In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat: Marist Educational Mission

Created by the General Council, the commission met for the first time on 25 May 2021. The International Commission has as job the revision of the Document “In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat. A Vision for Marist Education Today”, from 1998 (PDF: English | Español | Français | Português).

The members of the team are the following: Adriana Kampff (Brasil Sul-Amazônia), Amaya Espuelas (Ibérica), Br. Ángel Diego García (General Administration), Bartolomé Gil Garre (Mediterránea), Br. Ben Consigli (General Council), Ceciliany Alves Feitosa (Brasil Centro-Sul), Br. Hank Hammer (United States), Joan Palma (East Asia), John Robinson (Australia), Br. Luis Carlos Gutierrez (General Council), Br. Michael De Wass (South Asia), Br. Nchang Cho (West Central Africa), Br .Salvador Hidalgo (Compostela), and Br. Valdícer Fachi (General Administration). The team will be coordinated by Brothers Carlos Alberto Rojas and Mark Omede, directors of the Secretariat for Education and Evangelization.

Amaya Espuelas Ruiz

She lives in Logroño (La Rioja). She studied chemistry with specialization in environmental chemistry, then studied the master’s degree in training for high school teachers, and currently she is a high school teacher in online religious sciences.
she works as a teacher in sciences at the Marist school San José of the Ibérica province. She is an agent of vocational pastoral care in this center, and she is part of the provincial team of youth and vocational pastoral care. She volunteers in MarCha groups (youth ministry of our province) as a local leader and coordinator.
As an alumnus of Marist and an agent of her youth ministry, every year, at the end of her school studies, she had many experiences in the Marist world that enriched her as a person and as a believer.

Br. Ángel Diego

Spanish Marist Brother, born in Burgos. At the Marist level he belongs to the Province of Mediterránea. At the university he studied Magisterium and completed his training with Psychology and Religious Sciences.
He worked in several schools, occupying various functions, and in a juvenile center in his Province. In his last appointment, before the present one, he was helping in the formation of the Scholastic Brothers of the Mediterranean and Compostela provinces.
For a year and a half now, he’s been working in the General Administration, in the Secretariat for Solidarity, encouraging and coordinating this area, which includes the theme of Children’s Rights and Ecology, among others.

Ceciliany Alves Feitosa

She is a Marist from the Province of Brazil Centro Sul. She’s been working for 25 years at FTD Educação, a mission dedicated to the production of educational materials for students and teachers of public, private and social schools in the country.
She is currently the educational director of FTD. At the same time, she participates in Marist educational forums in UMBRASIL, she works in the coordination of the Marist Education System, and she is part of the Network of Schools Work Team of the America Sul Region. Together with the Institute, she participated in the journey of the International Network of Marist Publishing Houses. She holds a PhD in education, with specialization in Educational Leadership.

Joan Parreño Palma

Joan Parreño Palma from the City of Koronadal, Province of South Cotabato, Philippines. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the Philippine Normal University, Manila, and he is a teacher of English courses.
He’s been working with Notre Dame of Marbelle University for 25 years now, and he is currently the Vice-President for Academics (since June 2018). However, he has been with the Marist institution far longer having finished his secondary and college education in the institution.
He also sits as the Chair of the Committee on Academics of the Marist Education Council (MEC). he has experiences as well in being the chair of the evaluation team of other Marist institutions.

Br. Hank Hammer

Brother Hank Hammer from the Province of the United States.  His 45 years as a Marist Brother have been spent as a teacher and school administrator and as the former director of Marist Evangelization for the Province. 

In that role, he worked with a team of people who created programs for faculty/staff, students, and school boards.  These programs focused on the life of Marcellin Champagnat as well as how his charism, vision, and mission are lived out by the different members of our Marist school communities.  Beginning this summer, he is returning to Province work as the co-director of Marist schools and ministries.

Br. Cho Nchang

Cho Nchang, born on 9th October 1986. He had his first religious profession on 13th June 2009 and final profession on 18th October 2015. He is from Cameroon but resides in Cote D’Ivoir and of the Marist District of West Africa.
He holds a Bachelor of Education and Diploma in Religious Studies (Marist International University – Kenya).
He is serving his District in Cote D’Ivoir since September 2013 as Pastoral Coordinator, teacher of Religious Studies and school bursar. He is a member of the Mission Commission of the Marist District of West Africa and an editor of the District News bulletin which is published once every two months. He loves interacting with children and young people.

John Kyle-Robinson

He has worked in Catholic Education in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and India in a wide variety of contexts for over twenty-nine years. For the past eighteen years he has held a variety of leadership positions within Catholic Education, including 11 years as a secondary school Principal.
In 2017 he was privileged to be appointed the Regional Director for Marist Schools Australia in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. His role is to support and develop school communities to be authentically Catholic in the Marist tradition by working with these communities to enhance their spirituality, culture, and educational practice.
Mission and spirituality have always been an area of passion for him, and he recently completed his Doctor of Education in this field with the focus being Teachers in Australian Catholic secondary schools and the New Evangelization. 

Br. Luis Carlos Gutiérrez

Born in Trapagaran, Biscay, Spain. He lives in Rome. He did his first profession in 1986, in Venta de Baños and since that date he worked in Central America and Puerto Rico.
He was a teacher of PK to 12th grade: that is his passion along with working in youth ministry. In addition, he has been director of the Higher School, Assistant Director General, President of College, Provincial Coordinator of Education, and the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family, Provincial, Provincial Councilor and now, Vicar General.
He is a Professor of Teaching in Language and Social Sciences, he holds Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies and Theology, and a Doctorate in Education (Educational Management and Leadership). 

Adriana Justin Cerveira Kampff

She belongs to the Marist Province of Brazil Sul-Amazonia. She holds a PhD in Informatics in Education, Master’s degree in Computer Science, Specialization in Marist Curriculum Management, and a Graduate in Informatics.
Professionally, she serves as a Basic Education teacher and Manager, Marist College Graças (1994-1996), a member of the Network of Marist Colleges of the Province of Porto Alegre (1998-2002), and Marist College Rosario (1997-2017).
At a Higher Education level, she is a Professor and Manager at PUCRS, Teacher (2000-till date), Undergraduate Director (2018-2020), Pro-Rector of Undergraduate and Continuing Education (2021-till date), she participated in the Marist Brazil Commissions of Basic Education, Educational Technologies and the Formation of Directors, a Member of the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family (2016-till date).

Br. Michael De Waas

from Sri Lanka and a Marist Brother in the Marist Province of South Asia. He is a teacher (teaching English as Second Language), Psychology, Guidance Counselling and Leadership.
He has served the Institute as aFormator at MAPAC (1994-2000), Provincial (2001-2007), Coordinator Mission Ad Gentes (2007- 2009) and General Councilor (2009-2017). He is currently serving as the Principal of a School of 2500 students from Grade 1 to 13.
He is pleased to serve as a member of the team.

Br. Ben Consigli

Benjamin Consigli. Born in New York, USA, he is a graduate of a Marist secondary school in NY. He made his first profession as a Marist Brother in 1989. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Humanities, a Master of Arts degree in teaching history, and a Graduate Professional Diploma in Educational Administration and Leadership.
Over the years, he has served as a secondary school teacher, guidance counselor, school administrator, and head of school.  He has served his Province as Vice Provincial, Director of Marist Education, and Provincial.  He also served as Vice President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in the USA.
In 2017, He was elected as a member of the General Council as the link for the Marist regions of Oceania and Europe. He currently resides at the Marist Brothers’ Generalate in Rome, Italy.

Br. Valdicer Civa Fachi

Born in Arvorezinha, RS, Brazil. He is a member of the Marist Province of Brazil Sul Amazonia. From July 2018 to date, he serves as the director of the Department of Collaboration for the International Mission – CMI in Rome.
He has a training in Theology at the PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Bachelor and Bachelor of Arts, Português/ English, from la UNISC (Santa Cruz do Sul), Postgraduate Degree in Pastoral Universitária (Theology) from the Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Master in Mariology (Theology) from the Pontificia Facoltà Marianum, Rome.
He has served as a teacher, Director of parish pastoral care, Marist Youth Pastoral, Coordinator of School Pastoral, University Pastoral and Provincial Pastoral, Executive Secretary of UMBRASIL, Coordinator of the Inter-American Mission Commission (2010-2016), and a member of the International Marist Mission Committee (2006-2016).

Br. Omede Okolo Mark

Born in Agala Ateh, Kogi State in Nigeria. He made his first profession as a Marist Brother in 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Education degree in Religious Studies and Geography from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Bachelor of education in Missiology from the Pontifical Urbanianun University in Rome, a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration and Planning, and a Ph.D in Educational Administration and Planning. Over the years, he has served as a secondary school teacher, Director of Religious Education and Catechesis, Dean of student affairs, Principal of schools and the first Registrar of the Marist Polytechnic in Enugu, Nigeria. 
He has served his Province as chairman of Marist Schools Management Board, a Provincial councilor, and a member of Marist Tertiary Institution Commission.  He has also served as a President of the Religious men and Women association in Idah Diocese in Kogi State, Nigeria. In 2017, He was appointed as the assistant Director in the Institute’s Secretariat for Education and Evangelization. He is currently residing at the Marist Brothers’ General House in Rome, Italy.

Bartolomé Gil Garre

He belongs to the Marist Province of Mediterránea.  He holds a Degree in Geography and History from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, a Specialist in Educational Leadership in centers in the process of change from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas. Former student, SED partner, he has enjoyed the training of Marist Leaders for the Mission. He belongs to the staff of Cartagena Marist School where he has held roles of catechist, Pastoral Delegate, Head of Studies and Titular Director.
He has collaborated with his Province as Training Coordinator and currently serve as Provincial Delegate for Education. He has been part of the Interprovincial Educational Innovation Team.

Br. Salvador Hidalgo del Cano

He is from Spain and a member of the Marist Province of Compostela. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Religious Science.
As a Marist brother, he has lived mainly in communities of vocational welcome and he is happy sharing life and mission with Marists of Champagnat. In the Mission field, he has been involved in different tasks as an educator in a child protection center, a professor of Science and Religion in Marist schools, a tutor, coordinator of collegiate pastoral care, head of secondary schools, and a director general. In the Province, he has been a member of pastoral team, educational management teams and he is currently the coordinator of the Mission Council of the Province.

Br. Carlos Alberto (Beto) Rojas

A Brother of Colombian nationality and belonging to the Province of Norandina. He holds a degree in Religious Sciences from the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, Spain, and in Social Sciences from the Pontificia Universidad Gregoriana de Roma. He also holds a master’s degree in Disciplinary Studies on Development from the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia. He is currently advancing Doctoral courses in Education at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Río Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Brazil).
In his Province he worked as an educator and pastoral coordinator at the Champagnat schools of Ipiales and Pasto, as Vice-Rector of the schools of Ipiales, Pasto and Villavicencio, as provincial coordinator of youth pastoral, secretary of solidarity of the province, Burser and as delegate of the provincial in Colombia.
Since 2017 he works in the Secretariat for Education and Evangelization of the Institute.