week. Students at Gross Catholic High School in Omaha experienced our Spring Mission Day last Friday. The day started with a presentation from Guadalupe Missions about the historical and spiritual significance of Our Lady's appearance to St. Juan Die

St. John Vianney High School, St. Louis, MO, has committed to sustainability in recent cost-saving, energy-efficient upgrades to the school's HVAC and lighting systems, alongside the upcoming Summer launch of a student-led community garden. HVAC System and LED Lighting: Our upgraded HVAC system uses modern, energy-efficient technology to regulate temperature more precisely while using less power. By reducing energy waste and improving airflow, our school lowers its overall en

By hosting recent blood donation drives, the Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School and St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School communities transformed their Marianist values into concrete, life-saving acts of solidarity and community connection. CMCP’s Blood Donation Drive Advances the Core Goals of the Marianist Family Encounters Project by Patricia Brown, RN, and Bro. Jack Ventura, SM The Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School community continues to li

CCP High School's 11th graders engaged in a series of faith-filled, justice-oriented activities — including a reflection on Pope Francis' documentary The Letter and its themes from Laudato Si' and an Economic Justice-themed Monopoly game. Future plans include a student-led ReWork Wardrobe clothing drive — all uniting care for creation, Catholic social teaching, and meaningful service to those in need. CCP’s 11th graders recently watched “The Letter” by Pope Francis. The stude

Central Catholic High School (CCHS) students and parents joined in a pilgrimage for Our Lady of Guadalupe. The school also undertook various service projects and food and supply drives for organizations such as VFWs, Project MEND, ADL, LovePurse, Catholic Charities, and more. Our Campus Ministry team here at Central Catholic has been exceptionally busy over the past two months! For the first time, Central Catholic joined other Catholic faithful in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Pi

We had a reflective conversation on February 12, 2026, focusing on various themes. A synopsis of the Conversation is shared below. Further, we have shared this year’s Prayer and Reflection Guide for the Annunciation of the Lord, March 25, 2026, the Patronal Feast of the Marianist Family. Our February 12, 2026, Conversation Series was attended by five Marianist Encounters Committee members: Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI, Bro. Steve O’Neil, SM, Tara Poling, Tony Garascia, and Ha

Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory’s annual Service Week, this year, united students, faculty, and the Board of Trustees in a transformative experience of reflection and hands-on volunteering across the local Broward County to actively embody their Catholic-Marianist mission of compassion, justice, and environmental stewardship. CMCP Service Week February 17-21, 2026, Each year, Service Week invites the Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory community to step beyond the cla

CCP High School's plant nursery continues to produce and distribute plants for restoration projects across the LA basin. The following are some of the initiatives undertaken by them, including some proposed plans and future opportunities. We donated 300 plants to an organization in Westlake that looks to convert their lawn and hillside into a native habitat. Students will help install plants on Saturday, February 21, 2026. We donated 600 plants to test plots for restoration p

Colegio San Jos é ’s faculty, staff, and students participated in community service in the local Rio Piedras community. They undertook trail cleaning, weeding, and replanting, and other activities. Colegio San José has made conscious efforts to strengthen its presence and engagement with the local Rio Piedras community. In line with this goal, Colegio San José has established a partnership with the Capetillo Garden located within this community. Huerto Capetillo (Capetillo

Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day by hosting a dynamic panel of alumni and current women sports leaders that translated the Marianist commitment to women in education into an inspiring dialogue on leadership, resilience, and the holistic development of young women. National Girls and Women in Sports Day offers more than a moment of recognition—it is a call to action. Within the Marianist Family’s Global Compact on Educatio

In the Marianist Encounters Newsletter, November 2025 - January 2026 issue, we honor Our Lady of Lourdes on her feast day, February 11, also the World Day of the Sick. This issue also provides updates from Marianist Institutions around the US and highlights the teachings of Pope Leo XIV, including the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te and the Apostolic Letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope. The final section features extensive quotes from Blessed Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon on pre

Our MFEP Conference 2024: Follow-up Conversations Series for Participants resulted in fruitful exchanges of experiences, ideas, and opportunities. Given below is a brief synopsis of the two days of Conversations on Jan 12 and Jan 20. Jan 12, 2026 Conversation We had a 45-minute conversation that included a welcome, prayer, introductions, and sharing. We had three Marianist Encounters Committee members, including our co-chair Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI, and three MFEP Confere

Our Marianist Schools, Universities, Parishes, and Institutions in the US and internationally celebrated Marianist Heritage Week this January. Whether it is called Founders Week, Chaminade Week, Marianist Heritage Week, or—for some—Marianist Heritage Month, every January, Marianist institutions pause to celebrate the humble yet bold beginnings of the Society of Mary. Across schools, parishes, libraries, and ministries, the Marianist Family once again made visible a living cha

This Christmas season, Marianist Schools turned faith into action through works of charity and love. St. John Vianney in St. Louis, MO, combined fun and charity by hosting a pajama day bake sale and raised funds for a local children’s hospital. The class of 2031 at Colegio San José in Puerto Rico volunteered at the island’s only children’s hospital and shared their joy with the patients. Purcell Marian in Cincinnati, OH, hosted a coats-and-gloves drive for free concession tre

St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School, St. Louis, MO, and its Dragon LIFE group honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. The school also celebrated its Latino students, providing an opportunity for cultural learning and enrichment. Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12, 2025 Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day this year allowed us to have a guest speaker at St. Mary’s to share about Our Lady of Guadalupe. Niko Lignore, a friend of St. Mary South Side’s Campus Minister, came