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In this episode, Lay Marianists Matt Meyers and Linda Zappacosta share the story of how they helped start the Marianist Sisters Vocation Fund, which is a group of Marianist brothers, sisters, and laity who raise funds to offset the college debt of women entering the Marianist Sisters. They share about how they came to know that student debt was an obstacle to women discerning with the Sisters, how they were able to put their heads together to find a solution to the problem, and they also reflect on the beauty of the three branches working together for the future of the entire Marianist Family.

On September 3rd, 2000, Father Chaminade was Beatified along with five other holy people during a Mass in St. Peter's Square. Pope St. John Paul II was the presider, and he noted that Blessed Chaminade was an "apostle of the laity." In this podcast, we interviewed six different people who were at the Beatification and the events surrounding it. Each of them provides their own perspective on that experience, as well as the legacy of Chaminade officially being named "Blessed."

Lay Marianists Carol Ramey and Ann Hirt originally met as undergraduate students at the University of Dayton in the 1960s, where they both became involved in the UD Sodality. After graduating, both of them joined the Marianist Visitation State Community, where they have been members for over 50 years. In this podcast, they reflect on how their friendship, their Marianist commitment, and relationship with Mary has sustained them for the past 50 years. Carol Ramey was also the previous director of NACMS, where she served the Marianist Family for many years before her retirement in 2016.

Father William Joseph Chaminade was beatified in September 2000. Brother Tom Redmond, SM, highlights two early Marianist discoveries—one, the rediscovering of Chaminade’s greatness; the other, the discovering of his physical remains—that helped initiate the 91-year journey that culminated in our Blessed Founder’s recognition by the Vatican.

A look at the miraculous healing of Elena Graciela Otero, through the intercession of Father Chaminade.

A look at the three-day beatification celebration in Rome for Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, held in September 2000.

Relive the beatification of our Blessed Founder with the words of Pope John Paul II and the Superior General of the Society of Mary, extolling the virtue of William Joseph Chaminade and reminding us of his call to missionary service as disciples of Jesus, with an emphasis on Mary.

Sister Columba is a Marianist Sister from South Korea who has spent the last 13 years of her life as a missionary in India. She was among the original 4 Marianist Sisters who went to India in 2006 to begin a community of Marianist Sisters there. The Sisters live in Ranchi in the northern part of India where they do a variety of ministries including healthcare work and job training for women. Sr. Gabby interviewed Sr. Columba in December while she was visiting the United States. In this podcast, Sr. Columba shares her story of being a missionary, becoming a Marianist Sister, and what her reaction was when she was first asked by the Sisters to go to India 13 years ago.

In this "socially distanced" episode of the podcast, Patti Gehred interviews Sister Gabby Bibeau about an article she wrote for the NACMS website on the parallels between the current COVID crisis and the Founders' own experiences of crisis during the French Revolution and experiences of illness. In particular, the focus is what we can learn from our Marianist Founders about how to approach the current pandemic by growing in the virtues of faith, hope, and love. 

Be it during a time of global pandemic or the French Revolution, Sister Gabrielle Bibeau, FMI, reminds us that biological and societal crises are not new for Marianists.