“And the Blessed Virgin,
who did such great things then,
will do even greater ones
at the end of time…” (Jean-Claude Colin)
Jean-Claude Colin, founder of the Marist Fathers and Marist Sisters, knew suffering at an early age. Orphaned at the age of five he developed into a person with a deep longing for a life of solitude and strong desire to serve God. It was while studying for the priesthood at the major seminary in Lyon he came into contact with the Marist project. Despite his sensitive and timid temperament he was courageous in responding to the needs of his time. He took his inspiration from the life of Mary in Nazareth and and from her presence as a mother in the early church. On 15th November, the anniversary of his death, Marists throughout the world recall with gratitude the legacy of this man who teaches us what it is to live the Spirit of Mary in our times.