First profession in Madagascar

Two brothers from the Province of Madagascar, Jean Gaël and Léonce, made their first vows on 27th June 2024, in the Marist Postulancy community in Fianarantsoa. The celebration was presided by the Archbishop of Fianarantsoa, Mgr Fulgence Rabemahafaly. Representatives from the Marist family, students, youth groups, local parishioners, religious and priests took part in the celebration.

To express their gratitude to God for the gift of their vocation Gaël and Léonce chose the verse Philippians 3:8 “(…) I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.”

During his homily, the archbishop Fulgence Rabemahafaly congratulated the two brothers for their courage to commit themselves to follow Christ as Marist Brothers. He encouraged them to trust in God and in his grace as they answer his call. The prelate also expressed his gratitude for the positive contribution of the Marist Brothers to the life in the Diocese of Fianarantsoa through catechesis, education and formation.

After the Eucharist, family members and guests gathered in the recreation hall for a fraternal meal and as an expression of joy and thanksgiving. 

Gaël and Léonce just completed their two-year Noviciate formation in Save, Rwanda.

Br. Gaël is a former student of Saint Joseph High School in Diego Suarez, and Br. Léonce, a former student of Saint Vincent de Paul High School in Betroka. Both are schools run and administered by the Marist Brothers of Madagascar. By August, the two newly professed brothers will be part of the Marist International Centre (MIC) community, in Nairobi, Kenya, for their post-noviciate formation. The province thanks God for the gift of their vocation and pray for their faithful perseverance in their Marist vocation.

Province of Madagascar

The province of Madagascar was founded in 2012 by French Brothers from the Lebanon-Syria sector. Currently the province has 54 brothers, 5 novices, and 10 postulants. As part of their mission, they are dedicated to theformation house, formal schooling (preschool, primary and secondary), catechesis in parishes and schools, teacher development, children’s rights and safeguarding seminars, solidarity projects (collaboration with FMSI)

 In Madagascar province there are approximately 11 000 (children and young people aged 3 to 19 years) students, who are in the 8 Marist schools.

Until now, 384 lay partners collaborate directly in Marist Mission.