Train as a Marist

Training as a Marist Priest or Brother takes place in Auckland, at the Marist Seminary, and at the Society of Mary’s English-Speaking International Novitiate.

The training, or “formation” process begins by joining the Marist Seminary community, generally for a period of 1 – 2 years. During this time Marist seminarians:

• live as part of the Marist Seminary Community
• are introduced to the Marist life
• work out whether they would like to go to Novitiate and become a Marist
• study at Good Shepherd College towards a Batchelor of Theology degree

When a Marist Seminarian decides he wants to further his life as a Marist he applies to go to the Marist International Novitiate. He makes this application to the head of the Society of Mary in New Zealand, who on the advice of the formation staff at the Seminary and having consulted his provincial councilors, forwards the application to the Superior General of the Society of Mary in Rome.

Successful applicants will then be invited to join with other English-speaking novices and go to the International Novititate for a year. The International English speaking Novitiate is in the Philippines.

At the end of the Novitiate the Marist seminarian is professed as a Marist and is entitled to place SM (Society of Mary) after his name. He then returns to New Zealand to study once again at Good Shepherd College and complete his Bachelor of Theology degree.

After two further years of study, the Marist seminarian is engaged in two years of pastoral placement. This may be a secular degree, working in a ministry in New Zealand, or even working overseas in one of the Marist foreign missions.

The seminarian then returns to the Marist Seminary and during this two years he

• completes his studies,
• takes his final vows as a Marist
• is ordained as a Deacon (priest students only)
• is ordained as a Priest.

After ordination, a newly ordained priest can expect to be placed in a supportive Marist community and occasionally gather with other newly ordained Marists either in New Zealand or in an international English – speaking setting.