OUR History
The Marist project emerged following the French Revolution: this was a time of turmoil and uncertainty, including a division between the Church and French Society. There was a movement to restore the position of power of the Church, while others, including the Marists sought a new way forward. They recognised that the people of their time needed to hear the Gospel from a more humble, discreet and modest Church, one modelled on the Mother of Jesus.
Following Mary’s Inspiration
1816
23rd July
The Fourvière Pledge
The Society of Mary began in the Shrine of Our Lady at Fourvière in Lyon, France on 23 July 1816 where twelve seminarians, including the eventual founder, Jean Claude Colin, climbed the steep steps to the top of the hill of Fourvière, and dedicated themselves to Mary. They promised to begin a new religious order in the Church; a group called “Mary-ists” and pledged their lives to the service of others in the spirit of Mary.
1824
The first community of Marists in Cerdon
1825
Missions in the rural Bugey mountains
1836
The Marists accept the new mission territory of Oceania (South-Western Pacific)
- Rome approves the Society of Mary
- Colin is elected as Superior General
- First religious professions and the first missionaries leave for Oceania
1841
28th April
St Peter Chanel is martyred in Futuna, Oceania
1850
Mission in London, England is established
Fr Colin buys La Neylière as a house of prayer for the Society, where he spends the rest of his life and is buried
1854
Fr Colin retires and Fr Favre elected as Superior General
1859
Marists arrive in Dundalk, Ireland
In the following decades the congregation flourished and became influential both in the missions abroad and in Catholic education in France.
1873
The Constitution of the Society is approved
1875
15 th November
Fr Colin dies
1901
Expulsion of religious congregations
Following the Act expelling religious from France, the Marists spread to other countries including Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and USA.
1987
The Holy See approves the new Constitutions
Marist Places
of Origin
refers to places in France which are significant in the story of the founding of the Society of Mary and its founder, Fr Jean-Claude Colin. For more information visit: https://www.maristplaces.org/
Today
Today the Society of Mary has its General Administration in Rome, operates in Provinces, Mission Districts and Houses: in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA, Mexico, Oceania, Africa (Senegal, Burundi and Cameroon), South America (Brazil and Peru), Asia (Philippines and Thailand). There are around 600 members worldwide.