The Marist Brothers of the Schools (Fratres Maristae a Scholis – FMS), originally known as Little Brothers of Mary, is a religious congregation of consecrated men who commit to follow Jesus in the way of Mary. They live in community and dedicate themselves in a special way to the education of children and young people, with a preference for those who are most neglected.
Saint Marcellin Champagnat
(Founder, Marist Brothers of the Schools)
The Founder
Inspired by a dying boy’s ignorance of the fundamentals of his faith, Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest who was working in the mountainous regions of Eastern France founded the order of Teaching Brothers or the Marist Brothers of the Schools on January 2, 1817.
Saint Marcellin Champagnat was born in Marlhes, France, on May 20, 1789. As a newly ordained priest in the society of Mary, he was deeply troubled by the ignorance of children in small towns. He founded the Congregation of the Marist Teaching Brothers in 1817 to provide these children with Christian education. St. Marcellin, aware of the needs of youth and beleaguered by many requests from all over the map, used to plead, “We need Brothers!” Given the social and ecclesiastical content in today’s world, St. Marcellin word surely attained his wish, and added to it− “We need brothers and Sisters, lay people, teachers, group leaders and aids who wants to live in fraternal solidarity.” This urgent message of Marcellin is summed up in the words of Jesus, “The harvest is abundant, but there aren’t enough workers. Tell the owner to send us more!”
He had an ardent love for the Mother of God and was open to her wishes all his life. From her, he learned how to practice humility and to love God and people wholeheartedly. He wanted his followers to cherish the Blessed Virgin Mary as their Mother and Model in their work as educators of young people. He died at The Hermitage, near St. Chamond, France, on June 6, 1840.
As of January 2017 statistics from the Marist Brothers Generalate in Rome, there are 2,951 Brothers carrying the work of the Founder in 76 countries of the world teaching the youth from the barrio schools of the rural areas to the pontifical universities of the urban cities. The total number includes the 45 Brothers working in the Philippines.
St. Marcellin Champagnat was a child of the French Revolution. Born on May 20, 1789, he dedicated himself to the service of God and his neighbor. He was ordained priest in 1816 and became the parish priest of La Valla. It was in one of the hamlets where he met the dying boy who inspired him to found the congregation of the Marist Brothers. Due to the hardship of being a country priest and the hard work in building his congregation, he died at the young age of 51 on June 6, 1840. He was beatified in May 29, 1955 by Pope Pius XII and raised to sainthood in April 18, 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
The founder of the Marist Brothers was also the co-founder of the Order of the Society of Mary (SM), a branch of the Marist Family. He was a man of faith and charity, of solid virtue and common sense; daring, hardworking, virile, austere, and devoted to the Blessed Mother, whom he calls his “Ordinary Resource.” His motto was: “All to Jesus through Mary, All to Mary for Jesus”. His greeting, which he taught the Brothers to say among themselves, “Praise be Jesus Christ, and Mary His Mother” is perpetuated in the congregation even to this day.
The Marist Brothers’ Presence
The Marist Brothers of the Schools (FMS), commonly known as the Marist Brothers, is a congregation of men who devote their lives to Christian education throughout the world, running Catholic schools or otherwise working for the training and guidance of youth.
The Congregation was founded in France in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, who realized the values of Catholic education in schools wherein God, the Blessed Virgin, Catholic doctrine, and morality are part and parcel of the daily program.
The greatest concentration of Marist Brothers is in France, Australia, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United States, Cairo, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Argentina, New Zealand, Belgium, and Italy. In Asia, the Marist Brothers are in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Guam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, East Timor, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
The first four Marist Brothers came to the Philippines in 1948. They were Bro. Maurus James Doherty, FMS.: Bro. Herbert Daniel Dumont, FMS.; Bro. Joseph Damian Teston, FMS.: and Bro. Peter Leonard Thommen, FMS. Eventually, many Filipinos have become Marist Brothers and more young men are now in training in the Aspirancy in Lagao, General Santos City, the Novitiate in Tamontaka, Cotabato City, and the Scholasticate in the Marist Asia Pacific Center (MAPAC), Marikina City, Metro Manila.
Presently, the Filipino Marist Brothers administer two (2) universities: Notre Dame of Marbel University and Notre Dame of Dadiangas University; one (1) college: Notre Dame of Kidapawan College; seven (7) high schools; and four (4) elementary schools located in Kidapawan City, Koronadal City, Marikina City, Cotabato City, General Santos City and Jolo, Sulu. The Marist Brothers also run the Marcellin Home for the street children. They also have mission areas in Buda and Palawan where Marist Brothers conduct catechesis and parish work in depressed rural communities.