Jessica Bryan appointed to the Extended Secretariat of Laity
At the Regular Council meeting on December 23, 2024, the Council appointed Jessica Bryan, of the Star of the Sea Province, as the new member of the Extended Secretariat of the Laity, serving as liaison for the Oceania Region. She began her service on January 1, 2025, replacing Nathan Ahearne, of the same province, who served on the Secretariat from 2021 to 2024.
The Secretariat, in its mission to encourage the lay Marist vocation is supported by the “Extended Secretariat of Laity”, formed from January 2024, by Alida Bodomanitra (Madagascar), Claudia Rojas (Arco Norte – Provincia Norandina), Elma Rafil (Asia – East Asia) Jessica Bryan (Oceania – Star of the Sea), Marcos José Broc (Brasil Sul-Amazônia) and Rita Silva (Europa, Provincia de Compostela).
On behalf of the Secretariat of the Laity, the director Manu Gómez welcomed Jessica in her mission and thanked Nathan for his work: “We welcome Jessica, thanking her for her availability for this task entrusted to her, and we are deeply grateful for the work and dedication of Nathan, who has given excellent service over the years, bringing passion, creativity and Marist simplicity”.
Below we share Jessica’s autobiography.
Jessica Bryan
I grew up in Sydney, Australia. I have been involved with the wider Marist Family since I started high school at Marist Sisters’ College, Woolwich. At school, we learnt about the whole Marist family, and I also had the opportunity to attend programs with students from other Marist schools in Australia and New Zealand. After I finished school, I went onto university to study health science and teaching. During my university years I spent a lot of time working with the Young Marists, an organisation which supports the Marist Fathers and Sisters’ schools in New Zealand. I worked closely with Fr. Mark Walls SM and his team to deliver retreats, leadership programs, social justice immersions and other Marist school formation programs in New Zealand and Australia. The time spent on these programs developed a passion within me to work in Marist Education.
Once I finished university, I moved to New Zealand to start my teaching career at St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream, a boarding school for boys in Wellington founded by the Marist Fathers. After a couple of years, I moved back home to Sydney so that I could be closer to my family and started a job at St. Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill. Joeys is a boarding school for boys which has just over 1000 students. We are lucky to have a community of Marist Brothers on site as well as many staff who are Old Boys or educated in other Marist schools. I currently teach Religious Education as well as Health & Physical Education. As well as teaching, I am also involved in the Rugby and Surf Life Saving programs. I have enjoyed being part of a strong Marist community at Joeys and for the last few years I have been the local coordinator for our Marist Association Group at Hunters Hill who gather each term for prayer and community as a practical way to live out our Marist tradition. I also have had the opportunity to be a part of the International Forum on the Lay Marist Vocation and Champagnat Family Commission for the Star of the Sea Province, both of which have given me a greater understanding of what it means to be a Lay Marist in our modern world.
Outside of my teaching and Marist life, I enjoy spending time with my extended family and friends, cooking, doing puzzles and keeping active by going for walks and swims around the iconic Sydney Harbour.