Saint Marcellin Champagnat

Full name – Marcellin Joseph Benedict Champagnat

Father – Jean-Baptiste Champagnat
Mother – Marie-Therese Chirat Champagnat
Champagnat has a total of 10 brothers and sisters
Born – May 20, 1789 in Marlhes, France

Died – June 6, 1840 | Cause: Cancer | At age: 51

Congregation founded – Fatris Maristae A Scolis
Minor seminary – October 1805
Major seminary – Saint Irenaeus Seminary in Lyon

Dates to remember Events

July 22, 1816 Ordination
October 1816 The idea of founding a religious society of
brothers begun
January 2, 1817 Jean-Marie Grajon and Jean-Baptiste
Audras the pioneers of the brotherhood
founded by St. Marcellin
1817 The formation of the congregation
started in La Valla
1837 The publishing of the Regula of the Marist
Brothers. After St. Marcellin, Bo.
Francois Rivat became the Director-
General of the congregation
May 18, 1840 St. Marcellin left a message: “Let there
be among you just one heart and one
mind. Let it always be said of the LITTLE
BROTHERS OF MARY as it was of the
early Christians: See how they love one
another!”
People to remember What they did | On what day
PIUS IX Approved the regula | 1863
BENEDICT XV Made him venerable | 1920
PIUS XII Beatified | May 29, 1995
JOHN PAUL II Canonised |April 18, 1999
 Marist Core Values
Faith – Fides | Marian | Service – Serviam | Communion - Communio

Introduction to Laudato Si’

Laudato Si is an encyclical letter from Pope Francis published in May 2015 with the
message to care for our common home.

“Laudato Si, mi Signore” - praise be to you, my Lord.

Spirituality – Systematic practice of reflection on a prayerful, devout, and disciplined
Christian life in its practice Christian spiritually has always called for an ascetical and
prayerful life in which a spiritual guide and the light of the holy spirit help discern the
direction in which individuals and communities are being led.
Ecological Spirituality – Ecological spirituality begins in the acknowledgement, grateful
and joyful, that all creatures owe their existence to God. Humanity is somehow not
individuated to the rest of creation. We share it intimately with other creatures. We
acknowledge God as creator of us all. – Laudato Si’ NOS. 216-221
Popes What they have stated
IOANNES XXIII what emerges first and foremost in the
advancement of science and technology is the
infinite greatness of God. Out of nothing, God
made all things and filled them with the fullness
of His wisdom and goodness. God created man in
His own image and likeness.
PAULUS VI mankind is suddenly becoming aware of the
consequences of human activity that makes
humans the very victim of the degradation and
exploitation of nature (a wide-ranged social
problem that concerns all people). Christians
must take responsibility.
IOANNES PAULUS II Since the Earth (and mankind) is God’s gift to
humans, we must respect the natural and moral
structure we were endowed with. Social ecology
and urban planning should be given attention as
a consequence of modern urbanization.
BENEDICTUS XVI The book of nature is one and indivisible.
Contained in this book are the environment,
sexuality, marriage, family, and social relations.
Our duties to the environment share a link with
our duties towards the human person considered
in ourselves and in relation to others. We must
uphold all duties equally, without trampling the
 others. This contradicts with our present
mentality and practices—which demeans people,
disrupts the environment, and damages society.
BARTHOLOMEW I Humans causing extinction, degradation in
integrity of the Earth, climate change, ecological
damage, spread of disease, contamination of the
water, air, and land with poisonous substances—
are all considered sins.

Ecological Saints
Franciscus Assisinae – Patron of animals, merchants and ecology
Born at Assisi in 1182, Francis renounced his paternal wealth and committed himself to
God. He led a life of evangelical poverty and preached the love of God to all. He
established a rule which a number of his companions followed and which gained the
approval of the Holy See. Subsequently, he founded an order of nuns and a society of
laypersons who practice penance while living in the world.

Died – 1226
Christian Ecological Spirituality = Ecological conversion
Chapter 1 – Our common home | Chapter 2 – The Gospel of Creation | Chapter 3 – The
Human roots of the ecological crisis | Chapter 4 – Integral Ecology| Chapter 5 – Lines
of approach and action | Chapter 6 – Ecological education and spirituality
Chapter One of Laudato Si’ | What is happening to our common home
Introduction – “Change is something desirable, yet it becomes a source of anxiety
when it causes harm to the world and to the quality of life of much of humanity”
Subtopics
Variety of opinions – We need to acknowledge that different approaches and lines of
thought have emerged regarding this situation and its possible solutions
Weak response – In the meantime, economic powers continue to justify the current
global system where priority tends to be given to speculation and pursuit of financial
gain, which fail to take the context into account, let alone the effects of human dignity
and the neutral environment.
Pollution and climate change – These problems are closely linked to a throw away
culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish. To cite
one example, most of the paper we produce is thrown away and not recycled. We have
no yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving
resources for present and future generations while limiting as much as possible the
use of non-renewable resources.
Climate as a common good – belonging to all and meant for all. At the global level, it is
a complex system linked to many of the essential conditions for human life. A very
solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing
warming of the climatic system. Consequently, climate change is a global problem with
grave implications and for the distribution of goods.
The issue on water – fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance since it is
indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Water supplies used to be relatively constant, but now in many places demand exceeds
the sustainable supply, with dramatic consequences in the short and long term.
Lost of biodiversity – caring for ecosystems demands far-sightedness, since no one
looking for quick and easy profit is truly interested in their preservation. But the cost of
the damage caused by such selfish lack of concern is much greater than the economic
benefits to be obtained.
Decline in the quality of human life and the breakdown of society – Today’s media do
enable us to communicate and to share our knowledge and affections. Yet at times
they also shield us from direct contact with the pain, the fears and the joys of others
and the complexity of their personal experiences.
Global inequality – The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate
together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to
causes related to human and social degradation.
Chapter 2 | Gospel of Creation
Yahwist (950-850 B.C.E) – The oldest stratum in the Pentateuch they view God as an
anthropomorphic God and it incorporates ancient oral tradition about human pre-
history and tales of the ancestral father and motherhood.
Elohist (850-800 B.C.E) – It speaks of the plural form of the powers of God. Moreso,
the literary style is more abstract, making God less anthropomorphic.
Deuteronomist (650-621 B.C.E) – This reflects the literary style and attitude of Josiah’s
reform; it insist that there should be one sanctuary. Thus, the message of
Deuteronomy was the obedience to God brought success in battle and economic
abundance: Disobedience brought disasters.
Priestly – Emphasizes the priestly concern, legalistic and cultic aspect of religion. It
tends to be more dry, precise rationalistic style: genealogies, list and consensus. Thus,
it desire to preserve the mosaic tradition during and after the Babylonian Exile.
 Views on God
God as creator | an electing God | Savior | The covenant promise | One who blesses |
Lawgiver | Judge | Relational

Views on Mankind
Human beings as GOOD and RESPONSIBLE creatures | Human beings as SINFUL
creatures
Figure on Biblical cosmology

The 7 days of creation

1. Night and Day
2. Sky and the sea
3. Land and vegetation
4. Sun, moon, and stars
5. Sea and sky creatures
6. Land animals and man
7. Rested, declaring it a Holy day.

Cretio Ex Nihilo – Creation out of nothing

- States that God is the only one responsible for everything created. No pre-
existing material was used in the creation account.
- Production from nothing is said to be outside of human experiences since
humans only know the making of things from existing materials.
- The ultimate destiny of the universe is in the fullness of God. All creatures
moving towards a common point of arrival in God.
- Psalms frequently invite us and other creatures to praise God the creator.
 - The writings of the prophets invite us to find renewed strength in times of trial
by contemplating on God who created the universe.

The message of each creature in the harmony of creation

“Together, we journey as one”

Freedom of the Creator – the anthropomorphic expression “let us make man in our
own imagine, in the likeness of ourselves.” Shows God consulting himself about
creation, expressing his divine freedom.
Imago Dei – Image and likeness
The common destination of Goods – “For our good and the good of all his holy church.”
– The common destination of good vis-à-vis universal communion
A universal communion (Universal common Good) – The underlying cause of problems
can be seen in man’s pretension of exercising unconditional dominion over things
without moral considerations.
The gaze of Jesus – Jesus emphasizes a fundamental truth: God is Father.
Exitus Reditus – Everything comes from God and will return to God