Logo of the International Forum on the Lay Marist Vocation

The logo for the process of the International Forum on the Lay Marist Vocation was created by the Communication Consultants of the Marist Province of Brazil Sul-Amazonia. The Extended Secretariat of the Laity is very grateful for their support, creativity and time dedicated to this challenge, as well as their contribution of helpful ideas to other initiatives.

The logo has three main elements, which can be used as a whole, separately or in a reduced combination. These elements are an image, the title of our process and a slogan that includes the biblical quote from the prophet Joel.

In the image we can find different symbols that refer to the experience we want to have in the next few years:

• The spiral shape evokes the wind of the Spirit who energises our lives and spurs us to live our vocation more intensely, in a movement that goes from the centre outwards, and from outside inwards, in a dynamic that is never-ending.
• In the centre there is fire, passion and creative love. They are symbolised in the warm colours chosen. It is another way of expressing the experience of the Spirit that we want to permeate the whole Forum process.
• Both the spiral and the typeface chosen for the expression “Lay Marist Vocation” suggest to us the idea of something done by hand, with time, with care. The image is thus humanised, revealing the imperfections of the human being.
• We can also discover an ‘M’ at the heart of this spiral. This M in movement identifies us with the gift of the Spirit which is the Marist charism. It connects us with our history as Marists of Champagnat, since it is inspired by the M in the logo that was created on the occasion of the canonisation of Saint Marcellin in 1999.
• In today’s historical moment, we want to visualise in an increasingly significant way new expressions of the Marist charism, which speaks to us of the feminine image of our God. It is not for nothing that the Hebrew term used in the Bible to indicate the presence of the Spirit is a word of feminine gender: “la ruah“.
• The overall movement visualised in the image resembles an embrace that rejuvenates from within, spiralling outwards again, to continue caring and inviting. In this infinite embrace we perceive the silhouette of a diverse group of people hand in hand, as if they were gathered around the table of fraternity. This diverse group of people is made up of laypeople and brothers in communion, coming from our different states of life, seeking to creatively develop Champagnat’s charism.
• The intertwining hands are like points of connection that also speak to us of the reality of the global pandemic that we are living through in our days: social distancing has generated new modes of communication and expressing closeness through virtual connections.
• The image also brings to mind a dance, the dance of mission, which impels us to be prophets in today’s world, in the dynamic of being a “Church on the move”, in a “permanent state of mission”.
• All these elements and dimensions are unified in our call as lay Marists to engage with the ongoing process of “welcoming, nurturing, living and sharing our vocation”.

The International Forum is a four-year journey (2021-2024) of reflection and shared discernment among laypeople, laywomen and brothers. The themes of the Forum are pertinent current and future issues related to the vitality of the charism and our journey of communion as a Global Charismatic Family.