Season of Creation 2025 Theme Presentation - Peace with Creation.                             Français & Español - ver abajo Isaiah 32:14-18 "For the palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, the joy of wild asses, a pasture for flocks. Until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness, and tr...

The Oceania Marist Project of Tutu Rural Training Centre (TRTC), Taveuni, Fiji, recently concluded its annual staff seminar on high note, marking the beginning of a transformative journey for six new staff members. The seminar provided an opportunity for deep reflection, learning and alignment with TRTC's vision* and mission. * The week began with a three-day retreat focused on Marist Spirituality, allowing new and existing staff to immerse themselves in the foundational values of humility, simplicity and service. This was followed by two days of formation, emphasizing the significance of enfleshing TRTC's vision and Mission in daily operations and community engagements. A Highlight of the s...

Resilience and Sustainability: The Laudato Si' Project's Mission in Yaounde                          Traduction française - ci-dessous In the heart of Nkoloman, Yaounde, lies the Laudato Si' Project, a promising agricultural initiative dedicated to sustainability and community empowerment. Spread across five hectares of land owned by the Marist Fathers of the District of Africa, this project has been steadily growing over the past 12 years. Seven years ago, it adopted the name "Laudato Si'," inspired by the encyclical of Pope Francis, which emphasises the importance of caring for our planet and living sustainably. The proj...

Fr Ted Keating SM USA sent this article in recent days from the New York Times: 05 Dec 2024 A Landmark Court Case - Vanuatu                                           Traduction française - voir ci-dessous Judges in The Hague are weighing what, exactly, international law requires countries to do about global warming. The most important climate case that a lot of people haven't heard about is playing out this week and next at the International Court of Justice. The court, based in The Hague, adjudicates disputes between nations and issues advisory opinions on big international legal is...

SMNZ JPIE Hui November, Pukekaraka 2024 Recently a small group of Marists gathered at Pukekaraka marae, Ōtaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand. We are the Justice, Peace and Integral Ecology group for the SMNZ Province. We share a common concern for all the "wicked problems" that exist in our world today ie., war, inequality, the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, pollution, populist-authoritarian leaders, racism, colonization, sexism, ageism, housing, drug abuse etc. We are an ordinary bunch of Kiwi men with many years of ministry in various fields, overseas and here in Aotearoa. We reflected, prayed and ate together at Pukekaraka, our Marist Marian Shrine. We reflected on this period that many ...

Oceania Catholic Bishops Key Statements      -     https://cepac.info            Traduction française ci-dessous Fossil Fuel Root Cause of Climate Change The Oceania Catholic Bishops concur with science by reminding the world that fossil fuel is the key driver of climate change. Fossil fuels causes carbon emission which in turn contributes to global warming. Global warming melts the ice and causes sea level rise. The root cause of climate change is fossil fuels. Therefore, the Oceania Bishops strongly say NO TO FOSSIL FUEL. The solution is to seek alternative sources of power. Weak Commitments Towards the Paris Agreement The Oc...

We the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Pacific speak from the Oceania to communicate the prophetic and pastoral voice of the Churches and the vulnerable voices of peoples' regarding the threats of climate change. The Oceania Context Our home, Oceania includes the three island sub-regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, plus Australia and New Zealand. Our home is made up of 14 independent countries and approximately 10,000 islands. Our Oceania home has around 43.2 million people which makes up about 0.54% of the world's population. Our Oceania home is vulnerable from two main threats, namely climate change and economic exploitation and both have destructive impacts on the environ...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                           Traduction française - voir ci-dessous A global ecumenical process is underway for various Christian churches to jointly elevate Creation Day (September 1), also known as the World Day of Prayer for Creation, to become a liturgical feast. A working group co-convened by the UISG-USG JPIC commission, Laudato Si' Movement, and Laudato Si' Research Institute is coordinating the participation of Catholic organizations and congregations in the process. Below is some background on the proposed feast, as well as invitations for your...

Marist School's Commitment to Sustainability: Embracing the Season of Creation At Marist School in Atlanta, GA, we are proud to embrace the Catholic Church's Season of Creation by fostering a deep sense of environmental stewardship and sustainability among our students. This special time in the liturgical calendar calls upon us to reflect on our role as caretakers of God's creation and to take meaningful actions that promote the well-being of our planet. This year, Marist students are leading the way with several new initiatives and projects that reflect their commitment to sustainability and the Earth. Launching the Eco-Garden Club Thanks to a generous $1,000 grant from the Our Lady of Vict...

François Grossin, mariste français en Nouvelle-Calédonie, a envoyé cet article récent : For English - see below 2024-08 27. Montée des eaux dans le Pacifique : analyse du géopolitologue du climat François Gemenne La montée des eaux continue de faire des dégâts à Ouvéa, sur la plus petite des trois îles Loyauté. Elle est particulièrement visible en bord de plage. • ©Gaël Detcheverry/ NC la 1ère Interrogé sur franceinfo ce mardi 27 août, François Gemenne, géopolitologue du climat - membre du GIEC et professeur à « L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris », célèbre institution de science politique familièrement appelée « Sciences-Po Paris » - soulève la question de la disparition des territoire...

Broadening Our Marist Mission of Reconciliation to Creation                -         Version française ci-dessous by Samu Tukidia, SM, Formator, Marist College Suva, Fiji and Lecturer in Philosophy, Pacific Regional Seminary, Suva, Fiji We live in an era of brokenness and fragmentation both within the human environment and natural environment. Violence in its many forms dominates our headlines. How do we as Marists respond to such times? Fr. John Larsen, SM, the Superior General of the Society of Mary, once noted that as Marists we are called to be "bridge-builders, instruments of reconciliation, (and) bearers of the Good ...

This year, 2024, September 1 falls on a Sunday. Here are some ideas to celebrate it – you can pick one or a combination. (See also more context about the feast below.) Before, or after, the Sunday Eucharist: (Could be tied to your Sunday service, immediately before or after, or could be done ecumenically at another time that day) ●  Invite your community to ponder this great mystery by praying the "Via Creationis" (or "Way of Creation", inspired by the Via Crucis format). ●  Pray the Vespers service (evening prayer) of the Orthodox Church for September 1. ●  Organize a Creation-themed prayer for your community using resources such as those of the Season of Creat...

UISG - USG Document: Contributions for the Synod on the Synodality In a significant move towards shaping the future of the Catholic Church, the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the Union of Superiors General (USG) have released their 2024 contribution to the ongoing discussion on "How To Be A Church In Mission?" This collaborative effort responds to questions posed by the General Secretariat of the Synod on March 14, 2024, reflecting a global perspective from religious leaders worldwide. The contribution synthesizes responses from UISG and USG members across the globe, organized into five key themes: - Co-Responsibility for Mission; - Authority, Governance and Participatio...

On May 11, 2024, I, Lauro da Silva Ferreira, at the request of the Assistant General Father Ben McKenna, I joined the Meeting of the Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation – JPIC Roma, of the USG [Union of Superiors General-men]/UISG [International Union of Superiors General – women]. The meeting took place at: Piazza di Ponte Sant'Angelo. Pour la traduction française voir ci-dessous The first factor that struck me was the number of participants. Representatives from more than seventy different religious congregations. The vast majority were first-time members of the commission. For this reason, I believe, the meeting took place with an introductory bias, in the sense of pre...

Fr Ted Keating - USA Marist - continues to give us the main points of a recent Recollection Day: on Spirituality and Consciousness: Spirituality and Consciousness: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ                          Traduction française - voir ci-dessous (Talking points from PowerPoint presentation by Ted Keating, SM) Human Consciousness and the Incarnation •Genesis says that after the creation of the natural world, Adam and Eve were created by God by blowing His breath into their nostrils giving them life out of the very breath of God. (Spirit) •They were also created in the image and likeness of God making it po...

Fr Ted Keating - USA Marist - gives us the main points of a recent Recollection Day: on Spirituality and Consciousness:  Spirituality and Consciousness: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ              Traduction française - voir ci-dessous (Talking points from PowerPoint presentation by Ted Keating, SM) Consciousness    •What you are sitting in here and using today. •No good definitions because we would have to use what we are trying to examine in examining it—consciousness. •This is a new inquiry and analysis for humanity likely touching into a new evolution of consciousness itself while we are reflecting on it. •Comparison to the Axial Age...

Title: Cultivating Sustainability: A Visit to Bishop O'Dowd Catholic School In January, I traveled with my colleague, Mike Burns, to explore the thriving culture of sustainability at Bishop O'Dowd Catholic School in Oakland, CA. With our President of Marist School Atlanta, J.D. Childs, having come from Bishop O'Dowd and spoken highly of their sustainability initiatives, we sought to learn how they have built an ingrained culture of sustainability. Our first stop was the Bishop O'Dowd Center for Environmental Studies, a LEED Platinum Certified Building that serves as the epicenter of their environmental science and engineering program. The seamless integration of indoor and outdoor spaces was...

Dear confreres and friends Laudato Si' Week "Seeds of Hope", started on May 19, Pentecost Sunday, and closes on May 26, Holy Trinity Sunday. This year the Laudato Si Movement are proposing different themes and actions for each day of the week, ways to put it into practice, its importance and impact on our planet. Please, find the celebration guide at the following links and share within your network: link in Spanish link in English link in French link in Italian link in Portuguese Also consider that in the "resources" section it is possible to download the social media kit for a better promotion (including the logo). Chers confrères et amis, la Semaine Laudato Si' « Semences d'espérance », a...

Fr Paddy O'Neil, Kiwi Marist based in Brazil, writes:                                        Traduction française - voir ci-dessous : Recently I had the opportunity of visiting Tabatinga, a town on the Rio Solimõesin the remote Amazon region where Brazil, Peru and Colombia meet. Arriving in Tabatinga one late afternoon I was warmly welcomed by members of the International Community of the Marist Brothers, which at the moment consists of Brother Luke Fong, FMS from Fiji and three lay volunteers: a married couple (Marcio from Brazil and Laura from Mexico) and Alessandra from Guatemala. They run ...

This week's blog is Chapter 2- Communities for Mission, from Fr John Larsen's recently released Letter to the Society of Mary: Like Mary, Bearers of Hope.         Pour la version française - voir ci-dessous.        Nazareth From our first beginnings Nazareth has always been an important symbol for us as Marists. For Father Jean-Claude: "Our spirit, the spirit of the Society … I personally find it in all its fulness in the house at Nazareth" (F.S. 188, 12) Nazareth speaks of a small village where people grew together in faith together with Mary, Joseph and their son. It was far from the centres of power, whether Jerusalem or Rome or elsewhere,...