Marist Centre Brisbane played host to a small communal gathering to celebrate Champagnat Day.
The Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS) team in Brisbane invited some representatives of the committees of some of our long standing Brisbane funding partners who are charities, local Brothers and friends to a celebration on June 5th of the 200 years of the Marist Brothers’ beginnings in France in 1817. Australian Marist Solidarity is the international development arm of the Marists in Australia serving 19 countries in Asia and the Pacific with the support of our partners here and in Europe.
After a Eucharist led by Father Chris, a Marist Father from Bougainville, we shared a lunch on the deck of the office block on a sunny Brisbane day. Marcellin Champagnat, who started the movement for Brothers, was one of the original Marist Fathers so it was a wonderful link to have Fr Chris with us.
AMS CEO Brother Allen Sherry fms remarked that “today’s Eucharist gave thanks for the gift of Marcellin, the early Brothers and the wider Marist family and our professional colleagues and supporters.”
It is on celebratory days that the team in Brisbane recalls all our supporters across Australia, Asia, The Pacific and Europe with gratitude. We have the byline as “forming partnerships for change”. Without generous people in this international network young peoples’ lives wouldn’t be changed by access to quality education.