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Fr. Joe Fleury is a chaplain major in the U.S. army.

The Society of Marists Today

The Marist call is to be truly missionary…

While the world today is vastly different from that of the first Marists, it is in many ways similar. Priests and religious, including some Marists, have been tortured or killed for their beliefs and Gospel witness in various places around the globe.

Cultural and moral relativism tend to dominate American society. Religion is either ignored or sharply criticized in the media. The Church is deeply and often bitterly divided between liberals and conservatives, and the scandal of sexual abuse and the crisis of confidence in Church leadership have profoundly wounded us all.

Marists minister on the U.S.-Mexico border.

New challenges confront us today: the widening gap between rich and poor; a young adult population seeking faith in a world alien to their religious aspirations; a multicultural world linked more closely than ever by communication and resources yet far apart in understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.

Education of youth academically and spiritually continues to be a Marist focus.

In the midst of this world in turmoil, the Marists seek new ways to carry out their ministries of reconciliation, education of youth, and outreach to the poor, the immigrant, and others on the margin of society. In all, we seek to be Mary for God’s people.

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