“It was one of the best weeks of my life and changed my faith in ways I could have never imagined,” declared Ryan Eilermann, a junior at Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis.

“LIFE helped strengthen my faith,” noted Natalya Garcia, a senior at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton, OH.

“I truly believe I am where I am today because of LIFE,” stated Theresa Mayorga, a participant in 2019 and auxiliary moderator in 2025.

What exactly is this LIFE (Living In Faith Experience) that warrants such passionate reviews from teenagers and young adults? It’s a Marianist summer program, a faith-formation experience for high school students and moderators.

This summer, 151 students from 17 Marianist schools in the U.S. Province, two from the Province of Meribah, St. Laurence College in Ireland, and two non-Marianist institutions, along with 61 adults, attended one of two Summer LIFE opportunities. One was held in June in Occidental, CA, and the other in Dayton, OH, in July.

DeDe Barth has participated in 15 Summer LIFE programs, formerly as a moderator and now as the national coordinator, and continues to be amazed. “Every time I am in awe of the community built during our time at LIFE and the impact it continues to have on our faith journeys for the rest of our lives,” she said.

“My LIFE experience truly shaped the direction of my life. At LIFE, I first learned about the Marianist Leadership Program (MLP) at St. Mary’s University, which I later applied for and joined. I never would have chosen St. Mary’s without MLP. There, I learned about Marianist PULSE, a year of service program that I just completed this past year,” shared Mayorga. It’s what prompted her to pursue being a physician assistant caring for underserved populations.

The takeaways of Summer LIFE may be different for each participant. Eilermann said the impression for him was “realizing that my faith will grow by helping others grow in their own.” Garcia revealed the keynote for her was “we have to learn how to trust people and help others.”

Everyone involved agrees that it is a life-changing encounter and one they encourage everyone to experience.

“It ignited my faith. I can never replicate what I felt, but I can share it. If I were able, I would make it a required trip. Jesus moved through the trees there, and I could feel it; therefore, finding myself compelled to tell anyone who listens what I experienced that week,” exclaimed Eilermann.

“One thing I want to share with my school is that if you have the opportunity to attend LIFE, do it because it will change your life,” said Garcia.

“Serving as an auxiliary moderator reminded me of how God moved in my life through LIFE and how he would continue to move through the lives of all the students who spend a piece of their summer at LIFE,” noted Mayorga.

Blessed was the theme for this year’s program, inspired by the song “I’m so Blessed“ by Cain. The program was blessed by the following vowed Marianists who shared their time, talents and presence: Fr. Bob Jones, Fr. Peter Heiskell, Bro. Brandon Alana, Bro. Chicago Schuller, and Bro. Peter Sennert. Novice Paul Pruski also served on the coordinating team.

Chaminade University Announces New Board of Regents

Chaminade University of Honolulu has appointed two respected Hawai‘i business leaders to its Board of Regents, strengthening the university’s mission-driven leadership as it celebrates its 70th year of educating students. The two new members are David Oyadomari and Kristine Stebbins.

Oyadomari is the founder and managing director of Ekklesia Capital, an innovation and strategy firm that supports small business growth. He serves on Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication advisory board and actively participates in community service, including work with the Hoea Foundation and Kakaako Christian Fellowship.

Stebbins is the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Bank of Hawaii, with nearly three decades of experience in digital marketing, brand strategy, and customer engagement. She has been a longtime supporter of the university and is a dedicated community advocate, mentoring local entrepreneurs and serving on the board of the Girl Scouts and other initiatives.

Chaminade University President Lynn Babington said, “Each is dedicated to the service-focused mission of Chaminade University, and each brings extensive experience as business and community leaders.”

Marian Library Receives Gift of Art & History

West Virginia researcher John Shaffer has donated his collection of works by the Italian artist Ezio Anichini to the Marian Library. In 2022, he loaned his artwork to the University of Dayton for a major exhibit.

Shaffer, who retired in 2017 as director of arts programming at the State University of New York at Oswego, began building his collection after seeing illustrations the artist had done for Dante’s Divine Comedy. When he discovered that the Marian Library had one of just a few copies in the world of a book featuring Anichini’s work, he reached out for more information. So began a collaboration that resulted in the exhibit A Vision of Art and Faith: The Litany of Loreto and the Work of Ezio Anichini (1886-1948). 

The John Shaffer Collection on the Works of Ezio Anichini, 1886-1948, which contains more than 250 items, can be viewed at the Marian Library (appointments are preferred). Can’t make it to the Marian Library to see the artwork in person? Selected items in the collection have been digitized and are now available for browsing in eCommons, the University’s institutional repository. Click here to read more.

Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship Awarded

An English teacher at Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, OH, was awarded the Auschwitz Legacy Fellowship. Mandy Ocariz underwent an application process and interview before being selected as one of 44 teachers across the country chosen for the fellowship. It is a year-long, fully funded educational program for high school teachers, launched by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation (ABMF) to deepen Holocaust education in the United States. The program includes intensive pre-trip preparation, a transformative trip to Poland to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and other historical sites, and the opportunity for the selected teachers to bring their firsthand knowledge and empathy-driven lessons back to their students and communities for years to come.

Congratulations, Fr. Jim Heft!

Fr. Jim Heft has been distinguished as the 2025 Marianist Award recipient. Established in 1950, the Marianist Award was originally presented to scholars who made outstanding contributions to Mariology in America. In 1967, the concept for the award was broadened to honor individuals who made outstanding contributions to humanity.

In 1986, Fr. Jim Heft, then provost at the University of Dayton, and Bro. Raymond Fitz, then president of UD, redesigned the award to honor a Roman Catholic whose work has made a major contribution to intellectual life.

Now, 39 years later, Fr. Jim joins quite a distinguished group of scholars /theologians as he was bestowed the award.

Spirituality as an Asset in Leadership Development

By Dr. Jessica González Uhlig, Catholic Administrator and Educator

In today’s fast-paced and often fragmented world, leadership development programs tend to prioritize competencies like strategic thinking, communication, and data-driven decision-making. While these are undoubtedly important, they are incomplete without grounding in a deeper sense of purpose and ethical direction. With more than 20 years of experience in Marianist education and formation, I have come to believe that spirituality is not only a vital support to leadership—it is a powerful asset.

In Marianist circles, we learn that leadership is not just a role; it is a vocation. Founders such as Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, Venerable Marie Thérèse de Lamourous, and Blessed Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon modeled leadership that was rooted in deep prayer, community, and a vision larger than themselves. They show us that true leadership begins with the inner life—with cultivating virtues such as humility, courage, and fidelity to one’s values.

Click here to read the full article.

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

Honor Bestowed Posthumously

On Friday, September 26, 2025, Bro. Carmine Annuziata, SM (1931-2022), was honored at a banquet with the distinguished medal of honor by the Alumni Association of St. James Catholic High School in Chester, PA. This medal honors and expresses the respect and love for Bro. Carmine and his 16 years at St. James.

Bro. Stephen Glodek, SM, wrote the biography and acceptance letter for this honor for the Marianist Province of the United States. Lance Lohr, a former student of Bro. Carmine and, subsequently, a fellow faculty member at St. James High School, accepted the honor on behalf of the Society of Mary.

Celebrating 175 Years of Marianist Presence

The University of Dayton (UD) marked its 175th anniversary on Sept. 3, the date the first students attended class at what was then known as Saint Mary’s School for Boys. The anniversary was commemorated on that day with special events, but the celebrations continue with a pair of exhibits showcasing stories of UD’s history with artifacts, archives, art and more.

“Forever Marianist: 175 Years of Marianist Presence at UD,”  focusing on the foundational and ongoing impact of Marianists on the UD campus, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays now through Oct. 31, in the Marian Library Gallery.

“Honoring Our History: UD at 175” explores how UD has flourished and adapted to foster its welcoming community guided by Marianist values from its humble beginnings as a school for boys to a top-tier national research university. It is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Stuart and Mimi Rose Gallery.

E-mail [email protected] for more information on the exhibits.

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