04/05/2021 - Ireland

MARIST LAITY NEW LEADERSHIP – IRELAND

Sr Mary Richardson (Ireland) shared news about the new leadership for Marist Laity in Ireland.  Mary O'Connor and Eileen McCann write of their influence of the Marist Family on their lives.

Mary O Connor and Eileen McCann have just taken over the Lay Marist groups here in Ireland a difficult task to follow in the Footsteps of Rene Mc Dermot who loved her job so much. Mary O’Connor was  a Marist Sister in the 1960 so amazingly still so Marist! 

Reena Mc Dermot has now retired after thirteen years of dedication, inspiration and hard work as Chairperson/ Secretary of the Lay Marist Resource group in Ireland and guided the groups along the road of being a Lay Marist in today's world. We have stretched out to all Lay groups in Ireland then Europe and finally to the world. In Ireland we were the first country where Lay Marists associated with the Sisters, Fathers and to a lesser extent with the Brothers.

When a European Marist Laity (EMLC) was formed in Dublin we elected a representative on to the Committee who attended meetings in Turin, Frenchville near Lyon, Los Negralesnear Madrid and An Grianan in Ireland. Marist Laity in Ireland are now regarded as part of the Marist Family, the Society of Mary as founded by the First Marists.

But to the big question, how would we replace Reena Mc Dermot. Our Lady, our inspiration and model heard our prayers and both Eileen Mc Cann and Mary O Connor  both felt the call to a joint Leadership of the Marist Laity in Ireland  and the Resource group were delighted to support this proposal.

Meet Eileen Mc Cann from Dundalk.

I first met the Marist Fathers in Dundalk in 1970 where we worked together in a Youth Drama group and later in a Youth Prayer group.During this time the Marist Fathers in Rome proposed a return to study the vision of Jean Claude Colin for Lay people being an equal part of the Society of Mary. In Dundalk the Marist Fathers gathered a group of Lay people  to study the writings and that is where my journey as a Lay Marist began. Since then I have been on the Marist Resource team and was also the Irish representative on the EMLC.

Meet Mary O Connor from Carrick on Shannon

My journey as a Marist began in 1960 as a pupil in the Marist Secondary school in Carrick on Shannon where I enrolled in the lay branch of the society, then known as the Third order. This together with my relationship with the Sisters opened my heart and mind to the Marist way of life which to this day has never ceased to touch me deeply despite many changes in my life.

I became a Marist Sister and as a teacher in Carrick on Shannon Secondary school I assisted Sr Veronica Gannon rip in starting a Lay Marist Group. I had the privilege of twice going on pilgrimage to the places of Marist origin in France where it deepened my appreciation of Marist history and its relevance today..

In 1987 I was missions to a new Marist project in Scotland, a mixed community of Fathers, Brothers, Sisters and Lay people where we worked with young people in human and spiritual development. After much discernment  in 1995 I left the Sisters but remained a Marist at heart.

In 2017 I was invited to take on the Leadership of my original Third Order group in Carrick on Shannon where my husband Ian and I now lead the Marist Laity group  and together in 2019 we gave a presentation at the 4th Marist Laity European Confrernce in Ireland.

I am looking forward now to working with Eileen on our vision for future Lay Marist projects and we are happy to have Sr Marie O Reilly on the team to continue her years of working with Marist groups.

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