About Us

Society of Mary (Marist Fathers)

A religious congregation of the Catholic Church: The Society of Mary is a worldwide congregation of baptized Christian men: priests and brothers, heeding the invitation of Jesus to leave all things and follow him. The members of the Society choose to live in small fraternal communities and consecrate all that they are and have to the service of the Gospel wherever they may be sent in the name of the mission entrusted to them. The lives of Marists are governed by their fundamental charter, the Constitutions – a rule of life approved by the Holy See as an authentic way of living the Christian life

Religious Vows

Marist religious are committed to the Society of Mary by their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The serious commitment of the vows helps Marists to live as disciples of Jesus, and give concrete witness to a new world initiated by the risen Jesus.

Prayer

Marist, who strive to follow the example of Mary, have an added incentive to pray, for Mary was a woman of prayer. She pondered on life’s events in her heart and, as a member of the first Christian community joined with the apostles in prayer. The founder, Fr Jean-Claude Colin, encouraged Marists to be “men of prayer”, learning in prayer to “taste God”.

Community Life 

Community life is important for Marists. Their founder wanted them to start renewing the Church in and through their own communities. Their only model should be the community of first believers of Jerusalem.

Identification with Mary

The key to understanding a Marist’s unique relationship with Mary is not found in any particular devotion or act of piety, even though these are important. The relationship between Mary and a Marist exists at a much deeper and more profound level. Marists identify with Mary. This reality is summed up for Marists by Jean Claude Colin in the following way: “So they must think as Mary, judge as Mary, feel and act as Mary in all things…” – www.maristsm.org 

Superiore maggiore: P. John Larsen SM
Email: john.larsen@maristsm.org 

Curia provinciale:
Indirizzo: Villa Santa Maria, Via Alessandro Poerio, 63 

00152 Roma, Italia. Telefono: +39 06 589 90 41 

Suore Missionarie della Societa di Maria (SMSM) http://www.smsmsisters.org

Meryem Cemiyeti’nin Misyoner Rahibeleri

We are an international congregation coming from many countries of the world to participate in evangelization by “missionary presence, by living and proclaiming the Gospel, by apostolic service”. (SMSM Constitutions 14). 

Gathered together from different backgrounds and nationalities, we respond to the call to universal mission in 24 countries. “In respect and dialogue, we try to be bonds of communion between peoples, races and cultures, and witnesses to universal love” (ibid. 22). 

In the course of our history, our congregation has been known by several different names – at the beginning – Sisters of Charity of the Third Order of Mary, and later Sisters of the Third Order Re- gular of Mary. Since our official approbation as a congregation of pontifical right in 1931 our official name is Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary. Today in some countries we are known simply as the “SMSM” sisters, or as the “Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary”. 

We Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary respond to a call that invites us to be:
– Sent on mission beyond frontiers to live and proclaim the Gospel – Inspired by Mary and confident of her help 

– Consecrated women living in multicultural communities “Our specific vocation in the Church is to be at one and the same time Missionary, Marist, Religious” (SMSM Constitutions 5) 

– www.smsmsisters.org, www.maristsmsm.org/ 

Superiore maggiore: 

Sister Cristina Giustozzi smsm Email: supgeneralesmsm@gmail.com, scristinasmsm@gmail.com 

Curia provinciale:
Indirizzo: Via Cassia 1243 

00189 Roma 

ITALIA
Telefono: +39 339 425 7490