Pastoral Ministry
Parish life, the sacraments and the ordinary, patient care of the people entrusted to us.
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Society of Mary
A missionary family in the heart of Africa
We are Marist Fathers and Brothers. With Mary, we walk with the people of God in parishes, schools and mission stations, announcing the Gospel with simplicity and hope.
“Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:5
Who are we?
A religious family formed in the school of Mary
The Marist Fathers — the Society of Mary — are a missionary congregation of priests and brothers of the Catholic Church. Founded at Lyon in 1816 and confirmed by the Church in 1836, we were sent from the beginning to places the Gospel had not yet reached.
Today that same mission continues across Africa and the wider world: in parishes and schools, in formation houses and mission stations, among young people, families and the poor. We try to do it as Mary did — quietly, faithfully, and present to the people entrusted to us.
To think, judge, feel and act as Mary did.
Jean-Claude Colin, founder
The family today
A mission that keeps growing
These figures are counted directly from what the community publishes on this site.
17Marists
4Missions
5Countries
3Publications
Our Mission
How we serve the people of God
Marist service takes many forms. Wherever we are sent, the work grows out of the life of the local Church.
Community life
Latest Events
Feasts, retreats, pilgrimages and gatherings from across our missions.
Formation
First Profession of Three Novices
On the Solemnity of the Assumption, three novices made their first profession in the Society of Mary before the regional…
Event details
Formation
Parish Catechists Formation Day
A full day of formation for the eighty catechists who carry the sacramental preparation of the parish.
Event details
Community Outreach
Community Health Day at the Mission Clinic
The mission health post opened its doors for a free community health day, offered to everyone in the district without…
Event details
Community Outreach
Marist Scholarship Awards Evening
Thirty-two pupils from the informal settlements received scholarships for the coming academic year, funded entirely by the parish and by…
Event details
Vocations
Come and See Weekend for Young Men
A weekend for young men who are wondering whether God may be calling them to Marist life. There is no…
Event details
Liturgy & Feasts
Patronal Feast of Our Lady of Fourvière
The parish keeps its patronal feast on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The day begins with a procession from…
Event detailsWhere we serve
Our Missions
From West and Central Africa to the wider Marist world, each mission has its own face and its own people.
Formation house
Marist Formation House, Douala
The formation house accompanies young men in the first stages of Marist life. Candidates come from several countries, which makes…
Discover this missionParish
Notre-Dame de Fourvière Parish, Yaoundé
The parish serves a dense and growing quarter on the edge of Yaoundé. Three Marists live in the community here,…
Discover this missionParish and school
Saint Peter Chanel Mission, Nairobi
The mission combines a parish with a secondary school, and the two shape one another. Teachers are involved in parish…
Discover this missionOur publication
Acho d’Afrique
The voice of the Marist mission in Africa: reflections, news, testimonies and studies. Read the articles online, turn the pages of a scanned issue, or download the original PDF where the community has allowed it.
No. 3
Acho d’Afrique — Issue No. 3 (archive scan)
An early issue, preserved as a scan of the original printed pages. Reading is open to…
No. 14
Acho d’Afrique — Issue No. 14
The complete issue, with reports from our four missions, the formation diary and the vocations page.
Vocations
Is God calling you to a life of service and mission?
Perhaps the question has been with you for a while. You do not have to have the answer — only the willingness to listen. Walk a little of the road with us and see where it leads.
From the community
Latest Articles
News, reflections and stories from our confrères and the people we serve.
Mission Stories
Four hundred people at the mission health day in Dakar
The health post attached to our mission at Dakar opened for a free community health day at the end of June, and…
Continue readingReflections
What the catechists taught us on formation day
Eighty catechists gave up a Saturday for our parish formation day, and by the end of it the people who had come…
Continue readingCommunity News
Three novices made their first profession at Douala
On the Solemnity of the Assumption, three novices made their first profession in the Society of Mary at our formation house in…
Continue readingThe Society of Mary
Meet Our Members
Priests, brothers and those in formation who carry this mission day by day.
