The European Marist province comprises: France, Germany, England, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Spain.
The recent Chapter European Marist province enabled the delegates to build a set of workable strategic directions anchored in the reality of the province. The Chapter took the following four steps. It
- clarified the reality of the province of Europe,
- clarified what God is calling the province to in this reality,
- identified the priorities for mission of the province,
- identified a legislative framework which will help us to put the priorities into action.
The Chapter also identified the following priorities for Marist Europe
Education
Promoting evangelical values and Marist traditions and seeking to develop and support informal education amongst disadvantaged youth.
Working with Laity
Cooperation with lay people in our ministries, sharing with them our spirituality and passing to them responsibility for Marist works.In ministry to people looking for meaning in their lives: Accompanying people with sensitivity in their search to find a place in the society and the Church of today and openness to inter-religious dialogue.
Mission Parishes
Working towards developing more missionary parishes – with a welcoming Marist community, enabling parishioners to be active participants in mission and reaching out to those people on the margins of social and spiritual life.
Reaching out to the Excluded
A presence, closeness and accompaniment of the excluded and poor in society and cooperating with other organisations in this.
Community Life
Marist community life is an essential witness for mission. Working towards developing communities as places to promote vocations to Marist life.
The Society of Mary was initially founded in France and from there spread throughout the world. Now the European province is administered from Paris and the current provincial is Fr John Hannan.