An international religious community, the Marists convey the love of Jesus through the spirit of Mary. All Marists are missionary in character, desiring to serve God and bear the love of God for others. Their spirituality touches deeply on people’s hunger for authentic living and sees Mary, the mother of Jesus, as key to experiencing God’s dream and hope expressed through Jesus.
The Marists began in France in 1816, just following the French Revolution, when 12 newly ordained young men pledged their lives to the service of others in the spirit of Mary. In 1863, during the Civil War, the Marists came to the U.S. to serve the needs of French-speaking people in Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota and California.
Marists reach out to all people, placing a special emphasis on those who feel alienated. Today they encourage the Church to unify in its diversity and to be transformed by the spirit of Mary from coast to coast – in 79 countries. Marists work in parishes, schools, prisons, hospitals, colleges and missions.