Sharing Our Marianist Stories

When he traveled to Rome for the Society of Mary’s General Chapter of 2024, Brother Dennis Bautista, SM, did not anticipate being elected to the Society of Mary’s General Administration. In this episode of Sharing Our Marianist Stories, Brother Dennis recounts his initial reactions to his election, the challenges and reflections in his transition period, his emotional farewells with various communities, and his thoughts on the responsibilities that await him. Bro. Dennis discusses how dynamics of prayer and vocational wellness have helped him maintain a positive presence as a Marianist Brother. He shares his teaching philosophy, love for learning and growth, and vision for imparting Marianist values in education globally. Listen to this episode to learn more about Brother Dennis’ background and experiences and how his integration of faith and personal values will aid him as he transitions into this important role.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.A transcript of this podcast episode is available here.Recorded 11 October 2024. Edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

Over 75 years ago, in October 1949, three Marianist Sisters arrived in Somerset, Texas to establish the first foundation of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (Marianist Sisters) in the United States. Roughly 21 years after that foundation, Sr. Gretchen Trautman, FMI professed first vows with the Daughters of Mary Immaculate. In this episode of Sharing Our Marianist Stories, Sr. Gretchen describes her first encounters with the Marianist Family and Charism, the influence of God’s voice in her vocational journey, and how her leadership experiences influenced her vision for sharing the Marianist Charism.Our YouTube Channel includes an extended video version of this interview which incorporates photos of Sr. Gretchen’s journey into video from her interview.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Recorded 8 February 2024. Edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

In this episode of Sharing Our Marianist Stories, Carol Ramey, former NACMS director and a sought-after presenter on Marianist topics, reflects on Father Chaminade’s exile in Saragossa, Spain. Father Chaminade’s inspiration during his time in Saragossa, including numerous prayer experiences at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar, fueled his vision for the Marianist Family, and it can inspire us in our lives today. (Carol Ramey’s reflection was recorded for an unpublished podcast episode prior to her death in 2021.)View a transcript of this podcast episode here.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS), with help from David Schulman (https://www.schulmancreative.com/).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

After spending the last two years at the Novitiate in Dayton, OH, Joseph Choi, nSM, will profess first vows with the Society of Mary on June 22, 2024. In this episode Joseph describes his journey from high school in South Korea through his time in the Novitiate. He shares about the impact his experience in the United States has had on his own formation and his aspirancy experience that included time in South Korea and San Antonio, Texas. Please join us in praying for Joseph as he anticipates professing first vows.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Recorded on 27 March 2024. Hosted and edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

After spending time in aspirancy and the last two years at the Novitiate in Dayton, OH, Guillermo Pena Contreras, nSM, (more commonly known as Memo) will profess first vows with the Society of Mary on June 8, 2024. In this episode Memo shares what attracted him to vowed religious life, how his experiences of aspirancy and novitiate shaped him, how his background in family law impacted his vocation and his experience of coming to the US from Mexico.Please join us in praying for Memo as he anticipates professing first vows on Saturday, June 8 at 12:00 (Noon) Central Standard Time (which is 2pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time). To join the livestream of his profession at that time, visit marianist.com/live.See a transcript of this episode here.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Recorded on 19 March 2024. Hosted and edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

After spending time in aspirancy and the last two years at the Novitiate in Dayton, OH, Chicago Joe Schuller, nSM, Memo Pena Contreras, nSM, and Joseph Choi, nSM will each profess their first vows with the Society of Mary this summer (2024). We’ve sat down with each of them to learn more about their discernment to become a Marianist Brother and what their formation process has entailed. Chicago Joe Schuller, nSM will be the first of the three to profess his first vows.In this episode, Chicago shares about what attracted him to vowed religious life, how his experiences of aspirancy and novitiate shaped him, and the role intentional community has in his call to be a brother.Please join us in praying for Chicago as he anticipates professing first vows on Saturday, May 18th at 4:00pm eastern time. To join the livestream of his profession at that time, visit www.marianist.com/live.See a transcript of this episode here.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Recorded on 12 March 2024. Hosted and edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

Susan Buckley is a Lay Marianist living in Dublin, Ireland where the Marianist Family has had a presence since 1967. She stopped by NACMS while visiting Dayton in September 2023 and sat down with us for an interview. In this episode, Susan shares about her engagement in a virtual Lay Marianist Community with others in the United States and her experience at the 2023 International Lay Marianist Assembly in Madrid. She also sheds light on what it is like to be a Lay Marianist in Ireland amid the current context of the Catholic Church there.See a transcript of this episode here.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Recorded on 14 Sept 2023. Hosted and edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

In June 2024 Tom Mengler will conclude twelve years of serving as the President of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas and Winston Erevelles will begin his tenure as the University’s President. This episode provides a brief inside look into their lives. They each share how they came to the Marianist Family, how the Charism has impacted their lives, how they have seen the Charism at work through their work and leadership at St. Mary’s and the significance of Marianist Universities amid Catholic Higher Education.Resources mentioned in this episode include:Characteristics of Marianist EducationCharacteristics of Marianist UniversitiesCharacteristics of Marianist AdministrationSee a transcript of this podcast episode here.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Recorded on 1 March 2024. Hosted and edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)

Al Prendergast has been a Lay Marianist since he took the vow of stability in 1970. Sr. Laura Leming, FMI made first vows as a Marianist Sister in 1978 and, later, also took the vow of stability. They each participated in MSP 2.0 in 2019-2020 which focused on the topic of “Marianist Stability: Rooted Presence.” In this episode, Al and Sr. Laura share their historical and sociological research on the vow of stability and reflect on what this vow has meant in their lives. Their stories can significantly influence our understanding of how the Marianist Charism empowers us to remain committed to birthing Christ in our world today by sharing the Marianist Charism with others and standing firm amid life’s challenges.Read Al’s research paper entitled “Marianist Vow of Stability and the Marianist State” under e-publications on our website.See a transcript of this podcast episode here.Follow the North American Center for Marianist Studies on Instagram and Facebook - @ThisIsNACMS.Visit our website for access to all our resources, including e-publications, our bookstore, programming and more.Recorded on 23 Oct 2023. Hosted and edited by Mike Bennett, Media Administrator for the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).Music: “Travel Light” by Jason Shaw (used with permission via Creative Commons License; see more of his work at http://audionautix.com/)