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1: Disciples of Marcellin Champagnat
Since his mother and his aunt had not been able to advance his reading to a satisfactory standard, Marcellin was sent to a school Master whose task was to perfect his reading and teach him to write. On his first day of attendance, as he was very timid and didn’t leave the place he was given, the teacher called him to his side to read; but just as he arrived, another pupil took up a position in front of him. Then the teacher, somewhat angered and perhaps thinking that he would please young Marcellin, vigorously boxed the ears of the child who wanted to read first and sent him off sobbing to the back of the room. This was hardly calculated to reassure the new pupil and banish his timidity; so he said later, he had shaken all over and was more inclined to cry than to read.
Marcellin’s discerning mind was indignant at this cruel act and he vowed never to return to a school run by such a teacher; the ill-treatment inflicted, without reason, on that child showed him what was in store for himself; at the first opportunity, the same could happen to him; he therefore refused to have anything to do with that man’s lessons, still less with his punishments. Indeed he was unwilling to return to that teacher in spite of the reiterated entreaties of his parents.
Marcellin’s decision to study Latin was not a passing whim. His parents doubted his ability to do so and tried to dissuade him, pointing out the trouble he had experienced in learning to read and the lack of taste he had shown for study. Their words fell on deaf ears. He was no longer interested in the farm- work or the little business deals that used to mean so much to him. . .
After a year with that uncle (a teacher), who spared no pains but had little success, he was against Marcellin’s entering the seminary. "Your child", he advised the parents, "persists in his determination to study for the priesthood, but you would be mistaken to let him do so; he hasn’t the ability to succeed." ...Marcellin had prayed and reflected for the whole year and was not the least put off by his uncle’s speech or his parents’ remarks. "Get my things ready", he insisted. "I am determined to go to the seminary. I shall succeed because it is God who calls me." As there was still reluctance to buy his outfit, he added: "Don’t let the expense be a problem! I have money to pay for it." His clothing was, in fact, paid for from his savings.
About this time (1812 - 1815) the foundation of the Society of Mary was laid. A few seminarians, led by (Courveille), John Claude Colin and Marcellin Champagnat, used to have frequent meetings to reinforce their piety and their practice of priestly virtues. Zeal for the salvation of souls and the best means to that end, were what they normally discussed. Their exchange of feelings about this goal and plans for it, gave rise to the idea of founding a Society of Priests. . . Ths elite group had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, a fact which prompted them to place the new society under the patronage of the Mother of God and gave it Mary’s name. . . In one such meeting, it was agreed to go together on pilgrimage to Fourvière and to lay their plans at the feet of Mary. . .
However, the plans of the new Association made no provision for Teaching Brothers. It was Marcellin Champagnat alone who conceived their institution and who alone put his idea into execution. He would often say to his companions: "We must have Brothers! We must have Brothers to teach catechism, to help the missionaries and to conduct schools."
Having been born in the township of Saint-Genest-Malifaux (Loire), I became aware, because of the extreme difficulty I encountered in learning to read and write, of the urgent necessity of creating a society which could, with less expense, provide for the rural areas the good education which the Brothers of the Christian Schools provide for the cities.
Champagnat to the Minister of Public Instruction, 1837, Letters, 159
1.6 The "Montagne": experience:
(Father Champagnat) was summoned to a hamlet one day, in order to hear a sick boy’s confession. (His name was Jean-Baptiste Montagne, living in the hamlet of Les Palais, beyond Le Bessat. He was born on May 10th 1800 and died on October 28th 1816). As usual, he set out at once. Before proceeding with the confession, he put a few questions to make sure that he was sufficiently instructed to receive the sacraments. To his great surprise, the child knew nothing about the principal mysteries and, in fact, didn’t even know whether God existed. Greatly upset at finding a seventeen year-old in such ignorance, and fearing that he would die in such a state, he sat down beside him to teach him the mysteries and truths necessary for salvation. It took him two hours for the instruction and confession. It was extremely difficult to impart even the most fundamental truths, to a child who was so sick that he scarcely grasped what was being said.
Having heard his confession, and helped him make several acts of love of God and of contrition as a preparation for death, the priest left him, to minister to a sick person in an adjoining house. As he went out, he asked after the sick youth, to be told by his tearful parents that he had died a moment after the priest’s departure. He felt an upsurge of joy at having been there so opportunely .. . .
He went home overwhelmed by those feelings and saying over and over to himself: "How many children are in the same predicament every day, exposed to the same dangers because they have no-one to teach them the truths of faith"
Then he became obsessed with overwhelming intensity, by the thought of founding a Society of Brothers to obviate such disasters through the Christian education of children.
1.7 Training the young Brothers at La Valla
(Marcellin) longed for the day when his Brothers would teach. Meanwhile, since they were not yet up to standard, he employed a lay teacher, and he did so to achieve two aims he believed necessary: to provide primary instruction for the children of the parish; to polish up the knowledge that the Brothers had already acquired and induct them into the method of teaching. . .
The teacher lived with the Brothers, set up his school in their house and the children soon filled it. The Brothers backed him up in his teaching, watched him in action, copied his style and adopted his method. In addition, out of school hours, he gave them their own lessons on the various aspects of teaching.
1.8 Choosing to live on the little they received
The Superior of the association of the Little Brothers of Mary. . . has the honour to inform Your Excellency that since the aim of the association is to make it easier for rural towns to obtain the benefits of education for their children with little expense, he has reduced the salary of each teaching Brother to the minimum. . .
. . . The sacrifices which we felt we should make in order to provide more conveniently the benefits of education for the large and deserving rural population allow us to get by, but only by dint of economy. . .
The sum … is already little enough to meet the expenses of the upkeep of three Brothers in a town. To reduce it still more would be, it seems to me, to snatch away from them, not only the miserable salary attached to the most thankless and difficult job of any citizen, but even their poor and unappetizing food…
Champagnat to the Mayor of Bourg-Argental, Letters, 8
(Marcellin) asked Father Colin to let him be part of that favoured group of missionaries setting out for Oceania. He wanted to devote his last days and his little remaining strength to the instruction and sanctification of non-Christians. Though greatly impressed by Marcellin’s zeal and devotedness, Father Colin reasoned with him that he could do more good in France than was possible in Oceania; that his particular mission was not to go in person to evangelise those peoples but to prepare for the task apostles full of zeal and the spirit of sacrifice. Obedience did not permit Father Champagnat to insist and his humility led him to believe that he was unworthy of the favour. Though he was resigned, he did not manage to conceal the strength of his longing.
(Note: With Bishop Pompallier there went, on December 24th, 1836: Fathers Servant, Bataillon, Bret and Chanel; Brothers Marie-Nizier, Michel and Joseph-Xavier.)
His parents, quite pleased with his orderliness and thrift, gave him two or three lambs which he was free to fatten and sell for himself. He certainly raised them very carefully, then sold them and bought others. . . his trade and saving soon allowed him to amass a tidy sum of six hundred francs. For a sixteen year old that was a lot of money; therefore, if he didn’t already consider himself rich, he saw prospects of his becoming so. Plans were laid to expand his small business. One of his brothers was to join forces with him and they would pool their resources in a life-long partnership.
1.12 Marcellin, builder and repairman
There was only the barn for the postulants to sleep in. To remedy that state of affairs, Marcellin worked for more than a week to repair the garret of the house and convert it into a dormitory. He used scrap timber to construct beds with his own hands. . . It was obvious that the house could not accommodate so many people and a new building was a matter of urgency. Marcellin did not hesitate to undertake its construction. . . . He was the architect of the new building; he ordered everything and directed everyone.
"If God blesses us," he reflected, "we could very well set up house there (in the valley of the Gier river)." Yet, before finally opting for that position, he combed the surrounding district with two of the principal Brothers to make sure that it was the best available. . . "That mad Champagnat," alleged several of his fellow-priests and many other people, "must have gone off his head. What does he think he’s doing? How is he going to pay for that house?" . . . Father Champagnat was well aware of what people were thinking and saying about him in public; but the talk of men had little influence on him, and he did not invoke the principles of human prudence to guide his life. So it was, that despite the large community on his hands, despite a debt of four thousand francs, despite a lack of money, and with confidence, (an unbounded one), in God alone, he fearlessly took on the construction of a house and chapel to accommodate one hundred and fifty people.
We are always repairing or building, and still we are cramped for space. We have made neither peace nor truce with the rocks of the Hermitage; we turn the soil, plant grapevines, and try to make the whole property productive.
1.13 Marcellin explains his purpose in founding the Institute:
Ordained a priest in 1816, I was assigned to a town in the district of St.-Chamond (Loire). What I saw with my own eyes in that new post, with reference to the education, reminded me of the difficulties I had experienced myself at their age, for lack of teachers.
Champagnat to Queen Marie-Amélie, Letters, 59
. . . A good education is the surest way to form good subjects for society. Unfortunately, most of the rural towns are deprived of that advantage: the insufficiency of local resources and the poverty of their inhabitants does not permit them to confide the education of their children to the Brothers of the Christian Schools, whose merits and ability are well known; hence the sad necessity of either letting their children grow up in disastrous ignorance, or (which is even more distressing), handing them over to teachers who are hardly capable of training them in the knowledge and virtues necessary for good citizens.
To eliminate these drawbacks, the undersigned, Marcellin Champagnat, a priest of the diocese of Lyons, seeing the zeal which the king and his government put into providing the great benefit of education for all levels of society, decided to create, near the city of St.-Chamond, an association of elementary teachers, under the name of LITTLE BROTHERS OF MARY, and drew up the following statutes in order to obtain an authorisation which would give the members of this society the means to carry out their important and demanding function in a legal and therefore more effective manner. . .
Champagnat to His Majesty, Louis -Philippe, King of France, Letters, 34
1.14 Marcellin teaching the children
(During his holidays from the seminary), frequently he would gather village children in his room to teach them prayers and catechism. On Sundays, even the adults were assembled and he spoke to them briefly but feelingly on the mysteries of religion, the duties of a Christian and on the way to assist at Mass and at other church services.
1.15 Marcellin’s success in teaching and preaching
The news spread through the parish (La Valla) like wildfire that Father Champagnat’s catechism classes were absorbingly interesting. Grown-ups were eager to hear them and flocked to them in large numbers on Sundays. He was forced to adapt his method slightly to suit the new listeners. So, having explained the text of the day’s lesson using short, clear and simple questions within the scope of the weakest minds, he then deduced the implications for moral conduct and offered reflections calculated to move their hearts and lead them to the practice of virtue. It didn’t matter which subject Father Champagnat was presenting, he had the gift of meeting the needs of each one whatever their status, age or circumstances.
1.17 Pedagogical innovations of Marcellin Champagnat
It is scarcely necessary to assure you that in the composing, or rather in the compiling of this work we faithfully followed the rules and instructions of our saintly Founder on the subject of the Education of Youth. We sought above all, to imbue our minds with his spirit, to revive and reproduce it, as far as we were able, in order that it might be conveyed to you and be perpetuated amongst us. We are fully convinced that this was our duty and our whole task.
In particular, our beloved Father devoted the usual two months’ vacation to training us to become efficient teachers and catechists, and in instructing us in the fundamental principles that constitute sound education.
Those who had the privilege of hearing him will remember that he entered into the minutest details of the subject and acquainted us with every point connected with the education of the child. They will not forget how feelingly he spoke of the children in the lowest class, or how warmly he exhorted the Brothers to lavish every care upon those young souls whom, by reason of their innocence, he designated as little angels. Nor will they fail to recall how definitely he pointed out the means that should be employed to instruct them in the first essential truths of religion, to train them in piety and virtue and also to make the steps in reading easier for them.
The love of God which filled his heart, and the tender affection he had for the children, revealed to him all their wants and the means of relieving them, as also the secret of winning their confidence, inclining them to virtue, inspiring them with piety and developing all the powers of their soul. This talent which, unknown to himself, he possessed in a high degree and the ardent zeal which animated him for the sanctification of children, and which he sought to impart to his Brothers in his daily instructions on the subject, are the features we have here endeavoured to trace for you.
(Brother François then mentions five points which, in the teaching methods of the Institute are the personal contribution of Father Champagnat):-
1. The method of teaching reading. . .
2. The qualities of sound discipline, which he based on moral authority and kindness, at a time when corporal punishment was in general use.
3. The method of teaching Catechism, and the pains he took to train good catechists.
4. The teaching of Singing, a subject then neglected in Primary Schools.
5. The rules concerning the training of the Junior Brothers.
Br. François, Preface to The Teacher’s Guide, (1931) pp. 5-7.
1.18 Personal Concern for his followers:
You should have no doubt that, because of the beautiful name of father which you give me, I consider you all as my dear children in Jesus and Mary and carry you all with affection in my heart. I am very touched by your wishes for me, and I will not forget them. In my prayers I will remember the one who made such beautiful wishes for me. I am very well aware of all the problems which all the illnesses of your co-workers can create for you. Take good care of yourself, so that you can carry out your difficult duties well. All the Fathers and Brothers are well. I will share your New Year’s wishes with them.
Be brave, dear friend, think how precious your occupation is in the eyes of God. Great saints and great men were happy to have a task which Jesus and Mary value so highly. Let these children come to me, for heaven belongs to them.
You have in your hands the price of the blood of Jesus Christ. After God, your many children will owe their salvation to you. Their whole life will be the echo of what you have taught them. Exert yourself, spare nothing to form their young hearts to virtue; make them realise that without virtue, without piety, without fear of God, they will never be happy; that there is not peace for the wicked. That only God can make them happy, that it was for him alone they were created. How much good you can do, dear friend !
Your parents are well. Your brother who was in the army died in Paris of severe head pains. Pray for him; regrets cannot do anything for him; all he needs is prayers.
I have many other things to tell you; I hope I will be able to tell them to you in person very shortly. I leave both of you in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. They are such good places !
I have the honour to be your very devoted father in Jesus and . . .
Champagnat, Superior of the Brothers, Notre Dame de l’Hermitage, 1831
My very dear Brother Barthélemy,
. . . I promise you that the very next trip I make to Lyons, I will come to see you. Be brave, good friend; it is enough that you and your co-worker are willing to teach many children. Even if you had no students at all, your reward would still be the same. Don’t get upset over the small number you have now. God holds the hearts of everyone in his hands; he will send you students when he sees fit; all you have to do is to be sure that no infidelity of yours stands in the way. You are where God wanted you to be, since you are where your superiors wanted you to be. I have no doubt that the Lord is rewarding you with many graces. . .
Champagnat, Superior, Notre Dame de l’Hermitage, 1831
Father Champagnat’s way of practising the exercise of the presence of God, consisted in believing with a firm and real faith that God is everywhere present, filling the universe with his immensity, with the works of his goodness, with his mercy and his glory. . . Everything was for him a motive to raise himself to God and bless him; so, on every occasion, his soul poured out acts of love, praise and thanksgiving.
This feeling of the presence of God kept his soul in unvarying peace and tranquillity. He emphatically reiterated that we have nothing to fear if we are with God and that nothing can harm us if we trust in Divine Providence.
1.20 Mary our Model and our Good Mother
There were two complements to all these practices in honour of Mary and to his devotion towards her. The Founder wanted these for his Institute and prescribed them, since he considered them indispensable. The first one was the imitation of her virtues. He insisted, therefore, that the Brothers’ love for Mary should lead them especially to acquire her spirit and to copy her humility, her modesty, her purity and her love of Jesus Christ. The poor and hidden life of the divine Mother and the sublime example she has given us ought to be the rule of conduct for the Brothers; each one should make such an effort to be like her that all his actions and his entire person are a reminder of Mary, and reflect her spirit and virtues.
The second stipulation was that the Brothers should consider themselves under a particular obligation to make Mary known and loved, to make her widely honoured and to inspire the children with devotion to her.
1.21 The Crib, the Cross and the Altar
I want the Little Brothers of Mary to be faithful followers of the newborn Jesus, of the dying Jesus, and of Jesus immolated on the altar. May they be faithful followers of Jesus in all the mysteries: his life, his activities, his sufferings; these should be the main subject of their meditations. . .
Do you know, Brothers, why I want you to be faithful followers of Jesus in his crib, on Calvary and on the altar? Because those three places are the three great fountains of grace; it is there above all that Jesus distributes it abundantly to his chosen ones. . .
Yes, God is everywhere, but particularly at the crib, the Cross and the altar; in other words, it is in those three places above all that his infinite love appears and reveals itself. . . It is in those three places that our poor hearts can better understand and feel how much he loves us. . .
Jesus came to bring sacred fire to earth; he spreads it everywhere in a thousand ways, but he has built three great hearths where all the saints and all fervent souls should come to be set on fire. These hearths are: the stable of Bethlehem, Calvary, and the altar. . . Go to the Saviour’s fountains and draw from them abundantly. . .
Opinions, Conferences, Sayings and Instructions, VI, p. 63
1.22 Marcellin’s compassion for the poor
One day, he was summoned on a sick call and hurried to the address, where he found a poor unfortunate covered with ulcers, lying on a little straw and with only a few rags to cover his nakedness and his sores. Moved to deep compassion at the sight of so much suffering and such great poverty, he first of all spoke a few sympathetic words to the sick man; then he ran home, sent for the Brother bursar and told him to go at once to the sick man’s place, taking along a straw mattress, sheets and blankets. The Brother pointed out that there was no spare mattress. "What!" he was asked, "not a single one in the house?" "Not one," came the reply, "and you may remember, Father, that I gave away the last one only a few days ago." "Well," he went on, "take the one from my bed and see that he gets it at once." It was not unusual for him to deprive himself in order to help the poor or to cater for the needs of his Brothers.
During the two months’ holidays, he often talked to the directors on the way the houses were to be governed, on the material administration and on the direction of the classes. In these talks, he gave great play to the qualities necessary for a good superior and the way to obtain them; to the obligations of a teacher and of a Brother Director, and to the way these duties should be carried out.
In his talks to them, the holy Founder left his Brothers completely free to put forward their difficulties and their doubts, and whatever was causing them trouble in the details of their work. The Brothers took full advantage of this freedom, and each one made his observations, put forward what he thought on a whole pile of questions of administration, or of the running of their houses, or asked him to point out what was in line with the Rule or with the spirit of the congregation in such and such circumstances, or how to act in all the situations in which a Br Director has to give a ruling.
He often took the senior Brothers as a kind of council, and did practically nothing without getting their opinion. He wanted to initiate the Brothers into the business of the Institute and to consult them on the rules he was drawing up and on the methods of teaching he wanted to adopt. This was a sure way of training their thinking, of putting their ideas right, of developing their judgement, so that they could deal with things later intelligently and successfully. Sometimes, after discussing the pros and cons of some measure in council, he confided the business to a Brother and left it to him to carrying it out successfully. But once the work was completed, the Brother had to give an account of how he had done it. The Founder then praised and approved what had been done well; pointed out how it could have been done to avoid some difficulty, overcome some obstacle, win over someone who disagreed, or simply said that if it had been done differently, it would have been done better.
2: Brother and Laity, together in mission, in the Church and in the world
2.1 Marcellin’s encouragement of others in the Christian education of youth:
May our Good Mother bless all your undertakings, bless you yourself, and preserve you for a long time in her good work which you direct.
Champagnat to Fr Mazelier, Superior of the Brothers of Christian Instruction, Letters 122
Since we all have the same aim and work for the same master, we want to be always united to you and work together with you.
I should like the same charity which binds you together as members of a single body to extend as well to all other Institutes. By the boundless love of Jesus Christ, I call on you most solemnly to beware of ever envying anybody, especially those whom God has called to the Religious Life to labour, like you, for the education of youth. Be the first to rejoice at their successes and to grieve at their misfortune. Recommend them often to God and to Mary. Yield to them without difficulty. Never give ear to any rumours that may discredit them. Let only the glory of God and the honour of Mary be your one aim and ambition.
Spiritual Testament, Constitutions and Statutes
2.4 Sharing in the education of children:
Three classes of persons have a share in the education of the child, namely the parents, the priest and the teacher.
1. The parents are the natural educators placed by Almighty God in charge of the child from his very cradle. It is they, in reality, who possess in the highest degree that affection and authority which are the two chief factors in education.
2. The priest is the representative of the Church who holds from her divine Founder Himself her mission of universal educator (Matt. 28:19-20). And besides this direct mission, the Church has a controlling authority over the moral and religious education provided both by the family and by the school.
3. The teacher who is the substitute and the coadjutor of the parents and of the priest, holds the next highest place in education, because his influence is exercised systematically over a period of years and at a time when the child is most susceptible to the influences around him.
The Teacher’s Guide, 1931, pp. 183-184
2.5 Image of Church as Communion
Communion with Jesus, which gives rise to the communion of Christians among themselves, is an indispensable condition for bearing fruit: "Apart from me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5). . . Communion and mission are profoundly connected with each other, they interpenetrate and mutually imply each other, to the point that communion represents both the source and the fruit of mission. . . On her part, the Church knows that the communion received by her as a gift is destined for all people.
Who then has this mission of evangelising? The Second Vatican Council gave a clear reply to this question: it is upon the Church that "there rests by divine mandate, the duty of going out into the whole world and preaching the gospel to every creature." And in another text: ". . . the whole Church is missionary, and the work of evangelisation is a basic duty of the People of God." . . .While the Church is proclaiming the Kingdom of God and building it up, she is establishing herself in the midst of the world as a sign and sacrament of this Kingdom which is and which is to come.
The whole Church therefore is called upon to evangelise, and yet within her we have different evangelising tasks to accomplish. The diversity of services in the unity of the same mission makes up the richness and beauty of evangelisation.
2.9 All the baptised are called to mission
The lay faithful, precisely because they are members of the Church, have the vocation and mission of proclaiming the Gospel: they are prepared for this work by the sacraments of Christian initiation and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Opening wide the doors to Christ, accepting him into humanity itself poses absolutely no threat to persons, indeed it is the only road to take to arrive at the total truth and the exalted value of the human individual.
This vital synthesis will be achieved when the lay faithful know how to put the Gospel and their daily duties of life into a most shining and convincing testimony, where not fear but the loving pursuit of Christ and adherence to him will be the factors determining how a person is to live and grow, and these will lead to new ways of living more in conformity with human dignity.
Humanity is loved by God! This very simple yet profound proclamation is owed to humanity by the Church. Each Christian’s words and life must make this proclamation resound: God loves you, Christ came for you, Christ is for you "the Way, the Truth and the Life!" (Jn 14:6)
The Second Vatican Council confirmed this tradition in its description of the missionary character of the entire People of God and of the apostolate of the laity in particular, emphasising the specific contribution to missionary activity which they are called to make. The need for all the faithful to share in this responsibility is not merely a matter of making the apostolate more effective, it is a right and duty based on their baptismal dignity, whereby "the faithful participate, for their part, in the threefold mission of Christ as Priest, Prophet and King."
Let’s make real partners of everyone who wants to share in our spirituality and our Mission. Let’s take the risk of losing a little power and be daring enough to collaborate freely with laypeople, not because there are far fewer of us now, but because we recognise their vocation and mission as baptised Christians.
XIX General Chapter, Message, 19
2.10 The Church and people of other faiths
At the beginning of the declaration on the relationship of the Church to non-Christian religions, the attention of the Church is drawn to "our times when every day people are being drawn closer together and the ties between various peoples are being multiplied. . . All peoples comprise a single community, and have a single origin. . . The Church rejects nothing which is true and holy in these religions. . . Through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other faiths, and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral good found in these faiths, as well as in the values in their society and culture. . . The Church rejects as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination . . . because of race colour, condition of life, or religion.
Another level (of the relationship between people of different faiths) is the dialogue of works . . . of a humanitarian, social, economic or political character which promote the liberation and development of humanity. . . The great problems besetting humanity inspire Christians to collaborate with others in the name of their respective faiths.
Dialogue and Mission, Secretariat for Non-Christians, 1984, 31
The lay faithful can favour the relations which ought to be established with followers of various religions through their example in the situations in which they live and in their activities.
The Holy Spirit, while bestowing diverse ministries in Church communion, enriches it still further with particular gifts or promptings of grace, called charisms. . . Whether they be exceptional and great or simple and ordinary, the charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit that have, directly or indirectly, a usefulness for the ecclesial community, ordered as they are to the building up of the Church, to the well-being of humanity and to the needs of the world. . . .These charisms are given to individual persons, and can even be shared by others in such ways as to continue in time a precious and effective heritage, serving as a source of spiritual affinity among persons.
Led by the Spirit, Marcellin was seized by the love that Jesus and Mary had for him and for others. His experience of this, as well as his openness to events and to people, is the wellspring of his spirituality and of his apostolic zeal. It made him sensitive to the needs of his times, especially to the ignorance concerning religion among young people and the poor circumstances in which they were placed.
His faith and eagerness to do God's will led him to realise that his mission was to "make Jesus Christ known and loved." He often said: "Every time I see a child, I long to teach him his catechism, to make him realise how much Jesus Christ has loved him." It was this attitude that led him to found our Institute for the Christian education of the young, especially those most in need .
2.13 Expressing the charism in different situations and cultures
The present-day relevance of Marcellin Champagnat’s charism is a challenge to our personal and community commitment to incarnate it in different situations and in different cultures. We all have a responsibility for this task.
2.14 Time for a new relationship between Religious and Laypeople
In recent years, one of the fruits of the teaching on the Church as communion has been the growing awareness that her members can and must unite their efforts, with a view to co-operation and exchange of gifts, in order to participate more effectively in the Church’s mission. . . Today, often as a result of new situations, many Institutes have come to the conclusion that their charism can be shared with the laity. The laity are therefore invited to share more intensely in the spirituality and mission of these Institutes. We may say that . . . a new chapter, rich in hope, has begun in the history of relations between consecrated persons and the laity.
2.15 The specific vocation of Laypeople
Lay people, whose particular vocation places them in the midst of the world and in charge of the most varied temporal tasks, must for this very reason exercise a very special form of evangelisation.
Their primary and immediate task is . . . to put to use every Christian and evangelical possibility latent but already present and active in the affairs of the world. Their own field of evangelising activity is the vast and complicated world of politics, society and economics, but also the world of culture, of the sciences and the arts, of international life, of the mass media. It also includes all the realities which are open to evangelisation, such as human love, the family, the education of children and adolescents, professional work, suffering.
The lay faithful are called by God so that they, led by the Spirit of the Gospel, might contribute to the sanctification of the world, as from within like leaven . . .
Everyone in the Church, precisely because they are members, receive and thereby share in the common vocation to holiness. In the fullness of this title and on equal par with all other members of the Church, the lay faithful are called to holiness . . .
The Lay Catholic educator is a person who exercises a specific mission within the Church by living, in faith, a secular vocation in the communitarian structure of the school; with the best possible professional qualifications, with an apostolic intention inspired by faith, for the integral formation of the human person, in a communication of culture, in an exercise of that pedagogy which will give emphasis to direct and personal contact with students, giving spiritual instruction to the educational community of which he or she is a member, as well as to all the different persons related to the educational community. To this lay person, as a member of this community, the family and the Church entrust the school’s educational endeavour.
Lay Catholic educators in schools, whether teachers, principals, administrators, or auxiliary staff, must never have any doubts about the fact that they constitute an element of great hope for the Church. The Church has confidence in them, entrusting them with the task of gradually bringing about an integration of temporal reality with the Gospel, so that the Gospel can reach into the lives of all men and women. More particularly, it has entrusted to them the integral human formation and the faith education of young people. These young people are the ones who will determine whether the world of tomorrow is more closely or loosely bound to Christ.
2.16 The specific vocation of Brothers
According to the terminology currently in use, Institutes which, by reason of their founders’ design ... have a character and purpose which do not entail the exercise of Holy Orders are called "Lay Institutes’. Nonetheless the Synod pointed out that this terminology does not adequately express the particular nature of the vocation of the members of these Religious Institutes. In fact, although they perform many works in common with lay faithful, these men do so insofar as they are consecrated, and thereby express the spirit of total self-giving to Christ and to the Church, in accordance with their specific charism.
For this reason the Synod fathers, in order to avoid ambiguity and confusion with he secular state of the lay faithful, proposed the terms Religious Institutes of Brothers. This proposal is significant, especially when we consider that the term "brother" suggests a rich spirituality. "These Religious are called to be brothers of Christ, deeply united with him, ‘the firstborn among many brothers’ (Rom 8:29); brothers to one another, in mutual love and working together in the Church in the same service of what is good; brothers to everyone, in their witness to Christ’s love for all, specially the lowliest, the neediest; brothers for a greater brotherhood in the Church."
As a matter of justice, Brothers who are responsible for the administration of the temporal goods of the Institute should see that our helpers receive a salary that meets the requirements of the laws of the country, and that they benefit from social security systems.
Professional organisations whose aim is to protect the interests of those who work in the educational field cannot themselves be divorced from the specific mission of the Catholic school. The rights of the people who are involved in the school must be safeguarded in strict justice. But no matter what material interests may be at stake, or what social and moral conditions affect their professional development, the principle of the Second Vatican Council has a special application in this context: ‘The faithful should learn how to distinguish carefully between those rights and duties which are theirs as members of the Church, and those which they have as members of society. Let them strive to harmonise the two, remembering that in every temporal affair they must be guided by a Christian conscience’. . . Therefore, the special organisations set up to protect the rights of the teachers, parents and pupils must not forget the special mission of the Catholic school to be of service in the Christian education of youth.
2.19 Parents and the education of their children
As the Second Vatican Council recalled, "since parents have conferred life on their children, they have a most solemn obligation to educate their offspring. Hence, parents must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children. Their role as educators is so decisive that scarcely anything can compensate for their failure in it. For it devolves on parents to create a family atmosphere so animated with love and reverence for God and others that a well-rounded personal and social development will be fostered among the children. Hence the family is the first school of the social virtues which every society needs".
The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others, on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others. (36)
In the case of baptised people, the family, called together by word and sacrament as the Church of the home, is both teacher and mother, the same as the worldwide Church. (38)
The right of parents to choose an education in conformity with their religious faith must be absolutely guaranteed. . . Those in society who are in charge of schools must never forget that the parents have been appointed by God himself as the first and principal educators of their children and that their right is completely inalienable. But corresponding to their right, parents have a serious duty to commit themselves totally to a cordial and active relationship with the teachers and the school authorities. (40)
Familiaris Consortio, 36, 38, 40
There are times when it is advisable to meet with the parents of certain children. You must always tell parents that their children show good potential, and that with a bit of hard work, plenty of care, and co-operation, you will succeed together in bringing them up well.
2.22 Co-responsibility and Subsidiarity
. . . Co-responsibility finds expression in the different tasks entrusted to us, and develops within the structures set up by our proper law.
By the principle of subsidiarity, the limits of the powers proper to each level are defined and respected. The governing body makes the decisions that lie within its competence, as defined by the Constitutions. Only when a situation demands it, will a higher level of authority intervene.
2.24 The Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family
It is easy to describe the main lines of the Movement. Apart altogether from vocabulary differences, which may have their origin in different cultures, these main lines are easily recognisable in the lives of several groups and many individuals very close to the work of the Brothers. There is, for example, the clear desire:
· to be apostles of Jesus in their milieu and their state of life,
· to love and to imitate the Blessed Virgin,
· to gather in small groups to share their faith in Jesus Christ and their experience of apostolic activity,
· to witness by their lifestyle to the spirituality of Marcellin Champagnat.
Introduction, Document on the Champagnat Movement of the Marist Family, 1990
3: Among the Youth, especially the most neglected
3.1 The young people Champagnat wished to serve above all
You want to engage in the Christian education of youth. That is the end of your vocation and something I thoroughly endorse. However, I want the first fruits of your zeal to be dedicated to the most ignorant and most deprived children. My proposal, therefore, is that you go and teach in the hamlets of the parish.
The teaching of children in general and, in particular, poor orphans, is the object of our Foundation. As soon as we have finished the Hermitage House and our means allow us to improve our water-supply, we shall take in children from houses of charity and give them a Christian education. Those who are well behaved and good students will be employed in the house.
The aim of the Congregation is still to run Houses of Providence or a Refuge for down-and-outs who have solved their problems or are still in danger of falling back into the same situations.
The Brothers of Mary, whose main aim is the education of the poor, will teach reading, writing, mathematics, the principles of grammar and above all the practice of Religion. Their schools will be non-fee paying and they will negotiate with the communes the means of procuring a decent, not too onerous, living for themselves.
3.2 Following the Founder’s example in showing preference for the poor
. . . Loving the poor as he did, our Founder wanted to send us more especially to them, without excluding others. His first followers, by their austere lifestyle, lived very much on the level of the people they were serving.
In being true to Christ and to our Founder, we love the poor. They are God’s blessed ones; they draw down His gifts upon us and evangelise us.
Attuned to the voice of the Church, and in touch with our own vocation, we stand in solidarity with the poor and their just causes. We give them first preference wherever we are and whatever be our task. We love the places and the houses which enable us to share their lot, and we take every opportunity to be in contact with the reality of their daily lives.
Concern for the poor impels us to search out the root causes of their wretchedness, and to free ourselves from prejudice or indifference towards them. It makes us become more responsible in the use of our resources, which we must share with those among them who are most destitute. We avoid giving them the scandal of living in a way that is too comfortable.
Our mission as educators of youth commits us to work to promote justice.
Experience teaches us that the vitality of a religious family is closely linked to the way in which it practises gospel poverty. . . Our preference is directed towards the poor, with whom we share our lives and our work.
They have become "signs of the times" for us. We heard:
· The cry of pain from so many poor people all over the world, who are simply swept aside and left by the side of the road.
· The cry of distress from all those young people who are out of work and whose talents are considered to be of no account.
· The cry which rises from the silence of all those who are rejected, all those who have no voice, no freedom, all those who are desperately lonely.
· The cry of despair from so many young people who are trying to make sense out of their life and who are seeking happiness in illusory paradises.
The injustice of the structures which create so much suffering cries out to heaven.
· The cry of the street children, abandoned and condemned to a subhuman existence.
· The cry of the children who are the unjust victims of hunger and war.
· The cry of the children who are discouraged by their failure in school.
· The cry of the children of divorced parents and broken homes.
· The cry of children who are abused or who sell their bodies.
Behind their suffering faces hides the face of Jesus.
Behind all their cries echoes the cry of Jesus from the Cross.
But there are also cries of hope:
— from all those who dedicate themselves to promoting human rights,
— from all those who build peace,
— from all those who push back the tide of misery,
— from all those who share in the mission of education,
— from all those involved in the struggle for respect for life,
— from all those involved in the effort to safeguard all of creation.
— from all those who announce the Good News.
These cries of hope make the seed of the Kingdom germinate and give proof of the presence of the Spirit.
· Young people's search and thirst for life and for God, even though confused at times.
· The desire of the poor and marginalized to become active participants of their liberation and development, particularly in the face of repressive structures.
· Citizens who press for the establishment of democratic structures in their countries to obtain a greater respect for human rights and liberty.
· A greater sensitivity for the values of culture.
· Non-Government and Popular Organizations have been formed as a significant element to help victims of catastrophes and wars and those who suffer from hunger and from many other basic necessities.
· Young people who work to establish more just societies and commit themselves to become agents of social change.
Since Vatican II, the Church has deepened its self-understanding and has become more conscious of its mission. We point out three significant calls:
* The sense of being the People of God.
* The preferential option for the poor.
* The vision of a world where the Spirit is at work.
In concrete terms, and in spite of many tensions, changes are taking place in the way the Church approaches its mission:
XIX Chapter, Our Mission, 8 - 10
3.4 Dealing with a difficult pupil
Jean-Baptiste was an orphan, and lived like a young savage. Fr. Champagnat, helped by a few good people, came to help the boy’s mother when she was dying in extreme want after being abandoned by the father. After the death of his mother, Jean-Baptiste was not able to live with the children of the charitable neighbours who took him in. So Fr. Champagnat turned him over to the Brothers. Br. Jean Baptiste Furet, who wrote the biography of the Founder, tells us: "Used to a beggar’s life and to being free to follow all his bad instincts, he could not put up with the ordered life of a school... He ran away a number of times, preferring to beg his bread and live in want rather than submit in to the discipline of the school... The Brothers lost heart, and finally asked the Founder to send the boy away and leave him to his unhappy lot... They said: "We are wasting our time with this child, and sooner or later, we will have to send him away." Fr Champagnat encouraged the Brothers to have patience, for a number of months. In the end, Jean-Baptiste Berne changed completely. He became well-behaved, docile, "as pious as an angel." After he made his First Communion, he asked if he could become a Brother. "He was a pious Brother, regular, obedient, and he died a holy death, aged twenty one, in the arms of Fr. Champagnat, after thanking him for all he had done for him.
Br. Nilamon (Jean-Baptiste Berne), died in 1830.
Marist Notebooks, 4, 1993 p. 72; Cf. Life, XXI, pp. 511-513
We believe . . .that we participate in the mission of Jesus sent to announce the Good News to the poor.
And yet today more than ever before. . . the number of poor and marginalized people who do not have the Gospel proclaimed to them is growing.
And so we feel ourselves called. . . to rediscover the ‘Montagne’ experience by fidelity to Christ and the Founder and to educate in solidarity for solidarity as a powerful instrument of evangelisation. We see this as the best service we can render.(10)
This is the hour for us to accept, decisively and unequivocally, the evangelical call for solidarity.(20)
XIX General Chapter, Solidarity 10, 20
Attentive to the Spirit and open to Youth
We are close to young people in their actual life-situations, taking the risk of going into what may be unexplored areas where those in material and spiritual poverty await the revelation of Christ. In dealing with young people, we show a concern that is humble, simple and forgetful of self.
We make Christ known to them as the Truth who sets them free, as He who calls everyone by name. We help them to discover their vocation in the Church and in the world. We remain ready to respond to the Holy Spirit, who challenges us by the hard facts of the lives of young people, and who urges us on to courageous action.
Discerning the Calls
Fidelity to our mission requires us to be constantly alert to the signs of the times, to the calls of the Church, and to the needs of youth. Such alertness makes it easier for us to adapt structures and to take courageous, even unprecedented decisions.
The choice of our apostolic options is made in community discernment and with the mediation of Superiors.
3.7 Transforming our works
. . . We must not allow (our works) to dominate us or to deprive us of our evangelical freedom. We have to try to find a way of transforming them in such a way that they answer the wishes of the Church and the needs of the young; that they help us to be really what we are called to be, and what we have given our lives for: to be apostles of Jesus Christ and followers of Champagnat.
Br. Benito Arbués, "Walk Peacefully, yet with a Sense of Urgency", Circulars, 1997, 31
Let’s be daring enough to give up some of our security so as to get closer to the poor and to all the others who don’t count for much. Let’s not be afraid to become involved with all those people who live on the fringes of society.
XIX General Chapter, Message, 20
In the modern age, missionary activity has been carried out especially in isolated regions which are far from centres of civilisation and which are hard to penetrate because of difficulties of communication, language or climate. Today the image of mission ad gentes is perhaps changing: efforts should be concentrated on the big cities, where new customs and styles of living arise together with new forms of culture and communication, which then influence the wider population. It is true that the ‘option for the neediest’ means that we should not overlook the most abandoned and isolated human groups, but it is also true that individuals or small groups cannot be evangelised if we neglect the centres where a new humanity, so to speak, is emerging, and where new models of development are taking shape. The future of the younger nations is being shaped in the cities.
Speaking of the future, we cannot forget the young, who in many countries comprise more than half the population. How do we bring the message of Christ to non-Christian young people who represent the future of entire continents? Clearly, the ordinary means of pastoral work are not sufficient: what are needed are associations, institutions, special centres and groups, and cultural and social initiatives for young people.
Redemptoris Missio, 37 (b)
It is important to create new ways of being present which could serve as reference points for re-creating our life-in-mission according to the charism of Father Champagnat. The re-founding of the Institute needs these new foundations in order to make visible and relevant the intuition of Father Champagnat, who was ever sensitive to the needs of the time, especially to the plight of deprived children and youth. I know it is easy to become discouraged, given the limitations of our human resources, but this is where the strength or weakness of faith comes in.
"Walk Peacefully, yet with a Sense of Urgency", Circular of Superior General, 1997, 31
. . . Our thoughts go to the young generations who are outside the school circuit, to the 130 million children and adolescents who are unable to attend school and to the 100 million or more who abandon school before completing their education (cf. UNESCO Report to the International Commission on Education for the XXI Century, 1996). This reality, joined to the poverty of families, should move you to invest courageously your educational charism, born of the fire of charity, in new foundations where the various forms of poverty are worst, and in pedagogical responses adapted to the new requirements of the integral formation of youth.
Letter to Superiors General from the Congregation for Catholic Education, 1996, p.11
The Chapter asks the Institute to give priority to its commitment to the most needy:
Each Province will undertake a process of discernment. Following this discernment, it will put into action, during the next four years, at least one major programme involving Marist presence among the most neglected children and young people. This programme should be planned and implemented in collaboration with laypeople.
XIX General Chapter, Message, 27
We believe that a preferential option for the poor is a Gospel imperative; it commits us, in our educational mission, to work for the promotion of justice, being courageous, even at the risk of entering unexplored territory.
And yet, today more than ever before . . . in spite of advances in technology, illiteracy is increasing.
And so we feel called . . . to place an emphasis on solidarity as a basic principle of our educational mission and to put our works at the service of the poor.
XIX General Chapter, Solidarity, 9
To commit those responsible at each level of government to give preference to new projects designed for the least favoured children and young people.
To urge all administrative units to a greater collaboration among themselves, facilitating greater mobility of Brothers when a solidarity project requires it.
XIX General Chapter, Solidarity, 14, 15
4: We are sowers of the Good News
4.1 The mission of the Institute
"To impart knowledge of Our Lord ought, therefore, to be the goal of all your catechism lessons. . . The more you make him known, the more you make him loved, the more you weaken the reign of sin, the more you establish that of virtue and the more you ensure the salvation of your pupils." In a great number of letters, he reiterated this advice, urging the Brothers to remind the children constantly how much Jesus loved them and how much, therefore, they were obliged to love him.
4.3 We educate, we evangelise
The teacher . . . is not simply a professional person whose contribution is limited to the systematic transmission of knowledge in a school; "teacher" is to be understood as "educator" - one who helps to form human persons. . .
4.4 Integral formation of the human person and ongoing social development
In both accepting and proclaiming the Gospel in the power of the Spirit the Church becomes at one and the same time an ‘evangelising and evangelised’ community, and for this very reason she is made the servant of all. In her the lay faithful participate in the mission of service to the person and to society. . .
Having received the responsibility of manifesting to the world the mystery of God that shines forth in Jesus Christ, the Church likewise awakens one person to another, giving a sense of one’s existence, opening each to the whole truth about the individual and of each person’s final destiny. From this perspective the Church is called, in virtue of her very mission of evangelisation, to serve all humanity. Such service is rooted primarily in the extraordinary and profound fact that ‘through the Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion to every person’.
For this reason the person ‘is the primary route that the Church must travel in fulfilling her mission: the individual is the primary and fundamental way for the Church, the way traced by Christ himself, the way that leads invariably through the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption’.
The integral formation of the human person, which is the purpose of education, includes the development of all the human faculties of the students, their preparation for professional life, the formation of ethical and social sense in them, imparting an awareness of the transcendental, and giving them a religious education. . .(17)
The vocation of every Catholic educator includes the work of ongoing social development: to form men and women who will be ready to take their place in society, preparing them for the social commitment to work for the improvement of social structures, bringing them more into conformity with the Gospel. Thus, they will form human beings who will make human society more peaceful, caring and community-minded. . . in short, "a civilisation of love".(19)
Lay Catholics in Schools, 17, 19
4.5 The evangelising mission of the Church
For the Church, evangelising means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new . . . for the Church it is a question not only of preaching the Gospel in ever wider geographic areas to ever greater numbers of people, but also of affecting and as it were upsetting, through the power of the Gospel, humankind’s criteria of judgement, determining values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration and models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God and the plan of salvation.
The Church has learnt that works directed to justice and human promotion are an indispensable part of its evangelising mission.
John Paul II to the Bishops at Puebla, 1979
Inter-religious dialogue is a part of the Church’s evangelising mission . . .
Deeper conversion of all
In this dialogue of salvation, Christians and others are called to collaborate with the Spirit of the Risen Lord who is universally present and active. . . to deepen their religious commitment, to respond with increasing sincerity to God’s personal call and gracious self-gift. . . (The aim of inter-religious dialogue) is a deeper conversion of all towards God. (This) implies, on the one hand, mutual acceptance of differences, or even of contradictions, and, on the other, respect for the free decisions of persons taken according to the dictates of their conscience.
Dialogue and Proclamation, Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, 1991, 40, 41
. . . The Reign of God is meant for all of humanity, and all people are called to be members of it. . . To emphasise this fact, Jesus drew especially near to those on the margins of society, and showed them special favour . . . The liberation and salvation brought by the Reign of God come to human persons both in their physical and spiritual dimensions. Two gestures are characteristic of Jesus’ mission: healing and forgiving. . . (14)
The Reign of God aims at transforming human relationships; it grows gradually as people slowly learn to love, forgive and serve one another . . . Its nature, therefore, is one of communion among all human beings - with one another and with God. The Reign of God is the concern of everyone: individuals, society, and the world. Working for the Reign of God means acknowledging and promoting God’s activity, which is present in human history and transforms it. Building the Reign of God means working for liberation from evil in all its forms. In a word, the Reign of God is the manifestation and the realisation of God’s plan of salvation in all its fullness. (15)
It is true that the Reign of God as it takes shape in time can also be found beyond the confines of the Church among peoples everywhere, to the extent that they live ‘Gospel values’ and are open to the working of the Spirit who breathes when and where it wills (cf. Jn 3:8). But it must immediately be added that this temporal dimension of the Reign remains incomplete unless it is related to the Reign of the God present in the Church and straining towards eschatological fullness. . . The Church is the sacrament of salvation for all humankind, and her activity is not limited only to those who accept her message. She is a dynamic force in humanity’s journey towards the eschatological Reign of God, and is the sign and promoter of Gospel values. . . (20)
Redemptoris Missio, 12 - 20
4.7 Marcellin’s desire to lead children to Jesus
If he met children in his travels, he immediately struck up a conversation with them, and after talking for a short while, he would kindly ask them whether they had made their First Communion and whether they had attended the catechism classes in the church; he skilfully discovered whether they knew the mysteries of religion and the other truths necessary for salvation; he got them to repeat these, or taught them what they were, without their even suspecting that he was doing so. He was often heard to say; "I cannot see a child without wanting to let him know how much Jesus Christ has loved him and how much he should, in turn, love the divine Saviour.’
Evangelisation will always contain - as the foundation, centre and at the same time summit of its dynamism - a clear proclamation that, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, who died and rose from the dead, salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God’s grace and mercy.
The aim of our service of evangelisation is the formation of the disciples of Jesus Christ. We do this especially by the witness of our lives and by our ability to listen to, and engage in dialogue with the people we meet.
We give pride of place to catechesis. We devote ourselves whole-heartedly to this ministry, according to our capabilities, and we trust in the Lord’s help and in the care that Mary has for us. We show a special interest in apostolic youth movements, which are complementary to catechesis.
Because of the strong bonds that link evangelisation and human development, we help those who are in need and co-operate with those who work for justice and peace.
4.10 Jesus, who unveils what it means to be fully human
The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of the human person take on light. . . (Jesus) reveals what it means to be human and makes our supreme calling clear. . . He who is the "image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15), is himself the perfect human being. . . By his incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every person. He worked with human hands, he thought with a human mind, acted by human choice, and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made like us in all things except sin.
In founding his Institute, Father Champagnat had more in mind than providing primary instruction for the children or even, than teaching them the truths of religion; he wanted to educate them, in the sense that we have just explained. "If it were only a question", he said, "of teaching the children secular subjects, the Brothers would not be necessary, because secular masters could do that; if our only aim were to give religious instruction, we could confine ourselves to being simply catechists, bringing children together for an hour each day and getting them to recite their Christian doctrine. But, we aim at something better; we want to educate the children, that is to instruct them in their duty, to teach them to practise it, to give them a Christian spirit and attitudes and to form them to religious habits and the virtues possessed by a good Christian and a good citizen.
For a Brother, zeal is the philosopher’s stone, it works like alchemy, turning all zeal’s actions into gold. . . The zeal you have leading children to God will have transformed into gold, that is, into acts of virtue, your most ordinary actions and all your classroom performance. Oh! What a mighty difference there is between a Brother who teaches as an apostle out of a spirit of zeal, and one who does so simply as a school master carrying out a profession.
The Greatness of the Teacher's Mission
The educator shares essentially in what is most noble in the divine parenthood . . .
The Church has always seen education as an apostolate, like the priesthood. . .
Opinions, Conferences, XLI, p. 433
To bring up a child involves more than teaching him to read and write, more than initiating him into the subjects which normally make up primary instruction. That teaching would be adequate for man, if he were meant only for this world; but he has quite a different destiny - he is made for heaven and God; and it is for these that he must be brought up. To educate a child, therefore, is to show him this high and sublime destiny and to give him the means to reach it; in a word, it is to form him into a good Christian and a virtuous citizen.
4.16 Vision of the human person and of the world
All education is influenced by a particular concept of what it means to be a human person. In today’s pluralistic world, the Catholic educator is called consciously to inspire his or her activity with the Christian concept of the person, in communion with the Magisterium of the Church.
It is a concept which includes a defence of human rights, but as something befitting the dignity of a child of God; it speaks liberty in its most complete sense, freedom from sin itself through Christ; it points to the most exalted destiny of each human person, which is the definitive and total possession of God Himself, through love. It establishes the strictest possible relationship of solidarity among all persons, through mutual love and in ecclesial community. It calls for the fullest development of all that is human, because we have been made masters of the world by its creator.
Finally, it proposes Christ, Incarnate Son of God and perfect Man, as both model and means.
1. Educating a child means enlightening his mind and helping him to know religion;
2. Educating a child means reforming his evil inclinations . . .
3. Educating a child means training his heart and developing his good dispositions.
4. Educating a child means forming his conscience.
5. Educating a child means training him in piety.
6. Giving religious instruction means making virtue and religion loved.
7. Educating a child means training his will.
8. Education also and especially means training the child’s judgement.
9. Educating a child means moulding and polishing his character.
10. To work at educating a child means to maintain constant vigilance over him.
11. To give a child an education means to inspire him with love of work, . . .
12. To give a child an education means giving him the knowledge he will need in his position and station in life.
13. To work at imparting a good education also means seeing to the child’s physical as well as his intellectual, moral and religious growth.
14. Finally, to educate a child means to give him the means to acquire the total perfection of his being, making this child a complete person..
Opinions, Conferences, XXXV, pp. 368-377
4.17 Pupils as active agents in their own education
God holds first place in education because the child absolutely needs his help in order to work personally at his education. Piety is the first thing a child needs to carry on the work of his education . . .
The child has to make a sustained effort against his own nature; we can help and encourage him, but in the final analysis, it is up to him to uproot evil, cultivate good, correct his defects and develop his qualities . . .
Opinions, Conferences, XLI, p. 442
One of the most important things in the children's education, is to give them a love for Religion and induce them to fulfil their duties out of love . . .
Avoid constraint in religious matters. Religion does not impose itself by force, it has to penetrate the heart like a gentle dewdrop. Jesus Christ Himself never wanted anything done through constraint: "If you wish to enter into life," He said, "keep the Commandments of God." It is of the utmost importance to understand that fully, because moral constraint doesn't make children virtuous, but hypocrites . . .
With kindness and understanding, (educators) will accept the students as they are, helping them to see that doubt and indifference are common phenomena, and that the reasons for this are readily understandable. But they will invite students in a friendly manner to seek and discover together the message of the Gospel, the source of joy and peace. The teachers’ attitudes and behaviour should be those of one preparing the soil.
The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 71
4.20 Freedom and responsibility
Deep within our conscience we discover a law which we have not laid on ourselves but which we must obey. Its voice, ever calling us to love and to do what s good and to avoid evil, sounds in our heart at the right moment . . . For we have in our heart a law inscribed by God . . Our conscience is our most secret core and our sanctuary. There we are alone with God whose voice echoes in our depths.
We need to bring the Gospel of life to the heart of every man and woman and to make it penetrate every part of society. (80)
To be truly a people at the service of life we must proclaim these truths constantly and courageously from the very first proclamation of the Gospel, and therefore in catechesis, in the various forms of preaching, in personal dialogue, and in all educational activities. . . We shall find important points of contact and dialogue also with non-believers in our common commitment to the establishment of a new culture of life.(82)
. . . the so-called ‘dialogue of life’ through which believers of different religions bear witness before each other in daily life to their own human and spiritual values, and help each other to live according to those values in order to build a more just and caring society.
Inculturation is not a matter of purely external adaptation, but means "the intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their integration into Christianity and the insertion of Christianity in the various human cultures". The process is thus a profound and all-embracing one, which involves the Christian message and also the Church’s reflection and practice. . . (The Church) transmits to (different cultures) her own values, at the same time taking the good elements that already exist in them and renewing them from within. . .
4.23 Evangelising culture and cultures
What matters is to evangelise man’s culture and cultures . . . always taking the person as one’s starting point and always coming back to the relationships of people among themselves and with God. . . .The split between the Gospel and culture is without a doubt the drama of our time.
Service to the individual and to human society is expressed and finds its fulfilment through the creation and the transmission of culture. . . (Among other things) culture must be held as the common good of every people, the expression of its dignity, liberty and creativity, and the testimony of its course through history. In particular, only from within and through culture does the Christian faith become a part of history and the creator of history.
The Church is fully aware of a pastoral urgency that calls for an absolutely special concern for culture in those circumstances where the development of a culture becomes disassociated not only from Christian faith but even from human values, as well as in those situations where science and technology are powerless in giving an adequate response to the pressing questions of truth and well-being that burn people’s hearts.
For this reason the Church calls upon the lay faithful to be present, as signs of courage and intellectual creativity, in the privileged places of culture, that is the world of education - school and university - in places of scientific and technological research, the areas of artistic creativity and work in the humanities. Such a presence is destined not only for the recognition and possible purification of the elements that critically burden existing culture, but also for the elevation of these cultures through the riches which have their source in the Gospel and the Christian faith.
Because of their special consecration, their particular experience of the gifts of the Spirit, their constant listening to the word of God, their practice of discernment, their rich heritage of pedagogical traditions built up since the establishment of their Institute, and their profound grasp of spiritual truth, consecrated persons are able to be especially effective in educational activities and to offer a specific contribution to the work of other educators.
Equipped with this charism, consecrated persons can give life to educational undertakings permeated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, in which young people are helped to mature humanly under the action of the Spirit. In this way a community of learning becomes an experience of grace, where the teaching programme contributes to uniting into a harmonious whole the human and the divine, the Gospel and culture, faith and life.
4.26 Youth, the Hope of the Church
To the people of our century, to all of you, dear young people, who hunger and thirst for truth, the Church offers herself as a travelling companion. She offers the eternal Gospel message and entrusts you with an exalting apostolic task: to be protagonists of the New Evangelisation.
As the faithful guardian and representative of the wealth of faith transmitted to her by Christ, she is ready to enter into a dialogue with the new generations in order to answer their needs and expectations, and to find in frank and open dialogue the most appropriate way to reach the source of divine salvation. . .
To you young people the task of becoming communicators of hope and peacemakers is entrusted in a special way (cf. Mt 5:9) in a world that is ever more in need of credible witnesses and consistent messengers. Know how to speak to the hearts of your contemporaries, who thirst for truth and happiness, in a constant, even if often unconscious, search for God.
Message of Pope John Paul II to Youth, 1993, 4,5
The Synod wished to give particular attention to the young. And rightly so. In a great many countries of the world, they represent half of entire populations. . .Youth make up an exceptional potential and a great challenge for the future of the Church. . . Youth must not be simply be considered as an object of pastoral concern for the Church: in fact, young people are and ought to be encouraged to be active on behalf of the Church as leading characters in evangelisation and participation in the renewal of society. Youth is a time of an especially intensive discovery of a ‘self’ and a ‘choice of life’. It is a time for growth which ought to progress "in wisdom, age and grace before God and people" (Lk 2:52). . . The Church has so much to talk about with youth, and youth have so much to share with the Church.
4.27 God’s presence to individuals and religious traditions beyond the Church
We cannot limit ourselves to the two thousand years which have passed since the birth of Christ. We need to go further back, to embrace the whole of the action of the Holy Spirit even before Christ - from the beginning, throughout the world, and especially in the economy of the Old Covenant. For this action has been exercised, in every place and at every time, indeed in every individual, according to the eternal plan of salvation, whereby this action was to be closely linked with the mystery of the incarnation and redemption. . .
But . . .we need to look and go further afield, knowing that "the wind blows where it will". . .(cf. Jn 3:8). The Second Vatican Council. . . reminds us of the Holy Spirit’s activity also "outside the visible Body of the Church." The Council speaks precisely of "all people of good will in whose hearts grace is active invisibly. . ."
In Christ, God calls all peoples to himself and he wishes to share with them the fullness of his revelation and love. He does not fail to make himself present in many ways, not only to individuals but also to entire peoples through their spiritual riches, of which their religions are the main and essential expression, even when they contain ‘gaps, insufficiencies and errors’.
4.28 People of all faiths praying together
Every authentic prayer is under the influence of the Holy Spirit "who intercedes insistently for us. . . , because we do not know how to pray as we ought," but he prays in us "with unutterable groanings" and "the One who searches the hearts knows what are the desires of the Spirit" (cf. Rom. 8: 26-27). We can indeed maintain that every authentic prayer is called forth by the Holy Spirit, who is mysteriously present in the heart of every person.
Address of Pope John Paul II to the Roman Curia after the Assisi World Day of Prayer for Peace, Bulletin, Secretariat for Non-Christians,1987, 11
The mystery of salvation reaches out to (those unaware that Jesus Christ is the source of their salvation) in a way known to God, through the invisible action of the Holy Spirit. Concretely, it will be in the sincere practice of what is good in their own religious tradition and by following the dictates of their conscience that the members of other religions respond positively to God’s invitation and receive salvation in Jesus Christ, even while they do not recognise or acknowledge him as their Saviour.
Dialogue and Proclamation, Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, 29
It is absolutely clear that ecumenism, the movement promoting Christian unity, is not just some sort of "appendix" which is added to the Church’s traditional activity. Rather, ecumenism is an organic part of her life and work, and consequently must pervade all that she is and does.
Love is the great undercurrent which gives life and adds vigour to the movement towards unity. This love finds its most complete expression in common prayer. . . Fellowship in prayer leads people to look at the Church and Christianity in a new way.
4.31 One God, One Christ, Convergent paths
(Dialogue) is demanded by deep respect for everything that has been brought about in human beings by the Spirit who blows where he wills. Through dialogue, the Church seeks to uncover the "seeds of the Word", a "ray of truth which enlightens all men"; these are found in individuals and in the religious traditions of mankind. . .
The Church’s relationship with the Muslims
"The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day."
4.32 A diversity of religious settings
Looking at today’s world from the viewpoint of evangelisation, we can distinguish three situations:
First, there is the situation which the Church’s missionary activity addresses: peoples, groups and socio-cultural contexts in which Christ and his Gospel are not known, or which lack Christian communities sufficiently mature to be able to incarnate the faith in their own environment and proclaim it to other groups. This is mission ad gentes in the proper sense of the term.
Secondly, there are Christian communities with adequate and solid ecclesial structures. They are fervent in their faith and in Christian living. They bear witness to the Gospel in their surroundings and have a sense of commitment to the universal mission. In these communities the Church carries out her activity of pastoral care.
Thirdly, there is an intermediate situation, particularly in countries with ancient Christian roots, and occasionally in the younger Churches as well, where entire groups of the baptised have lost a living sense of faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel. In this case what is needed is a "new evangelisation" or a "re-evangelisation".
4.33 Children and the Kingdom of God
l. A child is the noblest and most perfect of visible creatures; he is "God's greatest miracle", as St. Augustine says;
2. A child is the image and likeness of God. Like God, he is a trinity: he has life, intelligence, reason and love; these qualities constitute the basis of his being. Like the Father, he has existence; like the Son, he has intelligence; like the Holy Spirit, he has love; like Father, Son and Holy Spirit, he has in his being, in his intelligence, in his love, one single happiness and one single life.
3. A child is a son of God, a son of the Most High (Ps 81,6). Yes, no matter how small, weak and vulnerable he may seem to you, he is not only called a son of God, but he really is one, and he is one even now, beneath the rags which cover him.
4. A child is the conquest and the price of the blood of God our Saviour; he is a member and brother of Jesus Christ, a temple of the Holy Spirit, one in whom God takes delight.
5. A child is the hope of heaven, the friend and brother of the angels and saints. He is the heir of the heavenly kingdom and the eternal palms.
6. A child is one of the most loveable and most beautiful things on earth, "the flower and adornment of the human race", as St. Macarius says.
7. A child is your peer, bone of your bones, another self.
8. A child is a field God has given you to cultivate, a tender sprout, a weak plant who will one day become a great tree loaded down with the fruit of all the virtues, casting far and wide its glorious shade.
9. A child is a little rivulet, a spring just bubbling up, but he may become a majestic river if you are like the skilled engineer of whom scripture speaks, if you carefully channel his docile water and never let foreign, polluted or bitter water disturb his heart.
10.A child is the focus of your work, your fatigue, your practice of virtue. He will be your consolation at the moment of death, your defender before the judgement seat of God, your crown and your glory in heaven.
11. A child is God’s blessing, the hope of the earth whose wealth and treasure he already is, and whose strength and glory he will one day become.
12. In a word, a child is the whole human race, all of humanity; he is humankind, no more, no less. He is entitled to respect, and must show respect to others. Such is the child you must respect.
Opinions, Conferences, XXXVIII, pp. 398-402
It must be said that the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelisation: it is he who impels each individual to proclaim the Gospel, and it is he who in the depths of consciences causes the word of salvation to be accepted and understood. But it can equally be said that he is the goal of evangelisation: he alone stirs up the new creation, the new humanity. . . Through the Holy Spirit the Gospel penetrates to the heart of the world, for it is he who causes people to discern the signs of the times - signs willed by God - which evangelisation reveals and puts to use within history.
4.36 Renew the face of the earth
In our own day, too, the Spirit is the principal agent of the new evangelisation. Hence it will be important to gain a renewed appreciation of the Spirit as the One who builds the Kingdom of God within the course of history and prepares for its full manifestation in Jesus Christ, stirring people’s hearts and quickening in our world the seeds of the full salvation which will come at the end of time.
Tertio Millenio Adveniente, 45
4.37 "I was the mainstay of the new-born Church"
"The Society must begin a new Church over again. I do not mean that in a literal sense, that would be blasphemy. But still, in a certain sense, yes, we must begin a new Church. The Society of Mary, like the Church, began with simple, poorly educated men; but since then the Church has developed and encompassed everything."
Father Colin, The Mayet Memoirs, Sept. 27, 1846
4.38 Unless the Lord builds the house . . .
There is no virtue which Father Champagnat so much recommended to the Brothers as trust. He commented innumerable times on the first two verses of the psalm, "Unless the Lord builds the house" and his reflections on them would fill volumes.
Mary, our Mother . . . you have gathered us under your banner to promote the glory of your Divine Son, notwithstanding the opposition of the world. If you do not come to our aid we shall fail, and, like a lamp without oil, become extinguished. But if this work should perish, it is not our work that fails, but yours, for you have done everything for us. We therefore trust in your powerful protection and we shall trust in it always. Amen
from Marcellin’s Prayer for Vocations, Life, p. 93
"My dear Brothers," he pointed out to us one day, "what a high value God sets on the function that you perform! How fortunate you are to have chosen such a noble task! What you do is what Christ himself did when on earth: you teach the same mysteries, the same truths. . ." To bring up a child, that is to instruct him in the truths of religion, to form him to virtue and to teach him to love God, is a more sublime and more noble function than governing the world.
The Teacher as co-worker with God
"Paul planted, Apollo watered"; teachers do what they can, but neither he who plants nor he who waters counts for anything. There is only one person who truly counts in a man's education: he who gives the increase, which is to say, he who develops strengthens, enlightens, brings up - and that means God. . .
So the teacher is only God's co-worker in the task of education; but to be fit to work together with God, one must obviously be closely united to him and share generously in his Spirit. . .
Opinions, Conferences, XLI, pp. 440, 441
The Children are confided to us by God
At the moment when someone entrusts a child to you, imagine Jesus Christ saying to you, as Pharaoh's daughter said of Moses whom she had just taken from the Nile, "Take this child and raise him for me; I will repay you for your work. This is the most valuable thing I have on earth: I entrust him to you . . ."
Opinions, Conferences, XLI, p. 442
5: With a distinctive Marist style
5.1 The "Golden Rule" for Marist educators:
To bring up children properly we must love them; we must love them all equally. To love the children is to devote oneself completely to teaching them and to take all the means that an industrious zeal can think of in order to form them to virtue and piety.
To succeed in the noble ministry of teaching, one must have great esteem for that task, and one must love children. One must dedicate the entire strength of one’s being one’s mind, one’s heart, one’s activity, one’s whole life, to the accomplishment of one’s duty. One must not share oneself; that is to say, become weakened and divided. The teacher’s total affection and concern must be directed toward his students. If he carries out his mission as though it were a trade, or like a mercenary; if he does not love what he does, nor his students; if he does not give himself totally to their education, he will not do a bit of good.
Education does not consist in either discipline or teaching; it is not imparted by courses in politeness or even in religion, but by constant daily contact between students and their teachers, by personal advice, attention to details, encouragement, corrections, and all the other sorts of lessons to which this uninterrupted contact gives rise.
But in order to cultivate these young souls this way, one by one, with the assiduousness their needs and their frailty require, one must love children. When one loves them, one does more for them, one does better, with less difficulty and greater success. Why ?
Because words and actions which are inspired by true affection carry with them a special, penetrating, irresistible force. A teacher who loves can warn and advise; the love which comes through in his words gives them more charm and force; his advice is received as a sign of friendship, and followed with docility. A teacher who loves can reprimand and punish, because there is neither prejudice nor rigor in his severity, and the student is more upset about having disappointed his teacher who, he knows, loves him than about the punishment he received.
So love your students; fight ceaselessly against the indifference, weariness and annoyance their faults so easily arouse in you. Without closing your eyes to their defects, because you must correct them, keep in mind at the same time all the pleasant qualities they have, which deserve your attention. Look at the innocence which shines in their peaceful faces and unwrinkled brows, the naiveté of their statements, the sincerity of their contrition even though it may not last long, the honesty of their resolutions even though they break them quickly, the generosity of their efforts even though it is rarely sustained for long. Give them credit for the good they do, no matter how imperfect, and for all the evil they do not do.
Finally, whatever they may do, keep loving them as long as they are with you, since this is the only way to work with any success at reforming them. Love them all equally - - no outcasts, no favourites; or rather, let each of them think he is favoured and privileged because he receives personal proof of your affection.
Who entrusted these children to you ? God and their families.
Now, God is all love for human beings, and whoever governs in his name should imitate his providence and share his love. Their fathers and mothers have entrusted these children to you, but are you unaware that the heart of a father or mother is an unquenchable furnace of love ? Then in the name of God and of their families, love these children; only then will you be worthy and capable of raising them.
Opinions, Conferences, XLI, pp. 311-312
Dear Brother Barthélemy and your dear fellow worker,
. . . I also know that you have many children in your school; you will consequently have many copies of your virtues because the children will model themselves on you, and will certainly follow your example.
What a wonderful and sublime occupation you have ! You are constantly among the very people with whom Jesus Christ was so delighted to be, since he expressly forbade his disciples to prevent children from coming to him. And, you, dear friend, far from preventing them, are making every effort to lead them to him. What a reception you will have in your turn, from this divine and generous master, who does not let even a glass of cold water go without its reward !
How happy I would be if I could be a teacher, and devote myself even more directly to educating these impressionable children !
. . . Of all the lessons you can, and indeed must, give your pupils, the first and principal one, the most meritorious for you and the most efficacious for them, is your example. Education is assimilated more easily and makes a deeper impression by way of the eyes than by way of the ears.
Opinions, Conferences, XLI, p. 310
5.4 Being close to young people and their world
We are close to young people in their actual life situations, taking the risk of going into what may be unexplored areas where those in material and spiritual poverty await the revelation of Christ. . .
5.5 Discipline in the Marist tradition
Preventing faults and forestalling mistakes
For penances to be worthwhile, they should only be used rarely and with a great deal of discretion.
The first duty of teachers in maintaining discipline is therefore to anticipate by means of watchfulness and irreproachable conduct on their own part, the breaches of rules, and lapses in behaviour. The pupils are seldom themselves fully to blame. More often than not it is more the fault of those in charge. The chief means of preventing faults which are at the disposal of teachers are:- …
To maintain their own equanimity, to be always composed and at the same time have a prepossessing appearance. What soils everything in a school is a fickle Master, who is sometimes joyful and other times sad, whose expectations and oversights vary from one moment to the next, who rejects at one moment what he demands at another, who acts at the instigation of others or on whim, who puts up with everything one day and punishes everything the next, and who gives everything to some pupils and nothing to others.
Never to lose sight of the pupils and keep them always busy, to be meticulous about doing things on time; for nothing restrains the pupils better, or brings them more quickly or surely back to their duties if they are tempted to swerve from them, than this vigilance and punctuality.
To give them advice when required, to teach them their lessons in a benevolent way to reproach them gently and firmly, never provoking them beyond endurance when they are obviously in bad humour or ready to flare up, and never putting together in one group, children who would be unable to keep themselves from chattering.
Developing personal responsibility
Supervision itself, though preventing many breaches of discipline, cannot eliminate them all. The Master must therefore bring weight to bear upon the child’s will, using in turn, or simultaneously, diverse motives that impel to action. These are: the appeal to reason and to the conscience, laudable emulation, the desire for praise and reward, (the fear of punishment etc.)
The Teacher’s Guide, (1931) 129
Ingredients of good discipline
Though discipline is absolutely necessary in a school, the kind of discipline must be of a nature to promote the education of the pupil, to train his will and establish him in virtue.. . .
To ensure this end, discipline must be paternal, otherwise it will do the pupil more harm than good. If discipline is not of the paternal type, it degrades those who have to submit to it, and still more him who imposes it. Now to be paternal, discipline must have religion, affection and kindness as its basis.
1. Religion reinforces and maintains discipline, because the pupil acting from supernatural motives, learns that authority and law have their source in God.
2. Affection. - A teacher who loves his pupils is in a position to instruct them...
The affectionate teacher is able to warn and advise his pupils, and his advice is accepted as a favour and followed as an oracle. Moreover, he is able to reprove and punish whenever the general or the individual good demands it.
3. Kindness. . . . A teacher will zealously devote himself to the instruction of his pupils, though he foresees he will encounter poorly favoured minds which acquire knowledge only slowly and with difficulty, fickle characters that cannot apply themselves to work, that readily forget and take nothing seriously, study even less than anything else, inconstant natures that are easily distracted and forget today what was taught them yesterday. He realises all this and yet it does not discourage or annoy him; he proceeds with redoubled zeal and remains ever kind and condescending.. . .
The leniency here recommended is that which is dictated by reason, prudence and charity, and not the indulgence which arises from weakness of character.
The Teacher's Guide, (1931) pp. 107-112
Punishing as little as possible
You must also pardon and overlook a large number of faults. The whole class should never be punished when a grave misdemeanour has taken place. What must be done in such cases is to try to find out those responsible for the disturbance and deal with them accordingly. If you cannot identify them then you might give the impression that you can. Children are children. There are days, when you have no idea what is making them light-headed and indisposed to work. On such occasions, it is better not to force a show-down, which would only embitter and irritate them; but to be patient and give them serious work to do. By conducting yourself in this manner, you will never compromise your authority. You will be fair and sparing in imposing sanctions, and the pupils will be convinced that they are being punished only out of duty and because they are loved.
Attitude while administering correction
In reprimands and punishments, a Brother ought to possess his soul in peace and never display signs of anger or bad temper. Prompted by feelings of anger the punishment of a pupil is no longer a correction but a vengeful act.
Contrariwise, when punishment is imposed with calmness and enforced in the same spirit, it manifests the justice and resoluteness of the Master and commands respect.
A Brother should never be afraid to say to a pupil: "I shall not correct you today, or just now, because I feel too angry."
Characteristics of punishments
Besides being rarely-imposed as well as moderately and calmly inflicted, they should moreover be just in themselves, proportionate to the offence and, kindly and prudent.
"Is it by striking them with the cane," queried the Founder, "that children are to be brought up and inspired with a love of virtue? No. . .It is strange that, in the education of children, methods are used which would be considered unsuitable even for animals. . . Such methods of education flout the dignity of human beings; they degrade the child and draw down scorn and hatred on their perpetrators; they introduce disorder into the school, destroying feelings of love, esteem, and the mutual confidence and respect between teachers and pupils; finally, they wipe out the benefits from all care bestowed on the child."
Expulsion from the school, either temporary or final. This is the last and severest of all penalties. This is only inflicted in extreme cases where there is no longer any hope of amendment or where the conduct of the offender constitutes a danger to his fellow pupils. Open offences against morals, persistent insubordination, scandalous expressions against religion, and other serious faults of a like nature are usually cases entailing final expulsion . . .When expulsion becomes a necessity, arrangements should be made with the parents, if at all possible, so that they may withdraw their child quietly and thus avoid unpleasant consequences.
. . . In dealing with young people, we show a concern that is humble, simple, and forgetful of self.
5.7 Simplicity and coherence in our lives
The teacher should also draw from the depths of his soul true ideas, good, noble and virtuous sentiments - everything which makes up the moral life. If all of that is only in his words and not in his way of acting, it will be no more than useless noise, a dead letter, rather than life bringing forth life, and virtue producing virtue.
Opinions, Conferences, XLI, p. 432
5.8 Humility, Simplicity and Modesty
Humility is a basic element in our relationships since it has to do with clear self-understanding. It means knowing and accepting the truth about ourselves, being honest with ourselves, being free of pretension and self-delusion. Simplicity has to do with the way we live the truth of ourselves, giving us a personal transparency which allows others to know us and to relate to us as we are. Modesty can be seen as the result of humility and simplicity especially in the respect that we show to others, our sensitivity towards them in what we say and in what we do. These Marist virtues give "a quality of authenticity and kindness to our relationships with our Brothers and with other people that we meet".
Br. Charles Howard, "Marist Apostolic Spirituality", Circulars, 1992, p. 492
Our pedagogy of presence and our family spirit make a powerful impact on a society which often breeds selfishness, individualism and loneliness.
XIX General Chapter, Message, 12
In calling ourselves BROTHERS, we proclaim that we belong to a family united in Christ’s love.
The home at Nazareth is the model for our family spirit, which consists of love and forgiveness, support and help, forgetfulness of self, openness to others and joy.
5.10 As members of a loving family
I beg of you, my dear Brothers, with all the affection of my soul, and by all the love you have for me, do all you can to ensure that charity is always maintained among you. Love one another as Jesus Christ has loved you. Be of one heart and one mind. May it be said of the Little Brothers of Mary as of the first Christians: "See how they love one another."
Spiritual Testament of Marcellin Champagnat, Life, XXII, p. 237
We share our spirituality and our educational approach with parents, lay teachers, and other members of the educating community. By the service they render, the non-teaching staff collaborate closely in our apostolic task.
We show our pupils that we are not only their teachers, but also their brothers. By trying to establish in the school a spirit of friendliness and collaboration, we help young people to become responsible for their own formation.
5.12 As brothers and sisters to young people
. . . The spirit of a Brothers' school ought to be a family spirit. Now, in a good family, a well-run family, sentiments of respect, love and mutual trust predominate, and not fear of punishments.
5.13 Enthusiasm for our work
. . . This (family) spirit finds expression and gains strength in a special way in love of work, which has always been one of our characteristic features.
Marcellin teaches us by his example and is the first to put into practice what he asks of us. Work was never a problem to him, and from his childhood he gave himself to it with pleasure. We saw him in his parents’ home put a hand to everything and succeed at it . . .
He was able to construct the house of La Valla himself. Similarly a large part of the Hermitage construction was done in this way; so, too, were the repairs, the furnishings of the house, the fences and the improvements to the property. . .
It is hardly necessary to point out that Father Champagnat turned to manual work less from taste than from necessity and that he had far more important occupations. To devote himself to study; to instruct and train his Brothers; to carry on his correspondence; to keep a check on all aspects of the administration of his Institute; to visit the schools; to draw up, to study and to meditate on the Rules he wished to give his community; to satisfy all sorts of people who had business to do with him; and to receive the Brothers and postulants in interview for a discussion of their needs and personal conduct: such were the tasks that filled his day or rather his entire life . . .
In his conferences, Marcellin was always exhorting the Brothers to love work and avoid idleness. "Work", he used to remind them, "is necessary to ensure health of mind and purity of soul; it serves to promote man’s physical and moral improvement and is even essential to his happiness. . ." (419)
A Brother should strive to become capable of filling any post, any employment in the Institute. . . (A Brother) should put his hand to everything and try to master all skills. The same applies to our studies and the subjects we have to teach; we should not rest satisfied with a superficial knowledge of them but study them in depth, ending up with a perfect knowledge; this will not happen without application from us in daily, unremitting study.
Certainly among all the men of his time (Marcellin) was open to new ideas and fresh attitudes. Consider, for instance, the matter of manual work. In 1817 the Vicars General of Lyons issued a circular to the clergy speaking of physical work, and viewing very unfavourably those priests who indulged in it . . . It can never be said of Father Champagnat that the work he did led to the neglect of his apostolate, but we do know that he devoted long hours to "this lowly employment" and collected any amount of dust on the soutane that marked his "lofty calling". Nor did he feel the least embarrassed in consequence. We all remember his cheerful invitation to an ecclesiastical colleague whose ideas were identical with those of the Vicars General: "Come along and I’ll take you on as an apprentice."
Br. Basilio Rueda, "The Spirit of the Institute", Circulars, 1975, p. 192
Although the teaching of Religion is the main aim of the Brothers and this has to occupy the forefront in their Schools, the other subjects in Primary Education must not be neglected. The Brothers will apply themselves so as to give themselves to these with great care and zeal; because it is important that their classes lack nothing which is necessary for the requirements and right direction of their studies. In this way, the parents who give preference to religious principles, will have no regrets at finding the education of their children lacking in anything.
Our attitudes towards young people find their inspiration in Mary, bringing up Jesus at Nazareth. Our apostolic work is a sharing in her spiritual motherhood.
We attract young hearts to Mary, Christ’s perfect disciple, making her known and loved as one who will lead us to Jesus. We entrust those in our care to her, and we invite them to pray often to this Good Mother and to make her their Model.
5.18 There was dust on her feet
The Mary revealed in the gospels shatters many of the images which people have built up around her: … in Nazareth, an insignificant village. . . the life of the caravan . . .the hardship of giving birth in a stable. . .the terror of persecution. . .the life of a refugee. . .There was dust on her feet . . . It is important that we draw close to the maiden listening in silence at the Annunciation; but it is important, too, to be near her as she relates to the non-believer, the distraught refugee and the other people of the road who have so little hope and who so fear the future. . .
Br. Charles Howard, "Marist Apostolic Spirituality", Circulars, 1992, pp. 494-495
5.26 Mary, our Ordinary Resource
Once Father Champagnat had put any matter in Mary’s hands, he remained at peace and full of confidence, whatever turn things might seem to take. . .It was from her protection that he expected everything and his favourite expression was: "Mary is our Ordinary Resource. . .You know to whom you should go for . . . favours, to our Ordinary Resource. Don’t be afraid of calling on her help too frequently. . .Besides, she is responsible for us, being our Mother, our Patroness, our Superior and our source of hope. This community is her work.
In the month of February 1823, one of the Brothers of Bourg-Argental was seriously ill and Father Champagnat did not want his child to die without seeing him once more and giving him his blessing. The weather was bad and the ground covered with snow, but he was not deterred from making his way on foot to visit the patient, once he heard of his dangerous state. After consoling the Brother and blessing him, he made ready to return to La Valla, despite the efforts to dissuade him because of the great quantity of snow which had fallen that same day, and the blizzard that was still raging. However, drawing on his courage, he chose to resist the pleading of the Brothers and advice of his friends. He soo had reason to regret that choice.
With Brother Stanislaus at his side, he started for La Valla across the mountains of Pilat; but they had walked for hardly two hours when they lost their way. As there was no trace of a path, they were forced to rely on luck or rather on the protection of God. A violent wind hurled the snow into their faces, making it so difficult to see that they didn’t know whether they were going backwards or forwards. After wandering for a few hours, the Brother became so worn out that Father Champagnat had to take him by the arm to lead him and to help him keep his feet. It wasn’t long, however, before he himself, benumbed with cold and smothered with snow, felt his strength failing and was obliged to stop.
"My friend," he admitted to the Brother, "we are finished, if the Blessed Virgin doesn’t come to our aid; let us have recourse to her and beg her to rescue us from the danger we are in of losing our lives in these woods and this snow." The words were scarcely out of his mouth when he felt the Brother slip from his grasp. Full of confidence, he knelt down beside him, (now apparently unconscious), and said the Memorare with great fervour. After the prayer, he tried to raise the Brother when they noticed a light shining in the distance; for it was night. They made in the direction of the light and arrived at a house, where they spent the night. They were both quite benumbed with cold, and the Brother especially was a long time recovering.
Father Champagnat declared on several occasions that if help had not arrived right then, they would have both perished and that the Blessed Virgin had snatched them from certain death.
His motto . . .became: "All to Jesus through Mary, and all to Mary for Jesus." This saying reveals the spirit which guided him and was his rule of conduct throughout his life.
6.1 The four pillars of learning
Education throughout life is based on four pillars: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be.
* Learning to know, by combining a sufficiently broad general knowledge with the opportunity to work in depth on a small number of subjects. This also means learning to learn, so as to benefit from the opportunities education provides throughout life.
* Learning to do, in order to acquire not only an occupational skill but also, more broadly, the competence to deal with many situations and work in teams. . .
* Learning to live together, by developing an understanding of other people and an appreciation of interdependence . . . in a spirit of respect for the values of pluralism, mutual understanding and peace.
* Learning to be, so as better to develop one's personality and be able to act with ever greater autonomy, judgement and personal responsibility.
Formal education systems tend to emphasize the acquisition of knowledge to the detriment of other types of learning; but it is vital now to conceive education in a more encompassing fashion.
"Learning: The Treasure Within", Report to UNESCO by J. Delors, president, 1996.
Teachers who confine themselves to imparting information to their pupils would only be doing the minimum part of their task; to fulfil it completely they must EDUCATE their pupils.
To educate children is to develop, strengthen and bring to perfection every faculty of their souls; above all, it is to form their hearts, their wills, their characters, their consciences and their judgements. . .
6.2 The aims of Catholic education
Catholic schools. . . are no less zealous than other schools in the promotion of culture and in the human formation of young people. It is, however, the special function of the Catholic school to develop in the school community an atmosphere animated by a spirit of liberty and charity based on the Gospel. It enables young people, while developing their own personality, to grow at the same time in that new life which has been given to them in baptism. Finally it so orientates the whole of human culture to the message of salvation that the knowledge which the pupils acquire of the world, of life and of human beings is illumined by faith. Thus the Catholic school, taking into consideration as it should the conditions of an age of progress, prepares its pupils to contribute effectively to the welfare of the world of men and to work for the extension of the kingdom of God, so that by living an exemplary and apostolic life they may be, as it were, a saving leaven in the community.
In helping pupils to achieve through the medium of its teaching an integration of faith and culture, the Catholic school sets out with a deep awareness of the value of knowledge as such. Under no circumstances does it wish to divert the imparting of knowledge from its rightful objective. (38)
Each discipline is autonomous: Individual subjects must be taught according to their own particular methods. It would be wrong to consider subjects as mere adjuncts to faith or as a useful means of teaching apologetics. They enable the pupil to assimilate skills, knowledge, intellectual methods and moral and social attitudes, all of which help to develop his personality and lead him to take his place as an active member of the community of man. Their aim is not merely the attainment of knowledge but the acquisition of values and the discovery of truth. (39)
Teaching as the search for truth: Since the educative mission of the Catholic school is so wide, the teacher is in an excellent position to guide the pupil to a deepening of his faith and to enrich and enlighten his human knowledge with the data of the faith. While there are many occasions in teaching when pupils can be stimulated by insights of faith, a Christian education acknowledges the valid contribution which can be made by academic subjects towards the development of a mature Christian. The teacher can form the mind and heart of his or her pupils and guide them to develop a total commitment in Christ, with their whole personality enriched by human culture. (40)
It is a quest for the Eternal Truth: . . . A teacher who is full of Christian wisdom, well prepared in his own subject, does more than convey the sense of what he is teaching to his pupils. Over and above what he says, he guides his pupils beyond his mere words to the heart of total truth. (41)
. . . and for absolute values: The cultural heritage of mankind includes other values apart from the specific ambience of truth. When the Christian teacher helps a pupil to grasp, appreciate and assimilate these values, he is guiding him towards eternal realities. This movement towards the uncreated source of all knowledge highlights the importance of teaching for the growth of faith. (42)
The importance of Teaching: . . . The extent to which the Christian message is transmitted through education depends to a very great extent on the teachers. The integration of culture and faith is mediated by the other integration of faith and life in the person of the teacher. The nobility of the task to which teachers are called demands that, in imitation of Christ, the only teacher, they reveal the Christian message not only by word by also by every facet of their behaviour. This is what makes the difference between a school whose education is permeated by the Christian spirit and one in which religion is only regarded as an academic subject like any other. (43)
6.3 The Marist School, an educating community
We share our spirituality and our education approach with parents, lay teachers, and other members of the educating community. By the service they render, the non-teaching staff collaborate closely in our apostolic task. . .
All who are responsible for education: parents, teachers, young people and school authorities are urged to pool all their resources and the means at their disposal to enable Catholic schools to provide a service which is truly civic and apostolic.
What is a Christian school climate? . . . The elements to be considered in developing an organic vision of a school climate are persons, space, time, relationships, teaching, study and various other activities. (24)
A Catholic school needs to have a set of educational goals which are "distinctive" in the sense that the school has a specific objective in mind, and all of the goals are related to this objective. Concretely, the educational goals provide a frame of reference which:
- defines the school's identity: in particular, the Gospel values which are its inspiration must be explicitly mentioned;
- gives a precise description of the pedagogical, educational and cultural aims of the school;
- presents the course content, along with the values that are to be transmitted through these courses;
- describes the organisation and the management of the school;
- determines which policy decisions are to be reserved to professional staff [governors and teachers], which policies are to be developed with the help of parents and students, and which activities are to be left to the free initiative of teachers, parents, or students;
- indicates the ways in which student progress is to be tested and evaluated. (100)
In addition, careful attention must be given to the development of general criteria which will enable each aspect of school activity to assist in the attainment of the educational objective, so that the cultural, pedagogical, social, civil and political aspects of school life are all integrated:
b. Careful rigour in the study of culture and the development of a critical sense;
c. Adapting the educational process in a way that respects the particular circumstances of the individual students and their families;
d. Sharing responsibility with the Church. (101)
It is clear, then, that the set of educational goals is something quite distinct from internal school regulations or teaching methods, and it is not just a description of vague intentions.
The educational goals should be revised each year on the basis of experience and need. (102)
Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 24, 100-112
In teaching, the main aim of the lesson is not so much to fill the minds of the children with useful knowledge as to give them the means to acquire it. To do that, you have to develop, direct and cultivate their intellectual faculties, to put them into a position of deriving from them every possible use in the course of their lives. But of all the faculties, the one you have to latch on to in order to form and cultivate most, is judgement. That is essentially one of the greatest objectives in teaching and education. . .
6.7 Encouraging the student’s efforts
For a school to prosper and its teaching to be effective, the co-operation of the students is needed. What the teacher himself does by his devotedness and his lessons, doesn’t add up to much; what he gets the pupils to do by study, application and work, is vital. . . Father Champagnat saw emulation as a sure and efficacious means of achieving this, and he expected the Brothers to make every effort to establish and maintain it in their schools.
6.8 The Good Effects of Rewards
Rewards, whatever their details, produce beneficial results; they win over the hearts of the pupils, attach them to their school, make the work easy and pleasant and enable them to persevere in their tasks. Since they judge things by the immediate advantage they get from them, these rewards, however trifling they may be, leave a deep and lasting impression on their hearts and enable them to carry out their duties courageously and even joyfully. Study is not always to their taste, because they are unable to see the long-term effects to be achieved from their lessons. However, by offering them prizes, you will have changed what they viewed as drudgery into pleasant pastimes and even enjoyments.
6.9 The Religious Dimensions of the School Culture
Relationship between human culture and faith
Intellectual development and growth as a Christian go forward hand in hand. As students move up from one class into the next, it becomes increasingly imperative that a Catholic school help them become aware that a relationship exists between faith and human culture (GE, 8). Human culture remains human, and must be taught with scientific objectivity. But the lessons of the teacher and the reception of those students who are believers will not divorce faith from this culture; this would be a major spiritual loss. The world of human culture and the world of religion are not like two parallel lines that never meet; points of contact are established within the human person. For a believer is both human and a person of faith, the protagonist of culture and the subject of religion. Anyone who searches for the contact points will be able to find them. Helping in the search is not solely the task of religion teachers; their time is quite limited, while other teachers have many hours at their disposal every day. Everyone should work together, each one developing his or her own subject area with professional competence, but sensitive to those opportunities in which they can help students to see beyond the limited horizon of human reality. In a Catholic school, and analogously in every school, God cannot be the Great Absent One or the unwelcome intruder. The Creator does not put obstacles in the path of someone trying to learn more about the universe he created, a universe which is given new significance when seen with the eyes of faith. (51)
Challenges to the faith
A Catholic secondary school will give special attention to the "challenges" that human culture poses for faith. Students will be helped to attain that synthesis of faith and culture which is necessary for faith to be mature. But a mature faith is also able to recognize and reject cultural counter-values which threaten human dignity and are therefore counter to the Gospel. . . (52)
. . . We must always remember that, while faith is not to be identified with any one culture and is independent of all cultures, it must inspire every culture: "Faith which does not become culture is faith which is not received fully, not assimilated entirely, not lived faithfully.(53)
The religious dimension of science
In a number of countries, renewal in school programming has given increased attention to science and technology. Those teaching these subject areas must not ignore the religious dimension. They should help their students to understand that positive science, and the technology allied to it, is a part of the universe created by God. Understanding this can help encourage an interest in research. . .(54)
Study of the person as a whole
A Catholic school must be committed to the development of a programme which will overcome the problems of a fragmented and insufficient curriculum. Teachers dealing with areas such as anthropology, biology, psychology, sociology and philosophy all have the opportunity to present a complete picture of the human person, including the religious dimension.
The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 51-55
The privileged way at present for the creation and transmission of culture is the means of social communications. The world of the mass media represents a new frontier for the mission of the Church, because it is undergoing a rapid and innovative development and has an extensive world-wide influence on the formation of mentality and customs.
The use of these instruments by professionals in communication and their reception by the public demand both a work of education in a critical sense, which is animated by a passion for the truth, and a work of defence of liberty, respect for the dignity of individuals, and the elevation of the authentic culture of peoples which occurs through a firm and courageous rejection of every form of monopoly and manipulation.
6.11 Being open to other Christian denominations
Children of Protestant or other persuasions, will be admitted into school but on the express condition that they will be subject to the common regulations of the class and that there will be no distinction for the religious exercises which blend the inner life of the child. They will attend Catechism classes, without being made to learn the catechism by heart or recite it unless they themselves want to do so.
As for Mass, they will not be obliged to attend it, if their parents object, and in this case, they will not be allowed to turn up at school until the pupils return from Mass. Similarly, they will not be cared for whilst they are at home with their parents, and they will not be obliged to go to Confession, if the latter are against it.
. . . In many parts of the world, the student body in a Catholic school includes increasing numbers of young people from different faiths and different ideological backgrounds. In these situations it is essential to clarify the relationship between development and cultural growth. It is a question which must not be ignored, and dealing with it is the responsibility of each Christian member of the educational community.
In these situations, however, evangelization is not easy - it may not even be possible. We should look to pre-evangelization: to the development of a religious sense of life. In order to do this, the process of formation must constantly raise questions about the "how" and the "why" and the "what" and then point out and deepen the positive results of this investigation.
The transmission of a culture ought to be especially attentive to the practical effects of that culture, and strengthen those aspects of it which will make a person more human. In particular, it ought to pay attention to the religious dimension of the culture and the emerging ethical requirements to be found in it. (108)
Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 108
6.14 Linking faith, culture and life
For the Church it is a question not only of preaching the Gospel in ever wider geographic areas or to ever greater numbers of people, but also of affecting and as it were upsetting, through the power of the Gospel, mankind's criteria of judgement, determining values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration and models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God and the plan of salvation.
6.18 Dialogue with students on matters of faith
An excellent way to establish rapport with students is simply to talk to them - and to let them talk. Once a warm and trusting atmosphere has been established, various questions will come up naturally. These obviously depend on age and living situation, but many of the questions seem to be common among all of today's youth, and they tend to raise them at a younger age. These questions are serious ones for young people, and they make a calm study of the Christian faith very difficult. Teachers should respond with patience and humility, and should avoid the type of peremptory statements that can be so easily contradicted.
The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, 72
6.21 Linking with the pastoral programme of the Local Church
"In the whole diocese or in given areas of it the co-ordination and close interconnection of all apostolic works should be fostered under the direction of the bishop. In this way all undertakings and organisation, whether catechetical, missionary, charitable, social, family, educational, or any other programme serving a pastoral goal will be co-ordinated. Moreover, the unity of the diocese will thereby be made more evident." This is something which is obviously indispensable for the Catholic school, inasmuch as it involves "apostolic co-operation on the part of both branches of the clergy, as well as the religious and the laity."
You are decisive instruments for the proclamation in the school setting of the Gospel of Christ. . . We can therefore rightly affirm that your schools are "missionary" communities. . . The specific educational activity of the Catholic school must be integrated in the overall pastoral ministry of the local Church, helping the pupils to take an active part in the life of the parochial and diocesan community, and enabling yourselves to be present, as far as possible, in the various Church organisms. On the other hand, the parish and diocese should consider Catholic schools as an integral part of their Church community and they should assist them in developing their own contribution to education and formation.
Instruction from the Congregation for Catholic Education, Vatican, October 1996, 7
6.22 Welcoming students of all social backgrounds
. . . since education is an important means of improving the social and economic condition of the individual and of peoples, if the Catholic school were to turn its attention exclusively or predominantly to those from the wealthier social classes, it could be contributing towards their privileged position, and could thereby continue to favour a society which is unjust.
Violence all too often dominates life in the contemporary world, forming a depressing contrast with the hope which some people have been able to place in human progress. Human history has constantly been scarred by conflicts, but the risk is heightened by two new elements. Firstly, there is the extraordinary potential for self- destruction created by humans in the twentieth century. Then, we have the ability of the new media to provide the entire world with information and unverifiable reports on ongoing conflicts. Public opinion becomes a helpless observer or even a hostage of those who initiate or keep up the conflicts. Until now education has been unable to do much to mitigate this situation. Can we do better? Can we educate ourselves to avoid conflict or peacefully resolve it?
The conclusion would seem to be that education should adopt two complementary approaches. From early childhood, it should focus on the discovery of other people in the first stage of education. In the second stage of education and in lifelong education, it should encourage involvement in common projects. This seems to be an effective way of avoiding conflict or resolving latent conflicts.
Discovering other people
One of education's tasks is both to teach pupils and students about human diversity and to instil in them an awareness of the similarities and interdependence of all people. From early childhood, the school should seize every opportunity to pursue this two-pronged approach. Some subjects lend themselves to this - human geography in basic education, foreign languages and literature later on.
Lastly, recognition of the rights of other people should not be jeopardized by the way children and young people are taught. Teachers who are so dogmatic that they stifle curiosity or healthy criticism instead of teaching their pupils how to engage in lively debate can do more harm than good. Forgetting that they are putting themselves across as models, they may, because of their attitude, inflict lifelong harm on their pupils in terms of the latter's openness to other people and their ability to face up to the inevitable tensions between individuals, groups and nations. One of the essential tools for education in the twenty-first century will be a suitable forum for dialogue and discussion.
When people work together on exciting projects which involve them in unaccustomed forms of action, differences and even conflicts between individuals tend to pale and sometimes disappear. A new form of identity is created by these projects which enable people to transcend the routines of their personal lives and attach value to what they have in common as against what divides them. In sport, for example, the tensions between social classes or nationalities can eventually be welded into a spirit of solidarity by the commitment to a common cause. In the world of work, too, so many achievements would not have been possible if people had not successfully moved beyond the conflicts that generally arise in hierarchical organizations through their involvement in a common project.
"Learning: The Treasure Within", Report to UNESCO, Delors, 1996
6.24 Solidarity - a moral imperative
A theological reading of modern problems: All in the light of God.
. . . Solidarity is not a vague feeling of compassion or a shallow sadness, but a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good. It is an attitude where the more influential feel responsible for the weaker, and where the weaker do what they can for the good of all.
Solidarity is the path to peace. Interdependence demands the abandonment of blocs, the sacrifice of all forms of economic, military or political imperialism, and the conversion of distrust into collaboration. Solidarity is the Christian virtue of our times. (301)
It is easy to understand that some of us will feel confused, even frustrated and angry in the face of a challenge which may appear to have geo-political dimensions. What can I, as an individual, be called to undertake in reversing the tide of history? . . .Because of its growing gravity, the underdevelopment of persons and nations now requires the moral mobilisation of the whole human family. The central premise of Pope John Paul’s encyclical is that human development cannot be attained without appealing to the conscience and moral solidarity of our contemporaries, both rich and poor, all of whom are involved in and share responsibility for the true progress of the human family. . . (309-310)
Br. Charles Howard, "An Urgent Appeal: Sollicitudo Rei Socialis", Circulars, 1990, pp. 301, 309-310
6.25 Structures of sin
This general analysis, which is religious in nature, can be supplemented by a number of particular considerations to demonstrate that among the actions and attitudes opposed to the will of God, the good of neighbour and the "structures" created by them, two are very typical: on the one hand, the all-consuming desire for profit, and on the other, the thirst for power, with the intention of imposing one's will upon others. In order to characterise better each of these attitudes, one can add the expression: "at any price." In other words, we are faced with the absolutising of human attitudes with all its possible consequences. . .
Obviously, not only individuals fall victim to this double attitude of sin; nations and blocs can do so too. And this favours even more the introduction of the "structures of sin" of which I have spoken. If certain forms of modern "imperialism" were considered in the light of these moral criteria, we would see that hidden behind certain decisions, apparently inspired only by economics or politics, are real forms of idolatry: of money, ideology, class, technology.
I have wished to introduce this type of analysis above all in order to point out the true nature of the evil which faces us with respect to the development of peoples: it is a question of moral evil, the fruit of many sins which lead to "structures of sin." To diagnose the evil in this way is to identify precisely, on the level of human conduct, the path to be followed in order to overcome it.
6.27 Higher education and universities
With respectful sensitivity and missionary boldness, consecrated men and women should show that faith in Jesus Christ enlightens the whole enterprise of education, never disparaging human values but rather confirming and elevating them. . . Because of the importance that Catholic and ecclesiastical universities and faculties have in the field of education and evangelization, Institutes which are responsible for their direction should be conscious of their responsibility. They should ensure the preservation of their unique Catholic identity in complete fidelity to the Church's Magisterium, all the while engaging in active dialogue with present-day cultural trends.
Normally we appeal for the conversion of the individual so that, once transformed himself, he can move forward with liberty of spirit. Less common are the processes which affect the "conversion of works" and the beginnings of new projects which could be reference points and "myth" inspiring us to live the spirit of the XIX General Chapter. At times I feel that we encourage the Brothers to renew themselves while putting them in situations which choke and exhaust them. It is not goodwill that is lacking. But we must strengthen the spirit with projects and structures which encourage and sustain the quality of life of our Brothers in keeping with the new evangelical thrust inherent in our mission. (10)
I am surprised to hear it said that we cannot afford to take on more schools for the poor because the works we are presently engaged in take up all our energy and we do not have enough Brothers to keep them going.
This is a delicate matter and somewhat of a touchstone. It is difficult to find a solution to the problem. But it is a question of fidelity and life. To hang on to works, unable to subject them to evangelical evaluation and discernment, justifying everything from a position of inertia or fear, will in the end bring spiritual death to these works and, possibly, the death of enthusiasm for many apostolic vocations of Brothers or lay people. (32)
Br. Benito Arbués, "Walk Peacefully yet with a Sense of Urgency", Circulars, 1997, 10, 32
It was particularly for the sake of these (poor children), that he founded his Institute, and he wished the Brothers to consider themselves especially responsible for their instruction. . . Equality ought to be the hallmark of the Brothers’ schools; no-one there should benefit from preference or privilege because of social standing or exterior qualities; each pupil, rich or poor, should be treated according to his deserts, his ability, his virtue and his personal worth. . . The precautions taken to keep the (children who can afford to pay) at the school, have, as their aim, to furnish the means to instruct (those who cannot); for, for most of the time, if there were no rich children to provide the Brothers’ salary, the school would not be viable.
7: In other pastoral and social ministries
Father Champagnat was the animating force of the House. It was he who kept up the Brothers’ spirits and guided them; it was he who induced the parents to send their children along; he now decided to extend the school’s facilities. A single class was quite inadequate, he saw, for the large numbers offering. He formed a second one and was thus able to divide the pupils, classifying them according to their ability and consequently contributing greatly to their accelerated progress.
His attention was required for another, more serious matter. Some parents, unable to secure accommodation for their children to sleep at the Brothers’ place, lodged them in the town, where they misbehaved, because they were left on their own resources after school. To get over this problem, Father Champagnat had repairs done to the house, and extensions put on. This enabled the Brothers to take in those children who had been placed in private houses. A few poor children also sought refuge. These were given a kind and enthusiastic welcome and, though the Community was itself penniless, it provided for all their needs.
Marcellin, who had unlimited confidence in God, even accepted responsibility for several abandoned children or orphans. He had them taught, fed and dressed. Later he placed them in respectable families and continued to monitor their conduct, to guide them and be a father to them. During the first year, he took in twelve of these children. . . (72-73)
To inspire the Brothers with a spirit of zeal and to impress on them that the goal of their vocation was to save souls, he didn’t rest satisfied with their catechism lessons to the children of the school; in addition, on Sundays and certain other days, he sent the Brothers in pairs to the hamlets of the parish to teach catechism to the country folk.
When they reached the hamlet they had been assigned, the two Brothers assembled children and adults in a barn or any suitable place, said a prayer, sang a hymn and tested the young people on the words of the catechism. . . The session concluded with a short story having a moral to it, or with a few examples from history. . .
For a long time, Brother Lawrence had asked to be allowed the privilege of teaching catechism at Le Bessac. . . , situated on the heights of Mt Pilat. . . about six miles from La Valla, shrouded in snow for at least six months of the year. There was no priest in the hamlet, so the children and even the adults were abysmally ignorant.
Brother Lawrence used to carry his meagre stock of provisions with him from La Valla, returning on Thursdays to refresh himself spiritually with his Brothers and to replenish his supplies. He stayed in a private house in Le Bessac and prepared his own food: soup. . .some potatoes and a little cheese. Twice a day he went around the hamlet ringing a little bell to gather the children. (78-79)
Furthermore the Hermitage was designed, from the outset, to house a "Trade School" for orphans:
As soon as we have finished the building and our means enable us to install running-water, we shall take in children from institutions for the destitute. We shall improve their situation by giving them a Christian education and those of them who show honest qualities and a desire to learn will be employed in the house.
7.2 Responding to the needs of young people "at risk"
We commit ourselves to be more present among children and young people on the margins of our societies.
We respond to the urgent calls that come to us from young people who really are at risk, for example, street children, those who are illiterate, victims of drugs and of violence.
XIX General Chapter, Mission, 33
Accompaniment (aims at helping young people) know themselves and to recognise the presence of God in their lives, to understand what God is asking of them; to discover, appreciate and assimilate human and gospel values and to act according to them. . . Personal accompaniment . . .is carried out particularly through personal interviews at regular intervals. ..
Marist Formation Guide, Glossary, 158
7.10 Working with young adults
We commit ourselves to building communities that are prophetic, simple and open, especially to young people.
XIX General Chapter, Mission, 29
Today we are more than ever convinced of the timeliness and the validity of our mission in the world. Yes, it is worthwhile to be a Marist Brother, and worth the sacrifice of consecrating one’s entire life to this mission!
We are convinced that God wants us to be Brothers, Lay Religious, present in the world as much as possible, especially among children and young people in a simple and welcoming way.
XIX General Chapter, Mission, 23, 26
You, young people, are especially called to become missionaries of this New Evangelisation, by daily witnessing to the Word that saves. You personally experience the anxieties of the present historical period, fraught with hope and doubt, in which it can at times be easy to lose the way that leads to the encounter with Christ. In fact, numerous are the temptations of our time, the seductions that seek to muffle the divine voice resounding within the heart of each individual.
To the people of our century, to all of you, dear young people, who hunger and thirst for truth, the Church offers herself as a travelling companion. She offers the eternal Gospel message and entrusts you with an exalting apostolic task: to be protagonists of the New Evangelisation. . .
The Church entrusts to young people the task of proclaiming to the world the joy which springs from having met Christ. Dear friends, allow yourselves to be drawn to Christ; accept his invitation and follow him. Go and preach the Good News that redeems (cf. Mt 28:19); do it with happiness in your hearts and become communicators of hope in a world which is often tempted to despair, communicators of faith in a society which at times seems resigned to disbelief, communicators of love in daily events that are often marked by a mentality of unbridled selfishness.
Message of Pope John Paul II to Youth, 1993
7.13 Being close to the reality of peoples’ lives
The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts.
7.14 With the eyes of the poor
All the Brothers of the Institute are involved in this call to solidarity. However, it is not possible for all to express it in the same way Following each province’s expressed option for the poor, some Brothers are called to work directly with the poor. Some are also called to live like the poor in a way that allows us to speak about a real preferential option for the poor. All Brothers, wherever they may be, know the call to work for the poor and to organise their lives and their apostolates from the perspective of the poor.
XIX General Chapter, Solidarity, 19
Evangelising through education involves . . .empowering the young person to be the subject not only of his or her own growth but of the development of the whole community: education for service.
7.16 Forming the young to be "leaven" in their society
Catholic education must produce people who are prepared to act for lasting structural change to our societies, through providing them with a civic and political formation inspired by the social teaching of the Church. (Inaugural address of Pope John Paul II)
7.18 The presence of God in our life and the presence of life in our prayers
To adopt a renewed form of prayer, open to the reality of creation and of history, echoing a life of solidarity with our brothers and sisters, above all with the poor, and with those who are suffering. An apostolic prayer which takes into account the pains and joys, anguish and hopes of people that God puts in our way.
XIX General Chapter, Marist Apostolic Spirituality, 26
8: We face the future with audacity and hope
Prophets are seen as persons intimately related to both God and humanity at the same time. They pray privately and communally for the world, while being simultaneously and vitally involved on behalf of their contemporaries, with whom they pray and struggle. Prophets are religious people, who, inhabited by the Spirit of Yahweh, inspire and influence their surroundings, since they believe in a saving and life-giving God. They are people of their times, who try to understand the message of the signs of the times. . . ; they are also people of the future. . .
The way of life of those persons who spoke in the name of God, and especially the life of Jesus . . . find a concrete fulfilment in the Brother’s life. Here we touch on something which involves his very identity and which shows him the way to continual self-transcendence.
Brother in lay Religious Institutes, Union of Superiors General, 1991, Ch.4
(We have recognised) the life which is still welling up in different forms. It is the new wine of a greater sensitivity to the needs of the Institute or of the world and which makes for greater availability. . .It is the new wine of inter-provincial projects and international communities, or some new experience of community life being tried out by some Brothers and laypeople, or the moving out of established works and communities towards the marginalised, where our priorities lie. And the life (new wine) is valued not in terms of quantity but for itself. We may perhaps have detected a certain sense of timidity in these processes of change, but let us joyfully acknowledge that they exist.
Br. Benito Arbués, "Walk peacefully, but with a sense of urgency", Circulars, 1997, 25
8.4 A Challenge to young people
The future of the world and the Church belongs to the younger generation, to those who, born in this century, will reach maturity in the next, the first century of the new millennium. Christ expects great things from young people, as he did from the young man who asked him: "What good deed must I do to have eternal life?" (Mt 19:16). . . Young people, in every situation, do not cease to put questions to Christ: they meet him and they keep searching for him in order to question him further. If they succeed in following the road which he points out to them, they will have the joy of making their own contribution to his presence in the next century and in the centuries to come, until the end of time. "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and for ever."
Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 58