Tecaboca
A dedication to recycling led to a passion Bro. Joseph Markel didn’t even know he possessed – one that is also improving his quality of life.
In The News
Chaminade University Students Rank First in Global Competition
A team of Chaminade University of Honolulu (CUH) students took top honors at an international business competition. The judges were impressed by their strong presentation skills and innovative marketing strategies. Some 40 U.S. and international university teams participated in this year’s fully-virtual International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) competition.
Students spent more than a month crafting a marketing and engagement strategy for a real company—WealthFluent—as it seeks to reach Gen Z professionals.
The winning Chaminade team included John Barayuga ’25, Madelynne Knowd ’26, Blake Buonopane ’25, and Brycen Shackelford ’26 (as seen L-R in photo). Their first-place title meant they took home a $1,200 prize. Their winning strategy was crafting athlete and university partnerships to build a strong brand. Click here to read more.
UD Band Takes On London
The University of Dayton Pride of Dayton Marching Band will debut a new James Bond-themed show at London Band Week June 23-30.
It is an invite-only global marching band celebration that takes place every year in London, England. This will be the band’s first time participating. More than 160 students, plus faculty and more than 100 supporters, will make the trip. Previously, the band performed in the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.
“This is a really special trip. Everyone is really excited to perform, but also explore London,” said Kenneth Will, senior lecturer and Pride of Dayton director, who has led the band since 2016. Students will visit historical sites such as Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Stonehenge. Click here to read more.
Living Laudato Si’
Archbishop Moeller High School was recently recognized by the Cincinnati Archdiocese’s Catholic Social Action Office and Care for Creation Task Force as a school that lives out Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ message of caring for God’s creation.
A celebration service was held in the school’s chapel to commemorate its work as well as the following recipients: St. Bernard Parish, the Marianist Environmental Education Center, and University of Dayton.
To earn this designation, the organizations had to complete a facilities assessment and meet a target score for environmental stewardship practices, host a Care for Creation program, and motivate 10 percent of their member households to complete their own assessments.
The school received a letter of recognition from Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, a banner to display, and was featured on the archdiocesan website.
Marianist Ministries in Action
Sodality Faith Groups
Julianne Goshe, Ministry Lead for Marianist Encounters at St. Vincent-St. Mary Catholic High School in Akron, OH, shares a new initiative at the school involving small faith-sharing groups.
The purpose of a Catholic Marianist school is to allow our students to know, love, and serve Jesus so that they can become disciples of Christ. Our Marianist Founders took Mary’s words at the Wedding Feast of Cana in John 2:5, “Do whatever he tells you,” to heart when forming sodalities in post-revolutionary France to awaken, enliven, and spread the gospel and the Catholic faith.
There are alarming statistics on the number of young people who will leave their faith and the Church before age 23. I realized, like Father Chaminade, that new times called for new measures in high school Campus Ministry. It was clear that building trusting relationships, meeting students where they are in faith, allowing choice and voice to learn and grow their faith and providing students with at least one adult witness was truly needed.
The Sodalities are comprised of single-sex groups of 5-8 students. Each Sodality has a Catholic younger adult mentor from outside our school community. We currently have five small groups up and running with 32 students sharing faith together. These groups typically meet once every other week at a time they select. Besides prayer and faith support, they participate in bible studies, book studies, video series studies, or whatever the group has decided with their mentor is the direction their faith life needs to take. The hope with the Sodality Small Faith Sharing Group program is that our students will truly encounter the love of Jesus; a love that transforms.
A Marianist Moment
Prayers and Congratulations
Please join us in congratulating and prayer for our Marianist Novices who are preparing to make their First Profession of Vows of Consecrated Religious Life.
The Mass, ceremony, and celebration for Carlos Alexis Roman Altamirano and Jose Manuel Gutiérrez Manzo will be held on June 7, 2025, at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Querétaro, Mexico.
Pray With Us
Please join us in prayer for these members of the Marianist Family.
Each year, the Society of Mary recognizes brothers and priests who are marking milestones of their first profession of vows or their priestly ordinations.
Thank you to our 2025 Jubilarians! We will highlight them over the course of the next few months in FamilyOnline.
Click here to see pictures from the Jubilee celebration in San Antonio earlier this month.
BRO. PHILIP AARON
The journey that started with a train ride to Dayton, OH, at age 15 continues. As in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the hero finally achieves the boon and takes it back home to share, only to start a new adventure. He is not stuck in the past, has no regrets, and is always looking forward to a new beginning, for which help will come as long as he takes the first step.
Click here to read in full.
BRO. ALBERT KOCH
The
IS
Filler
Till we receive BIO
Click here to read in full.
BRO. PAUL METZGER
I was born and raised in South St. Louis, MO, and professed my First Vows in Galesville, WI, on September 15, 1950. I’ve been very blessed to be able to live as long as I have and to dedicate so much of my life as a Marianist Brother. It means that I am able to be faithful to my vows, continuously trying to live my life according to those vows, and grow my personal relationship with Jesus and Mary.
Click here to read in full.
BRO. DANIEL STUPKA
I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where I attended St. Ignatius Grade School and Cathedral Latin High School. I professed my First Vows on September 8, 1950, in Marcy, NY, before attending University of Dayton where I earned a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1954. I then attended The Ohio State University, earning a Master of Music Education in 1960, followed by a master’s in litugy from University of Notre Dame in 1970.
Click here to read in full.
BRO. DONALD NEFF
Brother Donald Eugene Neff passed away on February 23, 2025, in Dayton, OH, at the age of 94.
Click here to read his obituary.
Good to Know
Brother Receives Doctorate
Vice President of Mission and Rector at Chaminade University of Honolulu (CUH), Bro. Ed Brink, was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters.
This honorary degree was presented during the university’s 67th commencement for undergraduates. Bro. Brink has been vice president at the university since 2016 and is a mentor to many students. The university is immensely grateful for all Bro. Ed has contributed. Dr. Lance Askildson, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Chaminade, described Brink as an “esteemed educator, mentor, and servant-leader” who has devoted his life and vocation to “lead with compassion and to serve with humility.”
Bro. Ed will be taking on a new role this summer as Director of Novices for the Marianist Province of the United States in Dayton, OH.
Welcome New Lay Marianists
We want to extend a warm welcome to our newest professed Lay Marianists. On Sunday, April 27, in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at University of Dayton (UD), UD students Alexandria Ford, Jonah Grimberg, Anna Kopsick, and Kieran Winthrop professed their commitment to be Lay Marianists.
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
All Things Marian podcast from the International Marian Research Institute
Justice Jottings from the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative
AMU Newsletter from the Association of Marianist Universities
Region Update #90 from the Marianist Region 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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