Photo by Thomas Spink/Archdiocese of Atlanta

Three religious sisters join the assembly in song at the Mass of Thanksgiving on April 14 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta. Shown, left to right, are Mercy Sister Denis Marie Murphy, Sister Jeanne Urschel, CSJ, and Sister Margaret McAnoy, IHM, vicar for religious. The Mass recognized 150 years of Marist ministry in the United States. Photo By Thomas Spink

ATLANTA—While Marist priests and brothers today may not travel to mission communities in the U.S. via horse and carriage or by hopping on the train, the focus of their apostolate has remained very much the same as when they first arrived from France 150 years ago.

Their presence took root in Georgia in 1897 and remains strong to this day. The Marists’ dedication and service to the Atlanta Archdiocese was recognized at a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, April 14, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the first parish the order served when they arrived in Georgia in the late 19th century. At that time it was known as Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

The first Marists arrived in the U.S. in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, initially to tend to the needs of French-speaking communities in Louisiana. They came to New Orleans and established the first Marist American foundation in Convent, La. Quickly the order began traveling to other mission communities in Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota and California, before entering Georgia, West Virginia and Texas.

“The United States was mission territory” at that time, said Marist Father Tom Ellerman, who currently serves Notre Dame des Victoires Church in San Francisco and who visited Georgia for the anniversary Mass. He lived in Georgia for a while in the 1940s and ‘50s and remembers the large number of mission communities even at that time. In many ways, parts of Georgia are still missionary territory, he said.

Opening schools and serving the rural poor in various areas throughout the U.S., the Society of Mary worked closely with local bishops and diocesan clergy and continues those close relationships today. The Marist priests and brothers teach and serve at Marist School and Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Atlanta, while also serving in other ministries in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and sponsoring Notre Dame Academy, an independent Catholic school in Duluth, and Sophia Academy in Atlanta, a school serving students with learning disabilities that is seeking Catholic school designation.

“We are still doing in Atlanta what we did when we first came,” said Father Ellerman, noting that in the early days the order assumed pastoral care of a parish and founded a school.

“The school (Marist School) is still going and we exchanged Sacred Heart for Our Lady of the Assumption,” he said.

“Early on in our history, our founder (Father Jean-Claude Colin) was the headmaster of a school in France,” said Father Ellerman. “So we’ve been involved in the education of youth for a long time, on purpose not just accidentally.”

Marists began Atlanta school in 1901 

According to their history, the Marists were offered two parishes when they arrived in Georgia: Sts. Peter and Paul, now Sacred Heart, in Atlanta, and St. Francis Xavier Parish in Brunswick. The first Marist Mass celebrated in Georgia took place in Atlanta on June 8, 1897.

It soon became apparent to the first Marist missionaries in Georgia, Father William Gibbons and Father John Guinan, that a new church would have to be constructed in Atlanta to suit the growing needs of Sts. Peter and Paul and its 340 parishioners. The Marists selected land at the intersection of Peachtree and Ivy Streets for the new church. Built in the French Romanesque style, the church was dedicated on May 1, 1898, by Savannah Bishop Thomas A. Becker as Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.

Our Lady of the Assumption Church Choir leads the assembly in song at the Mass of Thanksgiving. Marist priests staff the parish in the Brookhaven section of Atlanta. Photo By Thomas Spink

The dedication of the new church coincided with Father Gibbons’ retirement from priestly service, the history recalls. He was replaced by another Marist, Father John Edward Gunn, whose contributions in the areas of parish and education ministries included the creation of Marist College, a school for boys, which was constructed and opened adjacent to the church in 1901.

By 1910, the parish community had grown to 1,250 members, with an additional 300 in the North Georgia missions. Father Gunn’s time in Atlanta would come to an end during the following year when, on Aug. 29, 1911, he was consecrated bishop of Natchez, Miss. The ceremony took place at Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta.

Over the coming decades, the Marist order cared for as many as 14 missions in North Georgia, many of which became parishes. In 1965, Sacred Heart in Atlanta was returned to the care of archdiocesan priests and the Marists were given pastoral care of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, where they continue to serve today.

In 1962, Marist College moved and changed its name to Marist School, where boys from grades seven through 12 were educated in the Marist tradition. The school became coed in 1976 and still thrives at its location on Ashford Dunwoody Road in Atlanta. The school and OLA are also now partnering to sponsor an Hispanic adult learning center where students can obtain a GED and are developing a program to form young adult Hispanics in pastoral leadership.

Marists called ‘to be Christ for others’

Marist Father Ted Keating, the U.S. provincial, presided at the Mass of Thanksgiving, which was well attended by Marists, parishioners and friends. He recounted some of the early days of the Marists and also thanked friends in the Archdiocese of Atlanta who have proved their support over the years.

Joined by his fellow priests, Father Ted Keating, Marist provincial, raises the host and chalice during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Photo By Thomas Spink

For Father Keating, the rich history provides a great context for the Marist apostolate, but he said the strong sense of community keeps the order’s focus.

“While we are proud of our history, it is that sense of spiritual communion that is still our focus as we look to our own times and to our own future to see where God calls us in the spirit of Mary to live that rich history now,” Father Keating wrote in a letter about the order’s anniversary. “Our life is not about numbers or the challenges of diminishment facing the religious life today. We live our religious lives in the present—the only place they can be lived.”

At a reception after the Mass, panels featuring the history of the Marists in the United States were on display, with archival pictures, letters and maps. The rich history of the Marist experience in the U.S. has been well documented by the order, which continues to move forward in its dedication to the Church and its youth.

Many people, including Marist School president, Marist Father John Harhager, enjoy the reception following Mass which included fellowship and a meal. On display were several panels, articles, maps and archival material recounting the history of the Marists in the United States. Photo By Thomas Spink

Father David Musso, chaplain at Marist School, believes the dedication to education and the spirit of the Marist community are alive and well at the school. Between frequent student-led retreats for each grade, a peer leader program meant to help students guide students, and community service, the students are exposed to a wide variety of spiritual support and guidance and are formed into leaders who continue the Marist mission.

“These young people are the people who will be the church, who are the church,” said Father Musso. “Everything we are about is to be Christ for others,” and the focus of the Marists is to teach students how to do that as well, he said.

Marists were encouraged to look to God’s grace for the strength to face the challenges of ministry today and the unknown challenges ahead.

“God’s grace is always enough for us as we strive to do our best to invite men to join us in this communion,” wrote Father Keating. “But we must live the life that has been given us. And it is God’s grace that gives us the strength and courage to face each day, continuing this rich mission and history.”