Marianists, also called the Marianist Family, are a worldwide religious community within the Roman Catholic Church. They promise to live in a way that reflects the values taught by Jesus Christ and that permits them to serve the needs of humankind. Marianists also are dedicated to the Virgin Mary—especially her mission to bring the spirit of Christ to the world—and to her model of discipleship. Thousands of Marianists live and work in dozens of countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America.
The Marianist Family is made up of several formal organizations. These include the Society of Mary, consisting of religious brothers and priests; the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, also called the Marianist Sisters, consisting of women religious; the Alliance Mariale, an organization of lay women dedicated to God; and Marianist Lay Communities. Marianist priests, brothers, and sisters are members of religious orders who live together in close communities. Brothers and sisters also are called simply religious. Lay people are regular church members. Single and married lay people make up the largest group of Marianists.
Marianists believe the best way to communicate their faith is through supportive personal relationships within communities that serve others. Traditionally, the Society of Mary and the Marianist Sisters have been involved in education. In the United States, the Society of Mary sponsors many high schools and universities, including the University of Dayton, St. Mary’s University, and Chaminade University. Marianist priests and religious also work in parishes, religious renewal and spirituality centers, and human services.
In the late 1700’s, France’s government closed the country’s Catholic convents and monasteries and many Catholic schools and parishes. In the early 1800’s, the French priest William Joseph Chaminade founded the Marianist Family with the help of Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon and Marie Thérèse de Lamourous. They hoped to rebuild the church. They established a number of lay communities called sodalities in southwest France. The sodalities provided faith formation and ways to do good works in French cities. In 1816, Chaminade and Trenquelléon founded the Daughters of Mary Immaculate. In 1817, Chaminade established the all-male Society of Mary. Both orders were rooted in the sodalites and committed to helping them grow.
