Discernment

Year of Shared Discernment

An Invitation for Reflection and Conversation

Within the lay branch of the Marianist family in North America, laity express their Marianist identity in a variety of ways. Each expression is welcomed and respected as a response to our baptismal call. First and foremost, as a response to our baptismal call, being a Marianist is a vocational choice. More concretely, the International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities (IO-MLC), said in its 2016 document, What It Means to be a Lay Marianist within a Marianist Lay Community, that a Lay Marianist is one who KNOWS, COMMITS TO, and LIVES the Marianist charism (Guide to Life in the Marianist Family).

The Marianist Lay Community of North America (MLC-NA) Leadership Council invites Lay Marianists and Marianist Lay Communities to participate in a Year of Shared Discernment to deepen our understanding of the Marianist charism and to intentionally connect with other Lay Marianists throughout North America.

Marianists, both as individuals and communities, are called into continual discernment. This active process of discernment enables us to interpret the signs of the times, so that we may best determine how to live our charism and missionary calling in the world. This Year of Shared Discernment designed by the MLC-NA is special because it provides intentional time for Lay Marianists to continue their ongoing discernment, not only in individual Marianist Lay communities, but also collectively as a regional, national, and world-wide community.

A series of five modules to guide us through the discernment process together as a shared experience among all Lay Marianists in the region have been created. To provide ample time for deeper reflections and conversations for each module, we envision the following timeline, with the official start date of September 8, the Feast Day of the Nativity of Mary:

The five modules have been developed with guiding questions and actions. As you proceed through each module, there will be opportunities to share your insights and growth with the larger Marianist Family. These opportunities include responding to surveys, attending Zoom or in-person meetings hosted by your region’s MLC-NA Area Representative, and interacting with other Marianist laypersons or communities through a pairing coordinated with the help of the MLC-NA Leadership Council.

To assist you in your reflections, a list of resources that correlate with each module has been developed. You will find the full annotated bibliography list below (Intro & Master Resource List) along with Module 1 materials. Feel free to use any of the resources that you find helpful to deepen your personal and community reflections and conversations. Please also feel free to use and suggest additional resources. Additionally, more details and materials can be found on our website.

Resource Documents:

Main Resource Page

Year of Shared Discernment Intro Document & Master Resource List

Year of Shared Discernment Module 1: We are Called

Our hope is that Lay Marianists and MLCs learn from one another through this process as we come together as an association of the faithful, with a national and international presence! The MLC-NA Leadership Council is committed to listening carefully and intentionally to your experiences, needs and hopes for the future of the Marianist Family. Your reflections throughout this process will help guide the Marianist Family forward as we identify collective goals and offer more opportunities for Lay Marianists to support one another in recommitting to the Marianist Family and living lives of action inspired by the Marianist charism.

Together in mission,

Matt Dunn, Chair

Margy Lisjak, Chair-Elect

LeeAnn Meyer, Head of Spirituality

Abbey Saurine-Seitz, Head of Education

Paul Combest, Head of Temporalities

Marceta Reilly, IO-MLC Representative for North America

Kerryanne Bollman, Treasurer

Kelly Welling, Secretary

Corinne Woodruff, At-Large Member for Lay Marianist Engagement

Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch, At-Large Member for Area Reps

Rob Brodrick, At-Large Member

Fr. Ted Cassidy, Spiritual Advisor

Sarah Gray, Staff Administrator