Just over ten years ago, the Marist Brothers of the Province of the United States began a concerted effort to introduce faculty, staff, and students of Marist schools to the vision and mission of St. Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers of the Schools.

“Marist Youth,” as it has come to be known, was inaugurated in 2001 with a national gathering of students from all Marist schools in the United States. Since that time, annual Marist Youth gatherings have grown to include Marist schools from Canada and Mexico.

The purpose of the Marist Youth gatherings is to help our young students understand what it means to be Catholic and Marist today. The charism of our Founder, St. Marcellin Champagnat, is meant as much for young people as it is for adults.

A direct outcome of the annual Marist Youth gatherings in the creation of Marist Youth groups within each of our US Marist schools. Students in these groups try to incorporate Marist heritage and values in the various activities they promote in their schools. As a result, our students learn that being Marist is a way of life and that has given rise to our motto, “Marist Youth today; Marist always.”