Marianist History/Biography

NACMS has classified our publications by level to aid you in finding material most helpful to you:

Basic for those new to the Marianist world and having little or no prior knowledge of Marianist history or the Marianist charism
Intermediate for those who have some knowledge and understanding of things Marianist
Advanced for those who have significant knowledge and understanding of things Marianist and want to go deeper
Resource materials, including prayers, activities, and reflections for individuals and groups
Reference materials, including source documents and compendia

The resources listed below are found within our e-publications and bookstore. Items available in our library are not listed, but can be found by searching in our library catalog.

Reference	Basic Handbook of Marianist Studies The Basic Handbook of Marianist Studies is a key resource exploring the historical trends related to the origins of Marianist life and its development. Compiled and created by Bro. Lawrence J. Cada, SM, and Carol Ramey, it is a one-stop shop for historically-rich content on the origins and historical markers along the Marianist journey.
Basic	Podcast: Wisdom from Our Founders for this Time of Pandemic 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.
Basic	Living in a Time of Crisis: It’s in Our Marianist DNA 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.
Basic	Podcast: Story of a Friendship (Mother Adèle and Jeanne Diché) This episode is a re-creation--through fictionalized letters--of Adele's relationship and collaboration with her best friend, Jeanne Diché. Jeanne was also an important support to the Marianist Sisters in their early foundation years. Listen to how their friendship unfolds, even as they choose different vocations: religious life for Adele, and marriage and motherhood for Jeanne.
BAS / INT	In the Light of the Beatitudes: FMI Circular No. 13 Using the beatitudes as a spiritual backdrop pertaining to Adèle's beatification, Sister Franca Zonta, FMI, expounds on Adèle's fidelity to God and her witness to the "bottom up movement" within the Church: holiness found in the the faithfulness to God's call in the ordinary moments of life.
Basic	Mary's Eager Optimist Father Herbert Kramer, SM, provides the reader with an easy-to-read primer on the life of Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, Founder of the Marianist Sisters. This 23-page work captures the essence of Adèle.
Basic	Hosanna! For those who love a good newspaper feel, "Hosanna!", a six-issue series dedicated to the cause of Adèle's beatification, written in 1957-58, makes for a great morning read, especially with a cup of coffee or tea. "Hosanna!" is packed with short nuggets of wisdom about the Founder of the Marianist Sisters.
Intermediate	A Very Special Friendship at the Service of the Kingdom: de Lamourous and Chaminade From its very origin, the Marianist Family has been witness to the power of Christian friendship. Read about the deep spiritual bond between Blessed William Joseph Chaminade and Venerable Marie Thérèse de Lamourous as the Marianist Family began to develop. They relied upon each other for help and insight.
Reference	Marianist Origins: An Anthology of Basic Documents Published under the direction of Father Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, with assistance from Father David Fleming, SM, this anthology of early Marianist documents provides today's reader with the spiritual gems from our shared heritage that can be applied to Marianist formation today.
INT / ADV	Relations Between the Institute of the Daughters of Mary and the Society of Mary The article explores the troubled relationship between the Daughters of Mary and the Society of Mary, following Blessed Chaminade's death.