Jean-Claude Colin, the
Founder of the Society of Mary, wanted a branch for lay people
living in the world’. Such people living the Gospel as Mary
lived it could reach those who had no contact with Church, could
bring the values of the Society of Mary to more diverse groups of
people. Thus today lay Marists – members of the Marist Way – do ‘the
work of Mary’ in the world, each in his or her own environment. They
bring people into contact with Mary’s Son, Jesus. Father Colin
envisaged … a community which would push the limits of welcome and
mercy to the furthest extremes, in order to gather everyone into its
fold. This is why the involvement of lay people was so important to
his idea of the Society of Mary.