Rev. Cris Janson, pastor at Holy Rosary Parish, celebrated Mass with students of St. Mary’s University and the Casa María community on Thursday, Oct. 15 at Founders Hall. Approximately 25 attended this week’s Mass which the Casa María community sponsors every Thursday evening in the residence hall. Pictured above: Brother Bob Jones, Rev. Cris Janson and Aspirant Norman Capinpin.
With a special dinner menu of pork tenderloin, apple sauce and coconut cream pie from Marie Callender’s, the Casa María community celebrated Tim Dwyer’s 74th birthday on Thursday, October 15. See more photos on our Flickr site.
Aspirant Andrew Caruso, Sister Grace Walle and Brother Brian Halderman enjoy homemade oatmeal-raisin cookies at the Marianist Sisters Convent.
To celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, the Casa María community made an evening “pilgrimage” to the Marianist Sisters Convent, Our Lady of the Pillar. Members of both communities gathered outside the statue of Our Lady of the Pillar for a brief prayer to commemorate the vision that inspired Blessed Chaminade to establish the Marianist Family. The Marianist Sisters hosted a brief social that included ice cream and homemade oatmeal-raisin cookies afterwards.
See more photos on our Flickr site.
Shrine of Our Lady of Peace of Fatima Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Prayer for the Marianist Family by Jose María Arnaiz, S.M.
“Our Father, we pray for our Marianist Family
with all its weaknesses and all its wealth.
Look upon us with kindness;
it is our mother and our family.
Give it your grace so that it may become
what it longs to be.
“A family that fosters life and enthusiasm,
in which all can express what they think and feel,
what they believe and desire;
a community of freedom.
“A family in which all can pray in their own language,
develop and cherish their own culture,
appreciate the heritage and history in which they feel
at home:
an incarnational community, one that knows the
paschal mystery
and experience a new Pentecost.
“A family of which people will say:
“See how they love one another,’
rather than, “See how well organized they are’:
a living and growing community.”
Marianist Family, you are small but growing,
Fragile but full of hope,
Hesitant but believing.
Lift up your eyes and see:
Jesus and Mary are always with you. Amen.”
More info on the Marianist World Day of Prayer 2009 (pdf).
Aspirant Andrew. Birthday Brother. Community Chef. On this night, he did it all, from A to Z—and the community was treated to a home-cooked meal in honor of the arrival of his parents and his own birthday. A special, third-generation Caruso family recipe of lasagne, garlic bread, salad and wine—topped off with a yellow cake with chocolate frosting made from scratch.
We prayed in gratitude for his parents’ safe arrival and their enjoyable stay, as well as for the gift of Andrew’s life and discernment with us. And, of course, the celebration was highlighted with the traditional singing of Las Mañanitas and Happy Birthday.
More photos on our Flickr set.
Approximately 25 students, faculty and staff gathered in Founders Hall to celebrate the memorial of St. Thérèse of Lisieux with the Casa María Marianist community for the weekly Thursday evening Mass at Founders Hall.
Experiencing a measured indoor humidity of 70 percent and temperature of 78 degrees, the congregation celebrated Mass with songs in English and Spanish, along with a communion hymn—God is Love (Mondoy)—set to a tune written by Hawaiian Queen Lydia Lili‘uokalani (O Makalapua) led by two Marianist ‘ukulele players.
Focusing on St. Thérèse’s “Little Way,” this week’s presider, Rev. Tim Dwyer, preached about how doing the “little things” with love and kindness toward one another can help us recognize that “the Reign of God is at hand” (Luke 10:11).
Recent graduates from Marianist high schools—now freshmen at St. Mary’s University—joined the brothers at Casa María for dinner on Thursday, October 1st.
Since a number of graduates of Marianist high schools attend St. Mary’s University, the Casa María community hoped this event would foster relationships among these students who share a common Marianist experience and to invite them into the community.
Pictured above are (from left to right): Aspirant Norman, Brother Bob, Trevor (Central Catholic), Lauren (Nolan Catholic), Jenny (Gross Catholic), Cassie (Gross Catholic) and Brother Tim.
Casa Maria Marianists 