Embracing Our Roots – Forging Our Future
The future of the Marianist mission took center stage in Dayton, OH,
In The News
Chapel’s Open-Air Design Applauded
A place built to bring people together is being recognized for doing that in a new, unique way. The new Mystical Rose Oratory Pavilion, an extension of the Chaminade University of Honolulu and St. Louis School campus, was recently celebrated for its design excellence. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honolulu annually highlights projects that positively impact their communities. This year’s competition featured 23 professional entries, with the Mystical Rose Oratory Pavilion spotlighted in the People’s Choice Awards. (UPDATE with which award given.)
Completed in June 2026, the pavilion extends the university’s Mystical Rose Oratory with a covered open-air gathering space and landscaped amphitheater. Inspired by the chapel’s original radial geometry, the design embraces Hawaii’s climate while creating a welcoming space for Masses, celebrations, and community gatherings.
The AIA Honolulu Design Award reflects more than architectural excellence—it celebrates a Marianist space intentionally designed to nurture faith, foster community, and openly welcome all who gather there.
Campus Today – College Ready Tomorrow
St. Mary’s University announced a new high school dual credit partnership with Holy Cross of San Antonio.
Beginning in Fall 2026, qualifying Holy Cross juniors and seniors will be able to take dual credit courses on the St. Mary’s University campus, earning both high school and college credit. Students may take up to two courses per semester, not to exceed eight credit hours per semester, with a maximum of 29 credit hours available through the program. Course options include U.S. government, algebra, history, environmental science, criminal justice, global affairs, philosophy, Spanish, theology, literature and more.
St. Mary’s University currently partners with the other four Catholic high schools in San Antonio to offer dual credit courses on the high school campuses. This new partnership with Holy Cross marks the first time St. Mary’s will welcome dual credit students to take courses on the University’s campus rather than at their high school.
Flyer Farm Feeds Community
The University of Dayton’s (UD) Flyer Farm is cultivating more than fresh produce this summer — it’s growing community, connection, and opportunity.
As part of a partnership with Sinclair College, English as a Second Language students are gaining hands-on experience at UD’s self-sustaining urban farm, where they are planting and caring for vegetables and herbs native to their home countries. Working alongside UD student employees, the project gives participants a welcoming environment to practice English, share their cultures, and build meaningful relationships within the Flyer family.
“My students can acquire new skills and apply prior knowledge and experience to grow usable, familiar crops. In addition, the students are building community connections,” explained Kirsten Goeller, Sinclair College professor of English and English for speakers of other languages. The harvest will help stock food pantries on both campuses and throughout the Dayton community, extending the farm’s impact well beyond its fields.
Located just steps from UD’s main campus, Flyer Farm serves as a living classroom where students from a variety of majors care for chickens, bees, orchards and gardens while leading sustainable initiatives such as composting food scraps collected from residence halls and campus offices. Through partnerships like this one, Flyer Farm continues to embody the university’s commitment to learning, service, and caring for the common good.
Flyer Farm Facts
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- The farm harvested 12,000lbs of crops, which were donated in 2024 and 2025.
- In 2025, more than 100 tons of food waste were picked up, saving tens of thousands of dollars and producing hundreds of tons of compost.
- UD students are raising bees, harvesting honey, and selling it in the university bookstore, with profits going right back to the upkeep of the bees.
- Municipalities, solid waste districts, and surrounding universities have contacted Flyer Farm in hopes of imitating it.
- A second partnership with a Sinclair horticulture class led to the planting of 20 fruit trees in the Flyer orchard.
✨Service Spotlight 🔦
PULSE with Purpose
Next year is our 10th anniversary and our 10th PULSE community. I’ll reach out soon to see if there are ways we can highlight the anniversary throughout the year!
Details
Event by Marianist PULSE
Monday, July 20 509 Grafton Ave, Dayton, OH 45406-5206, United States
Duration: 7 hr
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook
We’re calling on friends to help us with the PULSE yard and house. MP10 arrives at the end of July and we’d love to have the house in welcome-order!
A few hours of pruning, gardening, moving furniture and preparing bedrooms will be extremely helpful.
Come at anytime and stay as long as you are able. Dinner will be provided at 6pm.
Marianist Moments
A New Home for Hope
Marianist Brother and physician Dr. Bob Donovan recently celebrated an exciting milestone in his ministry to help underserved people. On July 8, The Center for Respite Care in Cincinnati—which Bro. Bob helped found and oversees medical operations—held a groundbreaking celebration for its future home.
The new facility, located just a few blocks away in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, is expected to open in early 2027.
While the new Center will continue offering 20 beds, ground-level
rooms will now make it possible to welcome individuals with mobility challenges who cannot safely access the current facility’s third-floor location. Owning the building also provides greater flexibility to expand and strengthen the Center’s life-changing mission, while a dedicated parking lot will make access easier for staff, volunteers, and visitors.
As renovations continue through the support of a capital campaign, Bro. Bob’s compassionate ministry reminds us that Marianists are called to meet people where they are—offering not only medical care, but the respect, hospitality, and hope that help restore lives.
If you’d like to donate to its capital campaign fund, click here.
Pray With Us
Please join us in prayer for these members of the Marianist Family.
Fr. Lawrence Schoettelkotte, 87, died on June 28, 2026, in Centerville, OH, with 67 years of religious profession. Father Larry was a cheerful, dedicated Marianist with an easy smile. He spent three decades as a high school teacher, chaplain, and guidance counselor. In his later years, he served in parish ministry. Sometimes referred to as “Father Runner” by his friends, Fr. Larry was an avid runner most of his adult life, typically running for about two hours daily. “He was a man of energy and movement, as much at home on a running route as he was at the altar. That same restless generosity carried over into everything he did,” said Bro. Charlie Johnson. Click here for the full obituary. Click here to see pictures.
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 2026 Jubilarians! On June 25, jubilarians were celebrated at the Province Assembly in Dayton, OH. You can click here to learn more. This concludes our FamilyOnline highlight of them.
BROTHER THOMAS SUDA – 60 years of profession
I was born in 1947 and grew up in Affton, MO, where I attended Seven Holy Founders grade school and St. John Vianney High School. The decision to attend Vianney guided me toward choosing religious life and my vocation as a Marianist
Brother. Several brothers who befriended me during those years encouraged me to enter religious life, and with their friendship and my belief in God, I made the choice to enter the Society of Mary at the end of high school. I began my life as a Marianist in July 1965 at the Novitiate in Galesville, WI, and professed my First Vows in August 1966. Click here to read more.
BROTHER JEFFREY SULLIVAN – 60 Years of profession
My life as a Marianist actually started two years before I professed my First Vows, when I attended my brother Tim’s First Profession in 1964. I saw something special and attractive about the brothers as they lived their lives together. In the short time I was there with my brother, I saw family spirit, hospitality, a deep sense of prayer, and a happiness that they shared with one another. These things, along with what he shared in the letters he wrote home during his novitiate year, confirmed my desire to follow in his footsteps and see if religious life was what God was calling me to do for my life’s work. Click here to read more.
BROTHER MICHAEL SULLIVAN – 50 years of profession
Born in 1949 and raised in Pueblo, CO, I come from a family of 10 children. Although we had a few disagreements and challenges along the way, we
grew up to be best friends with much support and encouragement for one
another. We were blessed with parents who always let us know that we were loved and cared about. I often tell people that I have two families—my birth family and the Marianist family—and both have always supported and encouraged me. Click here to read more.
FR. DAVID MCGUIGAN – 25 Years of ordination
Born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1960, I attended St. Martin of Tours grade school, Cardinal Daugherty High School, and LaSalle University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 1983. Nine years later, I professed my First Vows at the St. Joseph Catholic Community in Sykesville, MD, on August 15, 1992, and was ordained there another nine years later on June 2, 2001. Click here to read more.
Good to Know
Marianist Heritage Tour
Are you ready to walk the holy ground where Marianist Charism was born?
The North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS) is excited to announce its upcoming Marianist Heritage Tour, taking place Oct. 5–15, 2027. This isn’t just a sightseeing tour; it is a journey into the spiritual DNA of the Marianist Family.
From the bustling streets of Bordeaux, France, where the Sodality was born and where Venerable Marie Thérèse ministered, to the quiet countryside of Blessed Adèle’s Agen and the sacred pillar in Saragossa, Spain, where Father Chaminade developed his world-changing vision, this trip brings history to life! Click here to learn more.
Check Out More Marianist News
Via Latina from the General Administration of the Society of Mary
Marianist Encounters Newsletters from the Marianist Family Encounters Project
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
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.
AMU Newsletter from the Association of Marianist Universities
St. Leonard’s Ledger from the St. Leonard Marianist Community
Region Update #105 from the Marianist Region of India
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