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Since the beginning, the Marists have believed that ministry is work for all people, those who choose to become a brother, sister, or father of the Marist community and those who choose to live their lives as lay people. In their vision, lay people are an essential and integral element of each Marist ministry. When you talk to the many people who work with the Marists, you may be surprised to find that not all are Catholics. What these people share, however, is a strong desire to reach out to and care for those most in need—the elderly, the poor, the sick, those driven from their homes by war. As laity, they do their work in the spirit of Mary, quietly, with gentle spirits and deeply felt caring. Many of them never considered themselves Marist laity until a member of the Marist community mentioned to them that their lives reflected the Marist commitment to living compassionately and helping others. The Marist laity perform their ministry in many different places. They are school principals, financial advisors, missionaries, doctors, nurses, and health professionals, volunteers, and grandparents. And their ministry takes many different forms. They bring much needed health care to the poor, they live with villagers in South America to help shield them from attack by warring factions, they strive to treat each person they encounter with patience and dignity, they help bring housing, clothes, and more to those in need. Working with the Marists has helped each of them realize they have the power to make a difference in the lives of others and that is what they have committed themselves to doing every day of their lives.
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