Chapter 1 THE IDENTITY OF THE MARIST BROTHER IN THE CHURCH

The Origin of the Institute

1. On January 2nd, 1817, Marcellin Champagnat founded the lay religious Institute of the Little Brothers of Mary¹. He saw it as forming a branch of the Society of Mary².

In 1863 the Holy See approved us as an autonomous Institute of pontifical right. While respecting our original name, it gave us the title of Marist Brothers of the Schools (F.M.S.- Fratres Maristae a Scholis)³.