Marcellin Champagnat was a Marist priest, founded the Institute of Marist Brothers, and was deeply involved in the whole project for a Society of Mary.

He was one of the group of seminarians caught up by the inspiration for a Society of Mary. They wanted it to be a religious order, like a tree with several branches. He always considered the group had specially mandated him to found the Marist Brothers. His own youthful experience had impressed on him the desperate need for Catholics to give basic education to rural youth. Only a religious congregation could resource this at that time.

Shortly after his ordination in 1816, Marcellin set about getting young men together, giving them basic education and religious training, and then sending them out in small groups to villages where the parish clergy asked for their assistance. From this quite practical and obscure beginning, sprang a numerous, world-wide religious congregation.

Of course, like most initiators, Champagnat ran up against serious problems: financial difficulties, problems with some of the many people he had to relate to, legal objections from ecclesiastical and civil authorities. Marcellin became prematurely worn out….he was only 51 when he died….yet he remained basically confident in his faith that this was “the work of Mary”, that she whom he called “Our Ordinary Resource”...would see us through.

Champagnat’s determination to keep the brothers Marist, not to allow them to be absorbed into other groups by diocesan or state authorities; his furtherance of the priest’s branch, in spite of tiresome disappointments or contradictions; his promotion of the sisters: all was fidelity to his vision of one Society wanted by Mary for her work.

St. Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist Brothers and co-founder of the Marist Fathers, was canonised in 1998 and his feast day is celebrated on June 6th.

Scripture

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another, says the Lord. (Jn 13:34f)
If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labour (Ps 126)
We proclaim Christ in you, the hope of glory, warning everyone and teaching them in all wisdom, that we may present them mature in Christ (Col 1:27f)