Marianist Lay Communities

OFFICIAL NAME

ACRONYM

MLC

ESTABLISHED

1993

HISTORY

The MLC have emerged from the Marian Congregations that were brought into being by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade (1761- 1850) in Bordeaux, France, in 1800 to guide the lay faithful in serious personal spirituality, love for our Lady Immaculate and practical apostolic commitment within society, de- hristianised by the Revolution. In 1808 the Marian Congregations were also joined by members of the women’s youth association founded in Agen by the venerable Mother Adele de Batz de Trenquelléon. The experience rapidly spread beyond France’s borders. A few years later, when a number of Congregations declared their readiness to embrace the life of total consecration to God under the guidance and protection of Mary, Father Chaminade founded the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (1816) and the Society of Mary (1817), his two Religious Congregations. The Marianists Family was born, made up of laity, male and female religious, priests, united in the single mission of spreading knowledge and love for Mary, and in particular educating the younger generations in the faith. In 1993 the lay branch of the Family, whose communities scattered throughout the world met for the first time in Santiago de Chile, adopted their own international government structure. In 1996 The World Council of the Marianists Family was established, comprising the MLCs’ International Team, the representative of the Alliance Mariale and the General Councils of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate and the Marianists. On 25 March 2000, the Pontifical Council for the Laity decreed recognition of the Comunidades Laicas Marianistas as an international association of the faithful.

IDENTITY

The MLC are communities of lay Christians who place themselves at the service of the Church’s mission in the world according to the charism of the Founders. Their members strive to be strong in the faith and persevering in hope; to accept Mary as their Mother, model and teacher, for she accepted the presence of the Spirit in her life in order to give God-with-us to the world, and she invites us to put into practice the words of our Lord so that we can respond to the needs of all people; to live the faith in small communities, following the example of the early Christians; to be messengers of the Gospel, watchful of the signs of the times, working to spread the Kingdom of God and to build up a world of peace and justice, with a preferential option for the poor.

ORGANISATION

The MLC are structured into local, national, and regional groups. Every community at each level is headed by a person or by a team. All the national groups make up the Regions, coordinated by Regional Representatives. The international coordination of the association is performed by the Assembly - which meets every four years attended by the members of the International Team, officials from the national communities and their spiritual advisers - and the International Team, which represents the association and is responsible for implementing the decisions taken by the Assembly.

PUBLICATIONS

The MLCs produce national publications

WEB SITE

http://www.clm-mlc.org

HEADQUARTERS

Marianist Lay Communities

P.O. Box 395

Neepawa, MB

R0J 1H0

CANADA

Tel. 1 204 476 5499

Email: president@clm-mlc.org