October 2020 - Marist Fathers Australia

October news

Colin calendar: 2020 | 2021

Click here for News 2008 to 2017 | For News 2018 and 2019 go to News 2020 tab above.

SM Bulletin

This week's SM Bulletin from Rome announces a novena to Marist Founder, Ven Jean-Claude Colin. The nine-day prayer booklet is currently being translated into several languages for use throughout the Marist world in the days leading to Nov 15, the anniversary of Fr Colin's death in 1875. A supplementary Bulletin lists the names of Marists who have died in the past year. Also announced the SM Bulletin is the refurshished website for the Society of Mary internationally.

Click for: Latest SM Bulletin | Colin novena (English). | List of deceased Marists | New SM international website | Members' Page. [Oct 31]

Provincial Circular.

Latest issue of the Australian Marist provincial Circular is at the Members' Page: click here. [Oct 29]

Apostle of the Bugey

Oct 29 is an historic date in the development of the Marist project. On this day in 1824, Fr Etienne Déclas arrived at the village of Cerdon, France, to join Frs Pierre and Jean-Claude Colin to form the first community of the Marist Fathers. 'Today the Society of Mary has begun', wrote Fr Pierre to the bishop.

Fr Déclas, a late vocation, unsophisticated in speech and style, worked for long years in the rugged winter missions of the Bugey mountains. He became known as the 'Apostle of the Bugey'.

In 2016, Bicentenary Year of the Fourvière pledge to form the Society of Mary, Cameroonian seminarian, Christian Ngoura, wrote a short paper about Fr Déclas: click here. [Oct 29]

Above: Presbytery at Cerdon | The village of Cerdon in the junction of three valleys of the northern Bugey | Christian Ngoura's seminary paper on Fr Déclas
Below: The church of La Balme, near Cerdon, and scene of the first Marist mission | Fr Déclas was buried in the church yard of Pomeys, near La Neylière, resting place of Jean-Claude Colin

Members' Page

A reminder for Marists that our Members' Page provides easy access to a range of Marist bulletins and documents on this website. These include weekly 'SM Bulletins' from Rome, the Superior-General's monthly reflection and the Australian Province's bi-monthly circular.

Other documents on the page are the annual 'Kalendarium' liturgy guide, 'Information on Health and Aged Care', the decisions of the General Chapter of 2017 and a range of newsletters from other provinces and districts. Click here for the Members' Page. (Marists still needing access code and password may contact the webmaster.) [Oct 26]

Sorrow and Promise

Catholic Religious Australia have prepared a liturgy resource for the forthcoming National Day of Sorrow and Promise, Sun, Oct 25, a national response from Catholic Religious across the country to recognise survivors and all who have been harmed from abuse in the Church and to make a commitment to a safer future. For the booklet, click here. [Oct 23]

Final course for 2020

Sydney's Aquinas Academy advises: 'Just one more course available before we draw down the curtain on this very unusual year.' Dominican scholar, Fr Denis Minns OP, will present 'Christology - The Divine and the Divisive Christ', commencing on Nov 05..

The four-part course examines the theological foundations of the bitter disputes about the humanity and divinity of Jesus that arose in the early Church and continue to divide Christian communities to the present day. For details: click here.

St Mary MacKillop 10th anniversary

Australia celebrates a decade of having its own recognised saint as the canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop is remembered from Oct 17, 2010.

The event in Rome was attended by thousands of Australian pilgrims including hundreds of Josephite Sisters who witnessed Pope Benedict XVI pronounce their Foundress a Saint of the Church..

Pictured below: scenes from the canonisation ceremony and surrounding events in Rome. [Oct 16]

1020 MMcK ann 7 1010 Rome McK can 12a scene

1020 MMcK ann 3 1010 Rome McK can 1 queue

1020 MMcK ann 6 1010 Rome McK can 7a Pope on screen arriving

Above: Australian pilgrims near St Peter's queueing for the canonisation ceremony. | Pope Benedict's entrance. Below: Australian Josephite Sisters amongst the thousands in St Peter's piazza. | A vigil concert attracted most of the Australian pilgrims on the eve of the canonisation,. | Ambassador to the Vatican, Tim Fischer, and former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, with Cardinal George Pell at the thanksgiving Mass at St Paul's outside the walls.

1020 MMcK ann 5 1010 Rome McK can 6a crowd

1020 MMcK ann 2 1010 McK vigil 6b audience

1020 MMcK ann 9 1010 Rome McMK thanksgiving Mass 6 Fischer Rudd Pell

News from Europe and Oceania

For the latest Marist news bulletins from Europe and Oceania, click: Euroinfo | Oceania Marist Bulletin. [Oct 09]

Final professions

In a ceremony on Oct 03 at the General House of the Society of Mary two young men took their final vows as Marists. Charles Apeke (Cameroon) and Hayden Powick (NZ) made their profession in the presence of Superior-General, Fr John Larsen, and members of the communities of Villa Santa Maria and Casa di Maria. Both are students at the Marist International Theologate in Rome.

Congratulations, Charles and Hayden ! [Oct 05]

The love of learning

In his reflection for October, Superior-General, Fr John Larsen SM, speaks of Fr Jean-Claude Colin's insistence that Marists be men of learning. Click here or go to Superior-General's Page. [Oct 03]

Camino commitment

Cameroonian Marist seminarian, Christian Ngoura, paused during his camino experience in Spain to renew his vows as a member of the Society of Mary. Christian renewed his vows on the feast of the Holy Name of Mary (Sep 12) in the presence of Marists in the Sahagun community, a place of hospitality on the pilgrim way to Santiago de Compostella before returning to the Marist International Theologate in Rome. Read his story: click here.

Pictured below: Christian at San Justo de la Vega on the last day of his pilgrimage. | With a fellow pilgrim and companion. | Renewing vows at Sahagun. [Oct 02}

Brisbane assembly zoomed

Following the recent Marist province assembly in Sydney and because of COVID-19 border restrictions, Marists in the Brisbane area gathered at La Valla centre, Rosalie, for a second assembly. Facilitator, Paul Bullen, connected with the Brisbane group and Sydney presenters by Zoom. Summaries of the two assemblies will assist provincial chapter delegates in their decisions at the forthcoming chapter, later this year, border circumstances permitting.. [Oct 01]