He begins by quoting No.7 of the Constitutions which says that the Society is to be distinguished by the name Society of Mary so that “with greater resolution and with a more lively confidence they may, by the help of God’s grace, spend themselves for their own perfection and the salvation of their neighbour.”

He continues: “The confidence of which Fr Colin speaks is not exactly the same as optimism. Optimism is a psychological frame of mind which helps us to see the positive side of things, which is very helpful. However, confidence is something different. It goes beyond the psychological. Our founder speaks of something profoundly religious, a commitment to life and to the source of life underlying everything we live and do.” As Bonhoeffer put it: “We know that only confidence allows us to really live and work.”

Fr Jan prays that each of us will be inspired to face difficulties and opportunities with the same level of trust in Mary that Fr Colin and the early Marists displayed in the early years of our Society. They were daunted by neither the enormity nor the difficulty of their task. In our time, neither should we!

The structure of the Letter has eight points:

Carried by a Vision;

Inspired by a Name;

Signs of Hope;

Trying Realities;

Renewal;

Re-Shaping the Body;

Taking the Necessary Steps

and a Conclusion.

We hope to develop this during the year. Fr Jan Hulsof continues his letter - “Among the Signs of Hope I see:

+ The witness of Marist life

+ A new awareness of our charism

+ A capacity to take root in other cultures

+ Growth beyond congregational borders

+ growing sense of international solidarity.”

What are the “the signs of hope” that you see in the Society of Mary?

It will be arriving at St Joseph’s Maori Girls College on Monday 10 July at 5pm and all Marists are invited to an evening Mass and dinner in the School Dining Room. Then in Wanganui on Wednesday 13th, the group will go to Jerusalem for midday Mass before heading to Wellington. They will stay at the Home of Compasssion and spend Thursday at Mother’s tomb. That night there is a dinner at The Pines. Suzanne was a member of MTO

If you are interested, Let me know: JCsm

Marist Pilgrimage to Wallis and Futuna, & St Peter Chanel shrine.

August 11 Auckland to Nadi.

August 12 Nadi to Wallis SB330 at noon. Bishop’s House

August 13 Sunday Mass in the Cathedral. Visit the Island. August 14 Travel to Futuna 7am Evening Mass

August 15 Assumption Day Mass in the Basilica,

Public Holiday and Festivities. St Peter Chanel

August 16 Rest Day in and around Futuna.

August 17 2pm Flight to Wallis. SB041

August 18 Sightseeing day in Wallis.

August 19 Morning Mass with Carmelites. 3pm flight to Nadi SB331

August 20 Connecting flights to NZ/Australia, Noumea.

The cost is NZ$2599. If this interests you, let me know. We are limited to 10 -12 and there are two possible places left. JCsm

Please remember in your prayer the repose of:

+ Third Order Member: Malia Nive Savelio aged 86

+ Br Sanele Petelo Tonga sm died aged 86

+ Cardinal Pio Taofinu’u sm, in Samoa, aged 83

+ Fr John Silverwood sm of Silverstream, aged 83

+ Sister Mary Alacoque smsm, died in Auckland.

+ Bishop Max Mariu sm died in December, aged 53

+ Fr John Healy sm died in Timaru, aged 81

+ Br Chris Bellamy sm died at Silverstream aged 66

“May the angels lead them into paradise, into the embrace of the heavenly Father.”

Marist Pilgrimage 2006

The Provincial Vocations Ministries Committee organised a pilgrimage from 8-15 January for young men who are discerning their future and interest in Marist Life. They journeyed by van from Northland, Auckland, central NI, Hawkes Bay, Otaki and Wellington. The experience included prayer and reflection at various places, with a longer period at Greenmeadows. If you know of men who show interest for a future event, do let us know!

These students have now begun their final year of secondary education. The student experience and activities were supported by teachers from each of the schools. Frs. Mark Walls, Pat Brophy, Kevin Murphy and Thige O’Leary presented and facilitated the programme which lasted for six days.

The week aims to empower senior students in Colleges for Christian Leadership in a Marist Way. The presentations and activities are directed at forming skills, developing spirituality and help students bring a faith perspective to the leadership roles they take up during their final year at School. This is the fifth summer it has run. The event is kindly sponsored by the Marist Education Trust, SBC Trust Board and the SMNZ ensuring that the cost to schools is manageable.

Joining in the experience for the first time were students from Aquinas College, Tauranga. These students are in that rare situation of having lead their school since it opened. Principal Brendan Schollum said his students came away with fresh ideas and practical insights into leading the school.

How would you like to try out this exercise in mutual trust?

A Marist Father is setting the example. “Now do as I do!”

To gain greater insight, visit the site that Fr Rowan O’Donoghue has created: click here for site and go to 'Marist Youth leader tab'.

“If I reflect on the name I bear, what a source of hope, of reassurance.” Fr Colin sm.

Youth ministry appointment

Fr. Peter McAfee sm has rejoined the province after six years in Peru and is to work in youth ministry. Peter is appointed to the Community at Hayr Road, Auckland, where he will work part time with the Logos Team.

The Society's youth ministry is currently based in Auckland, Feilding and Wellington. It seeks to address the needs of local youth, and as such it takes on a different "shape" in each location.

Last year those Marists working among youth in NZ asked for a person to be overall responsible and co-ordinate the Society's youth ministry.

In response to this request the Province's Youth Ministry Committee have raised a number of questions and Peter has generously agreed to undertake a feasibility study for the Provincial Council and the Provincial Youth Committee to see if over-all co-ordination is possible, how it might work, and then make recommendations.

Gerry Arbuckle sm Ozanam Lecture

Father Gerry Arbuckle was the keynote speaker for the ninth annual Ozanam Lecture, organised by the St Vincent de Paul Society in Melbourne. NZ delegates also attended. His paper is entitled “Violence in Australian Poverty: A Fundamentalist Age.”

The Ozanam Lecture celebrates the spirit of social justice and the charisma of the Society's founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, the young Parisian University student who responded by providing practical support and friendship to the poor and destitute created by the Industrial Revolution. The Society of St Vincent de Paul advocates for our disadvantaged and continues to raise community consciousness of contemporary social justice issues. In Australia, the SVdP is the nation’s the biggest charitable organisations and has a greater public profile than in NZ. (Bl. Frederic Ozanam’s brother was a Marist priest for a few years.)

On Saturday 4 March, the Otahuhu Parish Hall was full for a day of Marist spirituality, conducted by Filipo Motulalo and Fr Pita Mo’onia.

At the same time, one of our people was being buried: Malia Nive Savelio, aged 86; in Tonga, the funeral of Fakafanua, 45 year old noble of Maufanga, was happening; and a significant birthday was being celebrated elsewhere. So numbers were down to 100.

Mass in the large parish Church began the day at 9am. After morning tea, Filipo and Pita gave witness and teaching on being a Lay Marist. After a magnificent lunch, Fr John Craddock gave a news session and gave Marist lapel pins to all present. That was followed by a video on excerpts of the Passion of the Christ. Plans were discussed for follow up sessions.

Congratulations, Malo, to all concerned.

Marian Mothers Groups

Three residential retreats have been offered since our last Laylines. One was at Otaki’s Forest Lakes, in October; another at Rosary House in Christchurch also in October, and one in Knock Na Gree, Auckland, which is about to happen early in April. The photo shows some walking the labyrinth/pilgrimage beside the lake.

MTO Retreat Day at Magnificat Community

On Annunciation Day, at Magnificat Community, Cross Creek, Featherston, the Wellington region’s various Marist Lay groups gathered for a day’s retreat. The theme of the day was 'Mary,the Word made Flesh and the Eucharist'. This followed a retreat day at Emmaus on December 8. Plans are now in place for a celebration of Fouviere Day on July 23 when the Marist Family is set to gather to celebrate our common origins in 1816, beginning in Lyon.

Blue-Gold medal in Sydney

Another medal success for Mission Wine, this time with it's 2004 Reserve Syrah.

200 Marist Lapel pins were obtained recently, thanks Fr John O’Gara sm, out from England. Thank you to Fr Michael Coleman sm who supplied them.

George Duggan sm celebrated 70 years of Priesthood at Marian Court,1 Perry St,Silverstream, Upper Hutt.

National Gathering of Lay Associates in Wellington on May 7 at Mercy Centre

Frs Frank Reitter and John Bolduc, together with four SMSM sisters have been commissioned to take up a new mission in the diocese of Kingston, Jamaica. Their task is to circulate among three parishes in the mountainous area located in the villages of Ewartern, Guys Hill and Dunnsville. They will live in Linsted.

As SM Provinces follow their charter document into a vehicle from which one European province might be structured, members of the committee reviewed common projects, discussed further possibilities, worked on developing a European approach to fostering vocations, and finalising SM personnel involved in Education.

Congratulations to Fr Declan Marmion of Ireland, co-editor of 'Cambridge Companion to Karl Rahner', “the outstanding theological work of 2005.”

New Book: The Leaders of the four branches and the Laity of the Society have produced a book of 50 texts from writings of the co-founders. 'As Mary Did', can be a useful resource for private and communal Marist life. Copies on request.