Leaves
from the
Marist
Laity
Branch
Newsletter of the
Marist Family Laity
Service Committee
MA
October 2007
NATIONAL CONFERENCE/
REGIONAL MEETING
Marist Laity have enjoyed two wonderful
national conferences in the past few years.
The first took place in 2000 in New Orleans
and was run by Marist laity from Atlanta and
New Orleans. The second was held 4 years
later in Boston and was sponsored by the
Marist Family Laity Service Committee
(MFLSC) and the laity from the Boston area.
Both meetings were well received and the
evaluations called for more such meetings. Of
course putting on such large meetings takes a
lot of hard work and a lot of time.
Volume 1, Number 2
Marist Laity website at http://maristlaity.com/
and click on Regional Gatherings under
Gatherings of Lay Marists then click on the
Santa Cruz items.)
Although billed as Regional,
it was open to all
Although billed as the Western Regional
Marist Laity Gathering, it was open to and
attended by laity from all over the USA who
shared their stories with and were inspired by
one another. This sharing helps all who
attend.
Is the Holy Spirit moving
you in this direction?
It literally takes more than a year of hard
work by a large group of laity to put on a
national conference. However, smaller
Recently a different, more intimate meeting
regional gatherings can be put on by fewer
people and have extremely good results. Have
was held in California. This was a regional
you and your group ever considered a
meeting of Marist Laity. Through the
regional day or weekend get-together? Why
inspiration of Ann Brown and the laity who
worked with her, the gathering took place in a not talk about it and pray over the idea? And
if the Holy Spirit does move you in that
beautiful retreat house in Santa Cruz over a
long weekend in May. All who attended were direction, be sure to invite the rest of us to
very positive about their experience. (To learn attend.
more about this California gathering go to the
Attendees were very positive
about their experience
Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us.
COMMENTS FROM SANTA CRUZ
Saint Peter Chanel, pray for us.
OUR NEW NAME
Being at the conference was wonderful ...With
In response to our request for help in finding a
all the wonderful people ...
name for this newsletter you offered 17
names. Our thanks to all who offered their
I liked all the talks and presentations
suggestions.
reviewing the Marist charism ...
I could really see how we are truly a Society - of Mary, ... how we are a Marian church
whose acceptance of many forms of prayers
and ministries works to include everyone of
the universal church. We all belong to
Mary...
The name we chose has the double meaning
of the 5 Marist branches with their leaves and
also of a leaf as a page of a book or
newsletter.
I see the fruits of the Marist mission in the
Pacific in members who came from Tonga.
They brought with them a simpler, kinder life
that directs [one] to choose the same in our
fast paced modern world ... We will have a
poorer, simpler church, but we will be simple,
happy, and have true love for one another
HELP SPREAD THE WORD...This 2nd issue is
being mailed or emailed to you. It will also
appear on our website as will future issues which
will be emailed to each group for which we have
an email address
Please tell the members of your group
about us. For anyone who has email, we will be
pleased to add you to our mailing list.
Fr. Craddock did well to choose the theme of
Mary, Star of the Sea. Mary, Star of the Sea,
enlightens our soul and guides us in these
dangerous times to a brighter world and
future.

Our Newest Subcommittee
In an effort to encourage regional Gatherings,
the MFLSC has established a subcommittee
under the leadership of Ann Brown. Its
purpose is to encourage and to assist laity to
hold regional gatherings. We look forward to
this exciting beginning.
Notre Bonne Mère, pray for us.

VOLUNTEER...Why not make copies of our
Newsletter for those who do not have email?
FUTURE ISSUES...We publish when we and
you have something to say, so send us your
suggestions, your queries, your announcements
and your email address.

The Marist MFLSC serves Marist Laity in the USA
associated with any of the four vowed branches of the
Marist Family: the Marist Fathers and Brothers (SM),
the Marist Sisters (SM), the Marist Missionary Sisters
(SMSM), and the Marist Brothers (FMS).
.
Editor: Gene Zirkel, 472 Village Oaks Lane, Babylon
LI NY 11702-3123, (631) 669 0273,
[email protected].
Saint Marcellin Champagnat, pray for us.
Let us remember to pray for one another.