FMI History

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.

Basic	Community Meeting Kit: Ten Things You May Not Know about Blessed Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon Many people know that Blessed Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon is the founder of the Marianist Sisters. But not many may know that she began a school for young boys and girls out of her family's chateau. Adèle died on January 10, 1828, at the young age of 38. The Marianist Family celebrated her beatification 190 years later—June 10, 2018.
Resource	Marianist Heritage Virtual Tour Videos In January of 2023, to honor Marianist Heritage Month, NACMS created eight virtual tours of significant locations in Marianist History.
Basic	Podcast: "Does Your Cow Give Milk?": A Deep Dive into One of Adèle's Letters In an episode that is a bit of a departure from the usual format, Patti and Sr. Gabby discuss one of Blessed Adele's letters, which was written to a Marianist sister who was the director of one of the community's houses in 1825. This letter is a great window into the final years of Adele's life and the strength of her leadership. Patti and Sr. Gabby discuss the challenges the Marianist Sisters faced at this time, the tensions that existed between the Sisters and Father Chaminade, and the humor that is part of daily life in community. It's an interesting conversation that is sure to be informative whether you know a little or a lot about Adele!
Basic	Podcast: We're All in This Together (The Marianist Sisters Vocation Fund) 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.
Basic	Podcast: Once a Missionary, Always a Missionary (Sr. Columba Yu, FMI) 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.
Basic	Podcast: Go to Europe, Become a Sister (Sr. Marie Abmayr, FMI) In this episode of the podcast, Sister Marie Abmayr, FMI reflects on how she became a Marianist Sister, particularly about going to Spain in 1950 for her novitiate.
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.
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.
INT / ADV	Relations Between the Society of Mary and the Daughters of Mary Father Joseph Stefanelli, SM, explores the healing process that took place in response to divisions which developed between the Daughters of Mary and Society of Mary after the death of Blessed Chaminade.
Intermediate	Witnesses from the Past, Hope for the Future: A History of the Marianist Family in Times of Persecution and Hardship Gabrielle Bibeau, FMI, examines different times under which the Marianist Sisters were forced to operate under dangerous circumstances of suppression and violence, namely, the French secularization of the early twentieth century (which almost wiped out the Sisters), and the First and Second World Wars.