Theresa Petry, Author at Marianist

A Time of Hope

Lent is known as a time of sacrifice and repentance, but it is also a time of great hope. These 40 days offer us an opportunity to restore our relationships – with God, our families, neighbors, and the environment. To renew our relationship with God, we must first heal our relationship with ourselves and others – not always an easy task.

“In a world that is increasingly divided and polarized, we should remember that the Blessed Mother accompanies us in our daily lives. She was the first disciple and a model of faith and accompaniment of the early Christian community. Never once did she give up; never once did she doubt. Her only desire was to do God’s will. Her “yes” to God changed everything. We too can create change with her guidance following the pillars of Lent, and that gives great hope of a better tomorrow for our world and a stronger connection to our God,” said Provincial Fr. Oscar Vasquez.

Marianist schools nationwide started the Lenten season with prayer at Ash Wednesday services. At St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, students end every day with the Three O’Clock Prayer. It is a chaplet highlighted in Lent as it transports you to the foot of the Cross with Mary.

The University of Dayton (UD) Campus Ministry offers a variety of ways to participate in the Lenten journey, including a Latin-American take on fasting every Friday called Arroz and Gandules. Meatless food is provided as participants refrain from consuming meat to empathize with those who face hunger daily and to provide a sense of community.

“Our goal as Campus Ministry is to provide a space for those students who come from Spanish-speaking homes where they can live their faith and create community. In other words, to live out the Mass. The goal is to deepen our faith but also to experience the food and flavors of countries other than our own. Sharing at the table is where the banquet of life begins, where the dishes are filled with love, and where food, more than being a daily sustenance, is the connection of the heart,” said UD Hispanic/Latinx Campus Minister Andres Lopez.

At St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, students dedicate themselves to the pillar of almsgiving with a 40 Days of Lent and Service initiative that offers a diverse range of opportunities for campus community members to connect and volunteer with nonprofits.

You are invited to continue the pilgrimage of hope and join several events, activities, and reflections available across our Marianist family.

Lent is the perfect time to seek spiritual renewal and hold onto hope! Look to and lean on Mary for strength and guidance.

May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified in all places through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.

Purcell Marian HS Ash Wednesday 2 — Purcell Marian High School (OH) Ash Wednesday

3 o clock prayer vianney 4 cropped — St. John Vianney High School (MO) 3 O'Clock Prayer

St. Mary's 40 Days of Lent and Service - cropped — St. Mary's University (TX) 40 Days of Lent and Service photo by Arely Reyes

Click here for Lenten meditations from the North American Center for Marianist Studies.

Click here for reflections offered by the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative.

Click here for an Ecological Lenten Calendar.

Click here for activities offered by University of Dayton, some of which are livestreamed for all to participate.

Click here for more pictures of Lenten activities across our Marianist Family.

In The News

Teaching Today’s Students – Funding Tomorrow’s Success

Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis has established a groundbreaking initiative that empowers students to delve into the world of finance through hands-on investment experiences. The Hilltop Capital Fund program is the first of its kind in St. Louis, providing high school students with the opportunity to research, analyze, and invest in real stocks using real capital.

The Hilltop Capital Fund is made possible by the generous support of an anonymous donor who gifted the school $250,000 to start the fund. Chaminade College Preparatory School is grateful for this support!

Click here to read more.

Lawyer Follows Calling to Marianists

As a young criminal lawyer in his home state of Querétaro, Mexico, Guillermo “Memo” Peña Contreras never gave priesthood much thought until he was introduced to a Marianist priest who invited him to his chapel.

“It was during Holy Week of 2019 when I decided to join the Marianist brothers,” said Contreras. Since then, he has learned English in San Antonio and started his 20-month journey as a Marianist Novice in Dayton, OH. When the time came to be given a ministry during the second year of his Novitiate, his directors had the perfect assignment.

“They said, ‘What do you think about going back to San Antonio and working in the law school?’ and I was excited,” he said.

He began serving in the Legal Services Area of the Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan’s Wonderland, using his knowledge of the law to offer translation services to individuals with disabilities. One of the attorneys he met invited him to an eviction court to help also translate for the San Antonio Legal Services Association. From there, he worked with Haven for Hope, the YWCA and American Gateways. “Sometimes they share a bit of their story, so I help in a legal sense but also in a spiritual and human sense,” Contreras said.

Memo is currently in Dayton, preparing to profess his first vows and become a Temporary Professed Marianist. After he completes three years of temporary profession, he can then request to take perpetual vows. Please pray for him in his mission to assist Mary in bringing Christ to the world. Click here to read more.

World Day of Consecrated Life

World Day of Consecrated Life was celebrated on Feb. 2, which coincides with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life.

It’s also a significant day in Marianist history. In 1801, the first 12 members of the Bordeaux Sodality committed to forming the first Marianist Lay community. These earliest Lay Marianists professed their Act of Consecration and named their community “Congregation of the Immaculate Conception.”

Please continue to pray for all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life. May they be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God’s gift of their vocation.

Marianist Ministries in Action

Engagement Through Art

At the request of Marianist leaders in Rome, the mission to promote Marianist Causes took shape through artistic posters. Since first being produced and distributed last fall, you can find them adorning walls across the country.

At the Marianist Retreat & Conference Center in St. Louis, volunteers created a space near the front door dedicated to showcasing the Marianist Causes.

The Novitiate Community in Dayton, OH, has the poster displayed in its living room.

The Marianist Student Communities (MSC) at University of Dayton proudly posed for a picture to show where students prominently placed the artwork in one of their homes.

If you would like your own printable poster, you can find a digital copy by clicking here for our Marianist Causes media kit.

These posters popping up in the United States aren’t the only creative way Marianists are engaging people. Emmanuel College, a Catholic high school in the Marianist tradition located in Melbourne, Australia, commissioned four Marianist art installations.

“As a college community, we think it’s important to have contemporary images of our Marianist Founders around the school to raise awareness, provoke conversation, and stir inspiration leading to faith and moral formation. Whilst in the yard, every student and staff member can’t help but see the amazing mural of the three founders. In these moments, they know we are part of something bigger – we are part of this two-century-old community, guided by Mary, to be world changers,” said Mark Sciberras, deputy principal-mission integration.

Just as the posters were created by a collaboration of theology and art teachers at Marianist schools, the artist of the murals in Australia, Daniel Taylor, is also a teacher at Emmanuel College. Click here to see more mural pictures.

A Marianist Moment

Marianist Women’s Summit and FMI (USA) 75th Anniversary

Save the date! The Marianist Sisters invite you to a “Marianist Women’s Summit” and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of its USA Foundation from Oct. 25-26 in San Antonio. The summit will provide an opportunity for lay and vowed women in the Marianist Family to visit, pray, and converse about Mary’s Magnificat call in our lives.

The event will take place at the Marianist Sisters’ Our Lady of the Pillar Community on Friday and at St. Mary’s University School of Law on Saturday. On Saturday, at 4:00 p.m., the Marianist Women’s Summit participants will join the wider Marianist Family and guests to celebrate the 75th Anniversary Mass, which will be held in The Blessed Adele Chapel at Central Catholic High School. Following Mass, there will be a social, meal, and presentation.

From the Archives

A Song for Africa

There is a special “archive” this month as Bro. Jack Somerville highlights his time in Africa in the 1980s. Bro. Jack wrote and created A Song for Africa while living in Zambia (1985-1986). Click the image below to hear his plea to share with him “a world that is simple and free” as you view images from his mission.

If you’d like to see images from the archives, visit and “like” this Facebook page.

Pray With Us

Please join us in prayer for these members of the Marianist Family.

◆ Recent deaths and those in need of prayers for healing in the Marianist Family

◆ Obituaries of U.S. Province Marianist brothers and priests since 2018

Good to Know

Art Sale Success

The art sale at Gallery Saint John was a success! A big thank-you to Lay Marianist Michele Devitt who volunteered her time organizing and managing the sale. She reports that 75% of the art at the gallery has been sold. It included works from Bro. Joe Barrish, Bro. Don Smith, Bro. John Lemker, Bro. Charlie Wanda, Fr. Mike Nartker, Bro. Louis Fournier and Bro. Gary Marcinowski.

The gallery will officially close on March 1, 2024, with the remaining artwork moving to the Marianist Creativity Center located at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. A Mass to honor and celebrate all involved is being planned for April.

Looking for a Spiritual Summer Adventure?

Explore the opportunities offered at the Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point, NJ.

Retreat weeks start each Monday, beginning June 24 through Aug. 17. While single-parent families are always welcome, the week of July 15-20 is specifically designated for single parents.

Join together with other families for the week. Mass and other family liturgies are complemented by skits, presentations, family sharing, peer group discussions, sunset beach walks, and other fun activities.

Scheduled recreation and free time (4-5 hours daily), with ocean swimming (the beach is a 1/2 block away), are part of all family retreats. The cost includes meals, room, program, beach access, and more!

Click here for more information or email: [email protected] or call 609-884-3829 – financial aid is available.

Beyond the Byline With Bombeck

Did you know the trailblazing humor writer, bestselling author, and syndicated columnist Erma Bombeck was a proud University of Dayton (UD) student?

A new exhibit in the UD Roesch Library celebrates the multifaceted life and legacy of Bombeck (1927–1996). “Beyond the Byline: Erma Bombeck’s Story” will be on display from Feb. 1 through June 15 in the Stuart and Mimi Rose Gallery in Roesch Library. It will feature Bombeck’s original manuscripts, columns, handwritten notes, speeches, articles, photographs, and memorabilia from her personal collection, which was donated by the Bombeck family to the UD Archives in December 2020.

Bombeck’s daughter, Betsy Bombeck, will also keynote an Erma Bombeck Writing Competition Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 3.

Click here for more information on the exhibit, ceremony, and an array of Bombeck events, or email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the Erma Bombeck newsletter.

Join Us!

Click here to discover job opportunities within our Marianist Ministries across the United States.

New listings include:

• Marianist Province of the U.S. (MO) – Digital Communications Marketing Coordinator

• Director Bergamo Center for Lifelong Learning (OH) – Executive Director

• St. John Vianney High School (MO) – President

• Marianist Retreat & Conference Center (MO) – Director of Hospitality

• Purcell Marian High School (OH) – Principal

• St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (OH) – Asst. Principal, and Director of Advancement

• North American Center for Marianist Studies (OH) – Program Administrator

Check Out More Marianist News

Via Latina from the General Administration of the Society of Mary

Sharing Our Marianist Stories podcast from North American Center for Marianist Studies

Justice Jottings from the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative

AMU Newsletter from the Association of Marianist Universities

District Update #78 from the Marianist District of India

FatherSide Chats is a web video series featuring Fr. Gene Contadino. Discover new episodes every Tuesday about a variety of topics. Click the graphic to view episodes. Click here to read more.

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Marianist University Students SEEK the Light

When Pope St. John Paul II visited St. Louis in 1999 for a pastoral visit, he told a gathering of young people, “You are children of the light! You belong to Christ, and he has called you by name.”

Twenty-five years later, nearly 20,000 participants converged on St. Louis at the America Center’s Convention Complex for SEEK24, a five-day conference held Jan. 1–5, where they were called to “Be the Light,” the theme of this year’s event.

Many attend the annual SEEK conference, looking to find other Catholics like themselves. Anna Steck, a St. Mary’s University sophomore, was excited to “meet students from University of Dayton who share the Marianist Charism and to interact with vowed Marianists from St. Louis and Ohio,” she said. Seven students from St. Mary’s and more than 20 from UD attended the conference.

For Ben Bischoff, a sophomore at University of Dayton, the conference has motivated him: “If I truly love Christ and experience such joy like I did at SEEK, what is stopping me from sharing this with everyone on my campus?”

A highlight of the event for both Bischoff and Steck happened midway through the conference when college students, seminarians, priests, and religious shared the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. “Seeing thousands of people brought together with a common mission – our shared love of the faith – was encouraging and beautiful,” said Steck.

Brothers at the Maryland Avenue Community and Pillar/Chaminade Community in St. Louis hosted the students, making it financially feasible for more to attend. Marianist Sr. Emily Sandoval, Bros. Leno Ceballos, and Jack Somerville accompanied them to many of the events. Others were on hand to answer questions and provide support, including Fr. George Cerniglia, Bros. Mark Motz, Bill Campbell, Bob Metzger, Jim Eppy, Richard Schrader, and lay leaders Jen Duncan and Paul Masek.

Reflecting on his time at SEEK, Bischoff said, “There are so many college students across the country who don’t know Christ.” His challenge is straightforward: “Pray for all college students and all who support these students.” Looking at the present, he is hopeful and energized. “The Church is in good hands. But we need to allow God to transform us and give us the grace to do His will.”

In The News

University of Dayton Libraries Win Award

University of Dayton (UD) Libraries won a national award for commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from Insight Into Diversity magazine. The 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award honors libraries’ programs and initiatives that encourage and support DEI across campus and in the community. UD was selected for its Libraries’ work to implement its strategic DEI plan, which involves its workforce, collections, programming, exhibits, and physical and virtual spaces.

University Libraries will be featured alongside 55 recipients in the March 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. Click here to read more.

Founders Day, Heritage Week, Heritage Month

Marianist-sponsored schools across the United States celebrated their Marianist Heritage throughout January. The month marks the feast days of Founders, Blessed Marie of the Conception (Adèle) de Batz de Trenquelléon on Jan. 10, the day of her passing in 1828 and Blessed William Joseph Chaminade on Jan. 22, the day of his death in 1850.

Founders Day, Jan. 22, honors Chaminade, who founded the Marianist Family in 1801 and the Society of Mary in 1817. As you can see from various Facebook posts highlighted below, our schools celebrated these events in vibrant and varied ways.

Click here for a reflection for the Feast of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade.

Founders Day Chaminade Madonna — Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School

Founders Day Archbishop Moeller — Archbishop Moeller High School

Founders Day Chaminade University — Chaminade University of Honolulu

Founders Day - Heritage Month - StMU dance — St. Mary's University

Founders Day Villa Angela-St. Joseph HS Day 2 — Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School

Founders Day Chaminade College Prep STL — Chaminade College Preparatory School St. Louis

Now Accepting PULSE Applications

Marianist PULSE (Partners in Urban Leadership, Service, and Education) is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 program year on a rolling basis. To request an application, please fill out a brief application request.

Current volunteer Sophia Bair is an alum of the University of Dayton and is serving her PULSE commitment at St. Vincent de Paul Shelter for Women and Families. After she completes the program this summer, she plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician focusing on serving children with housing insecurity.

Want to hear from former participants? Click here to hear from Abby Shahady, Ani Artero, and Dominic Sanfilippo in Episode 34 of Sharing Our Marianist Stories about their journey of discerning, engaging in, and completing a year of service with Marianist PULSE.

Marianist Ministries in Action

Mary’s Role in Catholic Education

They started with various objects: prayer books, Hymnals, and an early 18th-century Book of Hours. Before they were finished, students in the teacher education program at University of Dayton were knee-deep in contemporary comic books and pop-ups.

“They were thrilled to explore this collection of artifacts housed at the Marian Library at UD,” said Jennifer Adams, adjunct professor of teacher education, who led a group of students in curating an exhibit at the library called Mary in Catholic Education.

Since it opened its first school in Bordeaux, France, in 1819, education has been a primary mission of the Marianists, with the Blessed Virgin Mary as an integral component of Marianist education.

By studying the texts and the visual presentations of the library’s collection, “the students were able to engage in lively discussions about the purpose of the books, the explicit and implicit messages conveyed, and who was included in the narrative and who was left out,” said Adams.

The student curators were especially interested in examining cultural and ethnic diversity — or its absence — in these artifacts and what that means for Catholic education today.

“Diversity isn’t just about content,” wrote one of the students in reflecting on the project. “It’s also about how it’s delivered. Some folks might find it easier to understand stories about Mary when they’re presented with colorful images and engaging songs. Others might resonate more with detailed texts and explanations.”

The exhibit explores the many ways people connect with sacred objects and invites viewers to do the same. “It also offers a glimpse into the vast collection at the Marian Library,” said Adams.

Mary in Catholic Education runs from Mar. 4 to June 28, 2024. It is housed on the seventh floor of the Marian Library Gallery in the Roesch Library at UD. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

A Marianist Moment

Blessed Chaminade and Blessed Marie of the Conception: ILLUMINATORS!

In our Marianist World, January is a time that we celebrate our founders, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade (Jan. 22) and Blessed Marie of the Conception (Adèle) de Batz de Trenquelléon (Jan. 10). They are two individuals that we Marianists hold dear in our hearts because they are the foundation of what we believe in as we continue their legacy in our present communities and works.

As I write this, my mind becomes focused on the question, “What is a founder?” What can we find essential in these two important people in our lives as Marianists? Let us begin with a definition (Miriam-Webster): Founding Father or Mother: one who starts or helps to start an institution or a movement.

In looking at Chaminade and Adèle, they started or helped start, first of all, a movement. They gathered men and women around them in communities to deepen individuals’ faith journeys. Through formation and inviting men and women to intentionally seek ways to find God in their lives, they created a movement under the auspices of Mary to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Would you say, then, that Chaminade and Adèle were influencers (a popular term today)?

Influencers may be a good term, but I found another word that may describe Chaminade and Adèle, even better, Illuminators. David Brooks, a commentator from the New York Times, recently wrote a book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, which I just started reading. In his first chapter, he describes Illuminators as the following:

“Illuminators, on the other hand, have a persistent curiosity about other people. They have been trained or have trained themselves in the craft of understanding others. They know what to look for and how to ask the right questions at the right time. They shine the brightness of their care on people and make them feel bigger, deeper, respected, and lit up.” (page 13)

Click here to read more.

From the Archives

Moving Marianist Art

Gallery Saint John is holding a special three-day event Feb. 8-10, 2024. During this time, a wide range of art will be available for purchase. Some of the artists involved in the gallery include Bro. Joe Barrish, Bro. Don Smith, Bro. John Lemker, Bro. Charlie Wanda, Fr. Mike Nartker, Bro. Louis Fournier and Bro. Gary Marcinowski.

After more than 34 years of displaying the creative talents of the Marianist Brothers, Gallery Saint John will close on March 1, 2024. The legacy of our artists will move to the “Marianist Creativity Center” located at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. The Province will continue looking for ways to showcase the brothers’ art and display it on various social media outlets where it can continue to be discovered, preserved, and offer inspiration for future generations.

The Gallery Saint John Art Sale will be held on the following days/times:

Thursday, February 8, 4-8 pm

Friday, February 9, 12-8 pm

Saturday, February 10, 10 am-4 pm

Bro Charles Wanda — By Bro. Charles Wanda

If you’d like to see more images from the archives, visit and “like” this Facebook page.

Pray With Us

Please join us in prayer for these members of the Marianist Family.

◆ Recent deaths and those in need of prayers for healing in the Marianist Family

◆ Obituaries of U.S. Province Marianist brothers and priests since 2018

Good to Know

Sign Up For Summer LIFE 2024

The Marianist LIFE (Living In Faith Experience) summer program is a faith-formation experience for high school students and their moderators. Students enjoy an experience of small faith communities, sacraments, prayer, leadership development, social justice education, and fun! Moderators, including campus ministers, youth ministers, teachers and adult volunteers, arrive before the students to prepare and build their own communities of faith. Three sessions are being offered, one in Occidental, CA and two in Dayton, OH, during the months of June and July. Click here for more information.

Spiritus Debut

The Queen of Apostles Community in Dayton celebrated its final Mass on Dec. 31, 2023, due to the parish closing. While members moved to different parishes around Dayton, some also decided to form a Lay Marianist Community called Spiritus.

“The first gathering of Spiritus took place on Epiphany. We had over 80 people in attendance, and the gathering was a great success with community prayer/reflection, a primer lesson on formation, and a kids program. I’m sure that this will evolve over time, but thanks to the Holy Spirit, the debut of Spiritus was a great success,” exclaimed Matt Naveau, a leadership team member of Spiritus.

Lay Marianists represent the oldest branch of the Marianist Family, with roots stretching back to 1801. To learn more about the Marianist Lay Community of North America, visit www.mlcna.org.

Marianist Library Classification System

Bro. Andrew Kosmowski, Librarian at the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS), recently published an article for Catholic Library World highlighting the Marianist classification system for libraries as a prime example of a system within a Catholic charismatic family. He reflects on NACMS Librarian Teresa Trimboli’s work creating the original Marianist Library classification system and assesses the system’s strengths and challenges. Bro. Andrew hopes the article, titled “Marianist Library Classification: A Case Study,” encourages librarians from different orders to create similar schemas for their congregations. Click here to read the article.

Marian Forum Online Feb. 13

Want to explore Marian Shrines and Catholicism in the United States? All are welcome to attend University of Dayton’s Marian Forum on Feb. 13! It will explore Marian Shrines and U.S. Catholicism with Professors Karen Park and Katherine Dugan, co-editors of American Patroness: Marian Shrines and the Making of U.S. Catholicism.

Visit go.udayton.edu/marianforum to register to attend virtually.