The Marist Brothers work cooperatively with hundreds of lay partners who understand our mission and share our passion for introducing young people to their own spirituality through lives of prayer, service and scholarship. Our lay partners bring their own special talents to our students and are living examples that the tenets of St. Marcellin Champagnat are still very relevant in today’s busy world.

Meet Our Partners - We partner with a deeply dedicated, energetic group of lay people who believe in the mission of Marcellin Champagnat as deeply as we do. Here are some of their stories:

Chris Dougherty Archbishop Molloy High School Briarwood, NY

Chris Dougherty has spent more than half of his years, living Marist. First, as a student at Archbishop Molloy and summer volunteer in Esopus, NY and today as a licensed social worker, Peer Group Counselor and the S.M.I.L.E. Coordinator at Archbishop Molloy and a Camp Director of the Special Adult Vacation. “Working and volunteering with the Marist Brothers has truly touched my life in many profound and joyful ways,” says Chris.

Chris draws most of his inspiration from Marcellin Champagnat’s humility, hard work, dedication and perseverance and cherishes the lifelong friendships he’s forged with the Marist Brothers. He is particularly proud to be part of the Marcellin Champagnat International Service Society at Archbishop Molloy — a volunteer effort involving students, alumni, Brothers and lay faculty who spend a week in Lourdes tending to sick and wheelchair bound pilgrims who visit the shrine each summer — started with Brother Pat Hogan in 2005. The two hope to expand the program to a Latin American volunteer site. “I hope to continue this,” adds Chris. “I will strive, much like Marcellin, to live simply.”

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Lindsay Irwin St. Joseph Academy Brownsville TX

Lindsay Irwin is a veteran teacher who loved the challenges and rewards of being an educator but found herself longing for a sense of common mission and purpose in the schools where she worked. That all changed when Lindsay became a lay faculty member at Saint Joseph Academy ten years ago. “The Marist Brothers were saying what I had always known in my heart to be true — that we do this work because we are called to do it. We do it because we love the young people with whom we work, and that we do it because we love God,” says Lindsay, who is also mom to two St. Joseph Academy graduates.

As a teacher of St. Joseph Academy, Lindsay values the support and encouragement she receives to grow professionally, personally and spiritually. “I believe in the work we do,” says Lindsay. “It is a great blessing to with a group of people who share the same values. I have been supported by a loving group of colleagues and friends that extends far beyond the campus to the Marist family throughout the world.”

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Kate Authenrieth St. Agnes Boys High School New York, NY

Kate Authenrieth receives a lot of unsolicited career advice, mainly, get out of Catholic education as soon as possible and don’t become emotionally involved in your work. “Impossible,” says Kate who joined the lay faculty at St. Agnes in 1999 and now teaches. “I’m unable to separate myself from what I do because my work as a Marist teacher is the realest expression of who I am.”

St. Agnes students and their ability to see God’s love in everyone, even the most unlikely of characters, inspire Kate. She also believes in the power of the Marist community and feels privileged to witness the success of students who would not have flourished in other school environments. “The achievements however small of these young men, with circumstances that could potentially have left them lost is no coincidence,” says Kate. “Fundamental to the experience of being part of the St. Agnes family is the indisputable sense of unconditional support and acceptance that I have found to be unique to our school community.”

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Dr. Jim Dugard Christopher Columbus High School Miami, FL

Jim Dugard fell into his vocation sideways. Now the Director of Campus Ministry at Christopher Columbus High School, he began his teaching career after a stint as an athletic trainer with the New England Patriots. He joined the lay faculty at Christopher Columbus in 2000, and shortly after experiencing “Sharing Our Call,” began to reflect on his life experiences and teaching. “I was really a Marist and did not know it,” explains Jim. “It was no accident that I became a teacher, this is what God had prepared me for all my life.”

Becoming a valued member of the Marist community made a huge impact on Jim’s life. “I started to really become more compassionate with my students. I am a much more living father and husband,” he says. “I’ve become more humble, wanting others to shine and get the glory. It has been a transformation from within. I feel like I am a journeyman who has reached a peak and am looking out at limitless horizons. I am not sure what the future holds, but I know that the future is with the Marist family.”

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Karen Merker and Tom Pelliciari Affiliated to the Province

On Sunday evening, July 23, at a special Camp Marist mass honoring Brother Valerian Doiron for his 75th anniversary as a Marist Brother and Msgr. Dermot Brennan for his 50th anniversary of the priesthood, two outstanding Camp Marist staff members were affiliated to our USA Province. Since 1973, Karen Merker has volunteered her services as cook and retreat leader in Esopus. For the past 13 summers, Karen has been one of the true leaders of Camp Marist. Tom Pelliciari was a student at Mt. St. Michael Academy from 1st through 12th grades. For more than 30 years, Tom has give heart and soul to the younger children at Camp Marist.

With the entire Camp Marist community assembled in Our Lady of Fatima Chapel, Brother Jim Halliday, Camp Director, explained the meaning of “affiliation.” During his homily, Msgr. Brennan, assisted by several campers, explained to the campers who the Marist Brothers are. Brother John McDonnell, Vice Provincial, led the affiliation ceremony after Communion and presented “Brother” Karen and “Brother” Tom with diplomas of affiliation that had been prepared by Brother Owen Ormsby.

The families of both new affiliates were present for Camp Marist’s annual July 26/Feast of St. Ann celebration held this year on Saturday evening, July 22 and for the Mass of Affiliation on July 23. Highlights of the evening included the spontaneous, heartfelt words shared by Tom and Karen after receiving their affiliation diplomas.

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Maureen Hagan Roselle Catholic High School Roselle, New Jersey

As many times begins a person’s story, it is in the saying of the word “Yes.” As Marists, that word has particular significance, reflecting back on the YES of Mary.

And so, my story begins with my YES, albeit a reluctant one. In 2000, I was heading to graduate school to pursue a Masters in Social Work. I needed a job to pay for this venture and was planning on applying for an assistantship. At that point, Brother Owen came to me and asked if I might consider becoming the Campus Minister at Roselle Catholic. My first response, I have to admit, was “No.” My husband had worked there for over 25 years; both my children would be students there. Among other things, it seemed a bit much for ALL of us to be there. And I also felt that my job should be related to Social Work. Well, Owen did a fine job of convincing me that the job would indeed entail social work. And so, I said ‘Yes” and so began my experience of Marist…or, at least, my conscious experience of Marist. And like Mary, my “Yes” has brought me to places of which I had never quite dreamed.

After learning some of the Marist stories at my first Encounter, I began to pay attention to the brothers at our school. It was easy to connect their actions with what I was learning about Marcellin Champagnat. The caring soul in Br. Raoul, arriving at school early each day in order to make a run in to Newark to pick up students who otherwise would have a difficult public transportation issue to get to school. The hard work of Br. Ray, in his retirements years, working around the building, doing woodworking and repairs to keep a 45 year old building looking new. The simplicity of Br. Bernard’s chats with students as he makes his presence known in the library each day, and also standing at the front doors throughout the lunch periods. The hospitality of Br. Vincent cooking a beautiful and delicious dinner for the faculty on the junior class retreat. The commitment of Br. Robert James, as he makes his way around the entire building each morning collecting attendance slips. The warmth and welcome of Br. Donald, greeting everyone first thing each morning, as they come in the doors and pass the bookstore. The booming “What’s up?” from Br. Dan as he makes each student with whom he comes in contact feel as if they are the most important person in the world right then. And the vision, commitment, and compassion of Br. Owen, as he works at maintaining the building, at building the morale of the faculty, at keeping a rapport with students by giving talks on retreats, and more.

As I learned more of the Marist stories and more about the life of Marcellin Champagnat, I have learned that the culture we have created at RC is unquestionably Marist. To me, the epitome of being Marist is the willingness to roll up one’s sleeves and work; especially to work right alongside young people. That is what I see at RC, that is a big part of what I do at RC…that is a big part of what WE do at RC.

I have learned that a willingness to do hard work was a quality of Marcellin Champagnat….and like the faculty and staff in other Marist schools, we work hard. And from that, we are able to experience and live out other qualities which are also part of a Marist education. The ideas of family spirit and hospitality were evident long before I joined the staff at RC. As Campus Minister, Br. Owen always invited and indeed encouraged us to come as a family to the Esopus retreats. He knew the value of our students seeing their faculty in the role of parent, as well as teacher. The welcoming atmosphere at Roselle Catholic is evident to every one who enters our building, so much so that even relative strangers make a point of commenting on it.

The community spirit is evident when one sees a group of students and faculty working together on the food drive, or on making gingerbread houses to raise money for a spring break service trip, or on delivering Christmas trees to the infirmed. It’s hard not to notice when adults from our community sit in line with students at the Blood Drive. It’s clear on our retreats, when faculty members drive two hours to Esopus, to be a part of the weekend, to send a message to kids that they are loved and supported.

And a typical Roselle Catholic day is one that I am sure is mirrored in many of our Marist schools: It is 2:15 in the afternoon, 10 minutes after dismissal. Approximately 30 students are in the cafeteria, sorting through mounds of notebooks, writing utensils, binders, paperbacks and more as we prepare to send donations to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It is only two weeks into the school year, but we have already raised almost $1000 and collected box loads of school supplies. We can do this in such short order because of the culture that has been created here, long before this day – a culture of service, of response to those in need. The upperclassmen swing into action and the younger students follow the example being set for them. The freshmen are learning early what life at RC is like.

The school year continues with a Halloween collection. Our students dress in costumes and take a “party box” filled with paper plates, napkins, cups and balloon, and goodie bags to various after school programs in Roselle, Newark and to the Homeless Coalition in Elizabeth. A Food Drive for Thanksgiving quickly follows.

In the midst of all this, Festival of Lights has begun – our school’s celebration of the joyful mystery of the Incarnation. A choir made up of over 150 voices is rehearsing every Wednesday night. 30 dancers meet in a large classroom to learn their routines. Over 120 students sign up to make gingerbread houses, the sale of which will help send our Marist Youth Group on a service trip to West Virginia in the spring. Teams, clubs and homerooms are decorating tabletop Christmas trees that will be delivered to nursing homes and hospice. The tags on the Giving Tree are fast disappearing, eventually providing over 300 gifts for needy children in our area and another tree is being adorned with socks, gloves and blankets to be brought to our homeless friends in Battery Park. The RC community, in typical Marist style, is “rolling up its (collective) sleeves”, recognizing and honoring the long held tradition of giving and service because “unto us a child has been borne”.

These activities are more than service. They are opportunities for our young people to learn, in a concrete way, not only that they are the Love of God, embodied, but also to learn to see God in others. Thus, in serving, they are also served. These activities are a way for them to broaden their vision to include others (who have less than they do); a challenge to them to find a place in their lives where compassion, generosity and their dreams of making the world we live in a better place can be exercised. In short, service activities, require us “to roll up our sleeves” help us “make Jesus (and the gospel message) known and loved.” There is nothing more rewarding than working alongside students, and being there to witness the moment when they “get it”, the moment of recognition of what this is really about. We are creating sacred space, walking on holy ground. The call of the Gospel becomes so real. It becomes so easy to point out that we are ALL called; it is merely a matter of figuring out how we will say our own “YES.”

For young people, these service activities act as a springboard into the exploration of a life-giving spirituality. It helps them to formulate the “God” questions in their lives; invites
MC said that he never wanted to miss an opportunity to tell young people how much Jesus loved them. Every day, in so many ways we tell our young people they are the Body of Christ…they are the hands, and eyes, and compassion of our loving God in the world.

And we are all meant to be Mothers of God….!

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