Society of Mary Provincial Fr Tim Duckworth then opened the Centre.

The ceremony was attended by friends, family, students, alumni from various Catholic secondary schools, and local church communities.

Whanau Maria will serve as the new home for Logos, a Marist youth development project with a 24-year history in the Diocese of Auckland.

The centre will also house other Marist Laity projects.

On Friday, Duckworth announced Mrs Hannah van Schie as the new Director of Marist Laity.

"Everyone in the Church is called to minister to others and take the Gospel into the world.

"The Society of Mary's hope is that Whanau Maria will be a creative place where people can learn to do that in a community of people like them," Duckworth told CathNews.

As people gathered for the opening, the Marist College Kapa Haka group set a festive atmosphere with their songs.

There were other musical performances, a liturgical dance, further songs by the Kapa Haka group, and people of different ages shared personal stories about how Logos had affected their lives.

Cedric Charles, the special character prefect at St Peter's College, said his encounters with Logos have helped him to connect his daily life with "theology".

"This year's special character retreat assisted me in my role as the special character prefect", he said.

After the formal proceedings, attendees explored the facility's various amenities, including offices, youth spaces, a family room, a dining area, a commercial kitchen, a chapel, laundry, bathrooms and a main meeting hall.

Owned by the Society of Mary, Whanau Maria is situated on Ponsonby Road on the former site of Good Shepherd College, New Zealand's former Catholic Theological College.

Bishop Lowe blessed a mural located in the car park, a gift from local artist Haser.

Good Shepherd College was a joint venture between the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the Society of Mary. Its primary purpose was to teach theology to seminarians.

When it was proposed to merge all the Catholic Tertiary providers into a Catholic leadership institute, Te Kupenga, the Society of Mary decided the focus of the new body was beyond its scope of responsibility.

In 2020, it acquired the remaining share of the Ponsonby Road property, repurposing it for lay ministry.

• Supplied

The mission has been serving Burmese migrants for the past 6 years providing community support, education for Burmese children and support and health access for HIV/AIDs sufferers and their families.

This week, in Thailand, Kirsten renewed her commitment to the Marist Association of Mary.

Last Sunday, 8th December, in Auckland, William Gee, Kathleen Baran and Judith Leonard also made permanent commitments as Lay Marists in the Association of Mary.

The commitments were affirmed by Bev McDonald, the coordinator for Marist Laity and Fr David Kennerley SM at a Mass with family, friends and Associates at the Logos centre followed by celebrations.

Fr David has been the Marist Laity spiritual director for two years.

It was also an occasion to thank and farewell Fr David as he takes up a three year term as Provincial of the Society of Mary in the New Year.

Fr Chris Skinner SM was welcomed as the new spiritual director.

Source

• Supplied: Beverley McDonald
• Image Supplied: Beverley McDonald

To celebrate this and coinciding with the close of the Year of Faith and the Year of Colin, people from all branches of the Marist family in the Auckland Diocese gathered at Manurewa on Sunday 17th November.

Marist Brothers and the Champagnat Laity, Marist Sisters, Marist Priests and Brothers, Marist Laity and the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary all contributed and shared the family atmosphere of the afternoon.

Fr Ezio Blasoni gave the opening address on the history of the early Missions with stories and accounts of those early joys, struggles and realities ending with the call to continue the Marist vision to be instruments of mercy, sharing the Marian face of the church today.

Sr Marie Challecombe and Fr Chris Skinner led a time of prayer and reflection where the past voices of the early Marist missionaries and supporters, Lay and Religious, blended with prayers, waiata and hopes for today and the future.

Then there was a fun quiz with all the light-hearted competition that engenders followed by lots of buzz reconnecting over afternoon tea. As one Brother shared, "It was a happy mixture of history, prayer, fun and fellowship."

Next August 2014, in another significant anniversary, Marists will celebrate 180 years since Pope Gregory XVI gave Papal approval to Laity in the Marist project.

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• Supplied
• Image: Supplied

Lay Marists and Brothers plan closer a association. People from each of the countries represented prepared statements regarding the way they intend moving the relationship between Brothers and Lay people

Alan Parker is the Director of Champagnat Partnership and does formation work for Lay Marists in partnership with the Brothers. His work covers New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and Kiribati. After the Assembly he met with groups in Fiji and Kiribati.

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• Champagnat Pacific Assembly Marists
• Alan Parker
• Image - Alan Parker