Marcellin Champagnat was a French priest who founded the Marist Brothers to bring education and faith to poor children in the countryside.
Life
Marcellin Champagnat was born in 1789 in a farming village at Marlhes, France. The turmoil of the Revolution left him with little schooling, but he entered the seminary late, studied hard, and was ordained a priest in 1816. As a seminarian he joined companions who hoped to found a society in the name of Mary.
Serving as assistant priest in the parish of La Valla, he met children who knew nothing of the faith, and in 1817 he began the Marist Brothers. He built houses with his own hands alongside the brothers and opened schools across the countryside.
He died in 1840 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1999. Today the Marist Brothers serve the education of young people in many countries.
Spirituality
Saint Marcellin’s spirituality is trust in Mary and love for children. He wanted to form children as good Christians and good citizens, and he taught that the first step is to love them. Humility, simplicity and the brotherhood of working side by side lie at its heart.
Reflection
Saint Marcellin believed that to teach children well, we must first love them. What warm attention can I show to the children and young people of our parish?