Priests from all over the world who prepare each day to celebrate mass in the Saint-Peter's Basilica are now putting on their alb under the vigilant eye of a saintly priest who was a member of the Marist Third-Order, now called the Marist Laity.

Jean-Marie Vianney, the Cure d'Ars

During the last General Audience on November 30th, Pope Benedict XVI blessed an very large portrait of the Frenchman St Jean-Marie Vianney.

A humble, compassionate and prayerful Jean Marie Vianney, also known as The Cure d'Ars, is the patron Saint of Parish Priests.

In 1818 Jean Vianney was appointed parish priest of the parish of a small town called Ars. The town's population was 230.

In the aftermath of the French Revolution and the destruction of the Catholic Church in France, Vianney picked up on the religious ignorance of the local people and began to educate them with his homilies, and by spending considerable hours in the confessional.

In later years, Vianney became known internationally and people traveled long distances to consult him.

By 1855 the number of pilgrims visiting the small town of Ars reached 20,000 a year and during the last ten years of his life, he spent sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional.

So popular was he as a confessor that the bishop forbade him to attend the annual retreats of the diocesan clergy because 'souls awaiting him'.

He was similarly prevented by the bishop from retiring from parish ministry and joining the Fr Colin and the Marists in his final years.

Vianney's recommendations to people that they join the Third Order of Mary, even when it possessed neither official approbation nor definite structure pressured Father Colin into giving the Third-Order its first Director in the person of Father Eymard.

In 1846 John Vianney was himself received into the Third Order on December 8th and in 1854 received faculties to receive other members in his turn.

Vianney's picture came to Rome on the occasion of the Year of the Priest and as a gift from the bishop from the French diocese of Belley-Ars, Bishop Buy Bagnard.

Source: CathNews

Responding to the popular request from around the world, a high resolution digital copy of the Icon of Jean-Claude Colin is now available on the Society of Mary General Administration's website.

The General Administration intends to produce A3 posters and Holy Cards with the prayer for beatification of Fr Colin on the reverse side.

Those interested in an A3 poster or Holy Cards are asked to contact the Society of Mary New Zealand Provincial Office.

The icon of Marist founder, Jean-Claude Colin was commissioned by the Superior General to coincide with the re-introduction of Jean-Claude Colins' cause for beatification. It is the work of the John the Baptist art studio in New Zealand and will be placed in the Chapel of the Marist Fathers General House in Rome.

Recently nine students from St Mary's, the Marist college in Dundalk, Ireland, visited the Marist mission in Ranong, Thailand.

Marist Mission Thailand is a work of Marist district of the Philippines and assists Myanmar migrant workers by:

• educating their children
• offering health care
• running a community centre to help build community amongst the workers and their families.

The Marist Mission Thailand offers help to the neediest people regardless of creed, age or ethnic origin.

The St Mary's Dundalk, Ireland students quickly adapted to the intense heat, constant threat of torrential rain and local food and set about their teaching duties.

In the two weeks they spent in Thailand, the Irish students were strongly affected by the enthusiasm and friendly nature of the Myanmar people. They returned to Ireland full of unforgettable experiences.

The fourth floor residence for 18 students and three formation staff is scheduled for completion at the end of January 2012.

The lower floors of the Marist theologate at "via Livorno" the San Giovanni Evangelista college, will continue to be used as a secondary school, with increased curriculum emphasis on languages, computer science and by using new teaching technologies.

The establishment of the commission is one of the proposals from the recent International Meeting of Vocation Directors in Curitiba in Brazil, and its purpose is to reinforce the Marist work with youth and vocations ministries.

The Commission's task is to: act as a reflection group on vocations within the Society of Mary, assist the superior general in the development of a vocations culture within the Society, work with the International Coordinator of Vocations in drawing up a plan for vocations fostering and work in international cooperative vocations projects.

The Superior General, Fr John Hannan, will shortly consult the major superiors about the membership of the commission.

Marists and their communities are ready to mark the beginning of the "Year of the Constitutions" on Monday, 12 September.

The year will be marked by using a program of reflection as contained in "Bearings" a publication commissioned by the Society and written by Craig Larkin.

The material is also available for download from the Marist General Administration website.

Bearings commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Society's new Constitutions.

A consequence of the England riots is the Society of Mary's International parish near Leicester Square, in the middle of London, has not been able to fulfil its usual bread deliveries.

Parish Priest, Fr Paul Walsh SM leads the celebration of the Eucharist at Notre Dame de France.

Ironically the reason for inability to deliver the bread is not the local London riots, but further away in Tottenham, where the bread is baked.

"As a result of the Tottenham riots, the baker that usually provides our bread needed to stop production for a few days," Marist Father, Bernd Kordes said.

"The Church itself has not been directly affected."

London is such a huge place that disturbances can occur in one area but make not apparent impact on others, but Fr Kordes says they are being cautions and closing the Church a little earlier than usual.

"As an inner-city parish, many of our African parishioners live in areas that have been affected, however to the best of our knowledge we don't know of anyone being directly caught up with the effects of the riots," he said.

Reflecting on what's happened, Fr Kordes commented the Marist community, like everyone else, is a little bemused by the sudden outbreak of violence and the involvement of so many young people.

"They're asking serious questions about the fabric of society in which we live," Fr Kordes said.

An icon of Marist founder, Jean-Claude Colin is complete.

The icon was commissioned by the Superior General to coincide with the re-introduction of Jean-Claude's cause and is seen as part of further developing the following that Jean-Claude enjoys.

The icon is the work of the John the Baptist art studio, who specialise in sacred art and iconography.

Michael Pervan, the director of the John the Baptist studio said the icon is steeped in Catholic theology and uses colour and shape to explain the relationship of Mary and Christ and the relationship of Mary to Fr Colin and the Church.

The icon was rendered using all natural products including gold leaf, egg yolk, gypsum, and Italian rabbit skin glue.

"Nothing synthetic was used in rendering the icon." he said.

Symbolism within the icon is subtle and deep. Of Fr Colin, Pervan took time to point out that he

• does not yet have a halo
• is rendered as young and most glorious because he is now forever young
• does not have his usual glasses because he is now perfect.

Mr Pervan said the Studio thoroughly researched the commission and to do so embarked on a spiritual journey.

"It was a spiritual home-coming for us," Pervan said.

The icon will be given a place in the chapel of the General House. (Click for photographed copy. 1.1MB JPG formatted image.)

The book is offered to provinces and districts, to communities and individuals as a tool in the project of the re-appropriation of the Marist Constitutions called for by the last General Chapter.

The English version has already been printed and dispatched.

The French and Spanish versions are due before the end of September.

On releasing the publication, the Superior General, Fr John Hannan said the intention is "to enable today's Marists reflect prayerfully upon the Constitutions with a view to helping us to absorb, through the lived experiences of our fellow Marists, the deeper content of our rule of life.

"The witness of our forbears is a sure way to help us to approach the Constitutions in an imaginative way and to discover in them pathways to an ever deeper understanding of our Marist Call," he said.

The Marists' agreed to the use of their workshop as "Men's Shed" after being approached by the HHRCS. The shed will serve the men of the local area.

The "Men's Shed" will come under the umbrella of the HHRCS to cover insurance, occupational health matters.

In preparation the Marists' will clear their equipment from the current workshop and relocate it elsewhere on the property.

The arrangement is for a one year trial period and a further meeting of the local men interested in the project will take place on 24 August.