Beginnings |
This page: Marist: a certain idea | The Marist Family | The Marist Fathers | Beginnings of the Australian Marist Province | More about Fr Jean-Claude Colin |
Marists: a certain idea...The idea of the 'Society of Mary'and a family of Marists came to a young man, Jean-Claude Courveille, kneeling before the statue of the Blessed Virgin in the cathedral shrine of Le Puy, France, in 1812. He had been cured of blindness at this place. Returning each year on the Assumption feast he heard 'with the ears of my soul' Our Lady speaking to him, requesting a religious family to be formed bearing her name. They would be know as 'Marists'. In the diocesan seminary of Lyons he shared the dream with fellow seminarians, including Jean-Claude Colin. A small group of students pledged to form the Society of Mary as soon as they could. FourvièreOn 23rd July 1816, twelve young seminarians, including six newly ordained priests, made a pilgrimage to the famous shrine of Our Lady at the Fourvière overlooking the city of Lyons, France. It was to this place that pilgrims would come from all over France to seek Mary's blessing on their future. They called themselves “Marist Aspirants” and dedicated themselves to founding the “Society of Mary-ists” open to priests, sisters, brothers and laity. The Fourvière Pledge is recognised as the foundation event for what became multiple branches of the Marist Tree. |
|
Above: The cathedral shrine of Our Lady at Le Puy: '...they shall be known as Marists' |
![]() ![]() |
Above Young Marists at Fourvière. Lyon, France. Their Founder pledged that Marists would venture 'to whatever distant shore' to do the work of Mary | sanctuary of Fourvière, where, on Jul 23, 1816, the Marist aspirants pledged to form the Society of Mary |
More on Fourvière::
|
The Marist FamilyFollowing his ordination and the Fourvière event, Fr Jean-Claude Colin was appointed to work with his brother, Pierre, in the mountain parish of Cerdon in the mountains to the east of Lyon and near the Swiss border. It was here that Jean-Claude began preparations for what was to become the Marist family. Two women who would become Marists soon joined the Colin brothers at Cerdon and before long established the first community of Marist Sisters. Jeanne-Marie Chavoin was their leader. In the meantime, another of the Fourvière twelve, Fr Marcellin Champagnat, had begun gathering young men around him to form the teaching order of the Marist Brothers. On October 29, 1824, Fr Etienne Déclas, joined the Colins in Cerdon to form the first community of Marist Fathers. Pierre Colin wrote to the local bishop that day: 'Today the Society of Mary has begun.' |
The village of Cerdon, |
|
The steps of the chapel |
|
Villa Maria monastery, |
More about Fr Jean-Claude Colin...Soon after his death in 1875, the Cause for Beatification of Fr Colin was introduced. In 2010 renewed attention was given to the Cause and a dedicated web site set up: www.jeanclaudecolin.org Go there for more about his life and the early Marist history, as well as multi-lingual resources of prayer and devotion. |
The forest of Barbery, France, The Colin family would sometimes Later,a young Jean-Claude |
Downloads
Short biographies of Fr Jean-Claude Colin can be downloaded from here:
- Who is Jean-Claude Colin ? (150 words): Text | Illustrated
- Jean-Claude Colin, Founder of the Society of Mary (1500 words): Text | Illustrated booklet
- Children's Story of Jean-Claude Colin (750 words) Text | Illustrated booklet
[/html]