We are grateful for the wide level of support throughout the Province in helping to ensure that this year would help continue to deepen a culture of vocations in our ministries and communities throughout the Province. Special thanks to our Province Vocation Committee as well as all the Vocation Teams in our Ministries for their continued hard work and support. Thanks also to all our Brother communities for their ongoing support and weekly community prayers for vocations. Regional Brothers Community meetings on Vocations were held this year at Lawrence, Molloy, Champagnat Hall, Brownsville, Chicago, Roselle, Esopus, and in Miami last year. We also recently began to bring some of the local Accompaniment members to share some of their journeys with the Brothers at these regional meetings. Some of the highlights and happenings of this Year of Marist Vocations at our ministries include:
Inspirational Vocation Talks by Bro. Tony Leon
During the month of November, Bro. Tony Leon presented a dynamic vocational talk at school assemblies at Roselle Catholic High School, Marist High School Bayonne, Central Catholic High School in Lawrence as well as an evening presentation to more than 100 students from Archbishop Molloy and Mount St. Michael Academy. Bro. Tony's presentation was not only thought provoking and well received, but also very encouraging to our young people to be open to listening to how God might be calling them in their lives to continue to carry on Champagnat's dream and be Marist.
Bro. Tony is from our Australian Province and recently finished his term as Vocation Director in Australia in order to begin his new ministry in Rome as a member of the Brothers Today Secretariat.
Archbishop Molloy High School
Molloy kicked off its school year with year several masses that highlighted our Marist Vocation Year. Articles about the year were prominently featured during the year in both The Beehive, their Alumni newsletter and The Stanner, their student Newspaper. During their Vocation week, our three Marist Novices presented their vocation stories to all the juniors and seniors.
His Excellency Raymond Francis Chappetto, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, also visited Molloy during Vocations week to celebrate Mass and ask the students, "Who does God call you to be?" In answering this question, Bishop Chappetto spoke of the dreams for the future the students held when they were young, and encouraged them to continue the pursuit of those dreams through their faith in God. Following the Mass, Bishop Chappetto and Bro. Mike Sheerin met with groups of students to share encouragement and some thoughts on the possibilities of how they might follow God's call.
Mount Saint Michael Academy
Mount likewise included the theme of The Year of Marist Vocations in its opening school Mass and as part of that liturgy had all the Brothers from the school and many from Champagnat Hall renew their vows as brothers as a witness to the students. Our Marist Novices also spent a few days at the school sharing their vocation stories with the students. The Our Lady of Grace community hosted a Vocations gathering at their community. Students joined the community for Sunday Mass, followed by a discussion on Marist Brotherhood and a great brunch. The Mount also hosted a dinner and Taize prayer evening at the school that was attended by young people from the Mount, Molloy, St. Joe's Montville, Marist Chicago as well as a number of our Marist Young Adults and Accompaniment members.
Marist High School Bayonne
Bro. Tony Leon kicked off the Year of Marist Vocations during his presentation to the school. The school also hosted the year's first regional Taize prayer gathering. The Marist Bayonne Brothers Community will also be hosting a Vocation Gathering for Our New Jersey Schools on Tuesday April 15th. Young men from Roselle Catholic High School, Marist Bayonne and St. Joseph's Montvale as well as New Jersey Accompaniment Members will join with the community for a prayer, discussion on Brotherhood and dinner.
Christopher Columbus High School
The CCHS Opening Faculty meeting in August included a presentation and reflection on the Vocation of being Marist and how as Brothers and Lay colleagues we need to continue to foster both vocations together. Numerous opportunities have been offered to the young people during this year including Taize prayer gatherings, a Vocation week with numerous presentations from a number of our Brothers as well as a presentation from Marist Young Adult Opal Vadhan on how she lives her call to be Marist. A Vocation-themed mass was held as well as the ongoing invitation to young men to consider our way of life.
St. Joseph Academy
The opening School mass introduced the school community to the Year of Marist Vocations. The first evening gathering of faculty and staff who have attended Sharing Our Call Events shared prayer and discussion that night on the topic of Vocations. A Taize prayer and "Feast" was held for the St. Joe's Community as a way to kickoff their annual Vocations Week, which included classroom presentations, a vocation mass as well as a Vocation gathering at the Brothers community at Westminster.
Marist Chicago
Two Vocational evenings were held at the Levitt Street Community. Vocation lifestyles were also included in the school's Alumni Career Day event with students. One of the school's several mission trips was to Esopus, which included a presentation on Vocations for the students.
Central Catholic High School
The Lawrence communities held several Champagnat dinners again this year. Our Marist Novices presented their Vocation stories to the senior religion classes recently. A Vocation-themed mass was also held at the school. Several Vocation themed displays are prominently placed throughout the school
Marist College
Several Champagnat and Vocation themed presentations were made this year to the Campus Ministry students at the College by Bro. Mike Flanigan, Bro. Sean Sammon and Bro. Dan O'Riordan. Our Marist Novices also spoke on Vocations at Sunday Liturgies and also were present for a follow-up discussion on vocations with interested students. Bro. Sean Sammon has hosted dinners with interested students to discuss our Brotherhood as a vocation possibility.
Marist Brothers Center at Esopus
Esopus continues to be an incredible place of formation for all seeking to be Marist. The Center hosts many of our School Retreats and Encounters, as well as events such as the LaValla Weekend, the upcoming Triduum and Foundation Stones. The witness and involvement of our Marist Novices and all on the Esopus property has helped foster a greater sense of Marist and plant many vocational seeds in the hearts of many young people.
