Association Formation Events
Annual Moment of Renewal
Each year, the Moment of Renewal provides a simple way for members of the Marist Association to remember in each other’s company our desire to be a vital faith community, remain attentive to the God of all life, nurture our spirituality, and draw on our mission imagination to serve and foster connectedness and communion. Marist Association Local Coordinators choose the most appropriate context for the ritual to be carried out.
Three suggested dates (or a convenient time close to these dates) are:
6 June Feast Day of St Marcellin Champagnat
23 July Fourviere Pledge
15 August Feast of the Assumption
Download the 2024 resources here
Contact: Mark O’Farrell I mark.ofarrell@marists.org.au
MARIST ASSOCIATION REGIONAL GATHERINGS
The Regional Gatherings aim to strengthen the connections between members of the Marist Association in geographical regions across Australia. The artwork from the 2023 National Assembly (right) captures this vitality of coming together as a regional and a spiritual family. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experience of Marist life and explore ideas and resources for nurturing the Marist Association. The format and content of gatherings will be determined by the local groups in the region and may consist of a shared meal, spiritual input and time for reflection and prayer. The Marist Mission and Life Formation Team are available to provide resources and support Local Coordinators in the facilitation of Regional Gatherings.
Contact: Mark O’Farrell I mark.ofarrell@marists.org.au
National assembly iv
In 2025 we will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Marist Association and gather for the fourth National Assembly. The theme proposed is ‘Out of Dreaming: Into Action’. Preparation for the Assembly will take the form of a spiritual conversation process, culminating in the National Assembly gathering. Over a period of several months, there will be online and face-to-face dialogue between Association Members regarding the spirituality, ministries and future direction of the Association, as well as reporting on outcomes from the 2022 National
Assembly. Following this dialogue, a large in-person gathering will be held in Brisbane on 27- 29 June. The process will culminate in strategic recommendations for the new Association Council and the commissioning of the new Council.
Contact: Richard Quinn | richard.quinn@marists.org.au
MARIST ASSOCIATION National
virtual gathering
The National Virtual Gathering is an opportunity for members of the Marist Association of Saint Marcellin Champagnat to connect and know they belong to a spiritual family that nourishes and supports members faith, life and vocation. It is a time for Marists to gather as a national family as we seek to pray, share, discern and respond to the calls of Assembly IV of the Marist Association.
Date: 22 October
Time: 7.00 - 8.00pm (AEDT) Sydney, Melbourne, 6.30pm - 7.30pm (ACDT) Adelaide, 6.00pm - 7.00pm (AEST) Brisbane, 4.00pm - 5.00pm (AWST) Perth
Contact: Mark O’Farrell I mark.ofarrell@marists.org.au
MID-WINTER RETREAT
(For Association members, school and ministry staff)
Our annual retreat offers a time of insight and renewal through a process of quiet reflection, spiritual reading and quality input. In 2025 the retreat will be facilitated by Dr Sally Longley. The retreat will take up the formation theme, Pilgrims of Hope, with a focus on the biblical notion of hope, grace and choice.
Sally is a retreat leader, spiritual director, and author based in Sydney and is a past president of the Australian Network for Spiritual Direction. Her most recent books include Walking the Labyrinth as the Beloved in John’s Gospel and Conversations with Silence: Rosetta Stone of the Soul.
Contact: John Hickey | john.hickey@marists.org.au
FAITH FORMATORS’ COLLOQUIUM
For Local Coordinators, Directors of Mission, RECs, APREs, Local Coordinators
The Colloquium will explore the annual theme ‘Created + Called - a revolution of love and tenderness’ and its implications for forming staff and young people. Through modern art, storytelling and reflection, participants will deepen their appreciation of indigenous spirituality and their role as co-creators, consider how they are being drawn by God as faith leaders and discover new ways of creating together for mission.
Contact: Tony Clarke | tony.clarke@marists.org.au
