Society of Mary Marists in the United States
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Society of Mary
Marists in the United States
January 15, 2021
Six Juveniles Consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Feast of the Holy Family of
Jesus, Mary and Joseph at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH), Tampa, Florida
On December 27, 2020, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, 6 juveniles at OLPH conse-
crated themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Rev. Hector Cruz, SM, pastor of OLPH began his homily
by saying, “It takes a village to raise a child; that is a subtle and unspoken assumption in Luke’s accounts
the first time Jesus entered the Temple.”
How right he was to say this! Seeing our youth assuming such an important commitment as this one re-
minds us how Jesus is introduced to the temple by his parents, welcomed by Simeon, proclaimed as Savior
of the world by Anna, a pious woman.
The OLPH community has seen our youth grow up in our parish, receive the sacraments, become altar
servers and readers, collaborate in the different ministries and develop our parish. The Consecration to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary of these juveniles is also the result of the pastoral work of our Pastor, other pas-
toral associates and many parishioners, who have supported these efforts in various ways including prayers
for the healthy emotional, physical and spiritual development of our children and youth.
We all could envision the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary upon evil, when these juveniles conse-
crated themselves to Mary with these words: “... I freely consecrate to your Immaculate Heart. From now on,
I want to be your son for you to teach me to live God’s commandments, which are the way to holiness. I give
you my body, my soul, my spirit, so that in the future I will not depart from God. Take me, Most Holy Virgin,
from now on, to make me an apostle of your Immaculate Heart.”
Let us continue to pray for these juveniles and for many more who will follow their example, that “the Lord
who started the good work may be faithful in completing it” (Philippians 1:6).
The Six Consecrated, standing from left to right: Arialisa Jimenez,
Santiago Castellano, Brianna Pineda, and Vanessa Giron with Alfredo Figueroa, in charge of the Juvenile Legion
the President of the Legion of Mary Sol Ramirez. Seated: Gabrie- of Mary, places a Miraculous Medal around their
la Hernandez & Andres Castellano. necks, the symbol of their Consecration.
Celebration of Epiphany and Giving of Epiphany Gifts at
San Felipe de Jesus (Brownsville, Texas)
Las Posadas at San Felipe de Jesus (Brownsville, Texas) – December 16-24, 2020
Celebration of Día de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day) at Notre Dame
Preparatory and Marist Academy (NDPMA), Pontiac, Michigan
On January 6, 2021 Sra. Aguilar’s 8th-grade class at NDPMA celebrated Día de Los
Reyes (Three Kings Day) in honor of the Three Wise Men (Kings). Students ate the
bread of kings, called “Rosca de Reyes, or King’s Cake.
During Día de Los Reyes, Mexicans serve Rosca de Reyes, or King’s Cake. “Rosca”
means wreath and “reyes” means kings. The Rosca de Reyes has an oval shape to
symbolize a crown and has a small doll inside, which represents baby Jesus. The doll
figure symbolizes the hiding of the infant Jesus from King Herod’s troops. Tradition-
ally, roscas are adorned with dried and candied fruits to symbolize the many jewels
that a crown would have. The person who gets the slice with the doll must host a
party on Día de la Candelaria in February. Also known as the Feast of the Presenta-
tion of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the
Feast of the Holy Encounter, it is a Christian Holy Day commemorating the presen-
tation of Jesus at the Temple.
Christmas might be over, but it doesn’t mean the gift-giving (and receiving) is over.
On Día de Los Reyes, children in Latin America and Spain receive the majority of
their gifts from the Three Kings, rather than from Santa Claus at Christmas. Before
going to bed, the children place their old shoes with a wish list on top for the Three
Kings. In the morning, the shoes are filled with toys and gifts from the Three Kings.
Courageously Living the Gospel in Our Lady of Perpetu-
al Help Catholic Church (OLPH), Tampa, Florida
On Sunday, January 3, 2021 the Church celebrated the Feast
of the Epiphany of the Lord. God’s revelation to the nations
is represented by the Wise Men, coming from the East, to
pay honor to the “King of the Jews.” Coinciding with that
important celebration, Rev. Hector Cruz, S.M., the pastor of
OLPH, at the 10:00 am Mass, had the “Rite of Acceptance into
the Order of Catechumens” for nine candidates, from differ-
ent classes of our Religious Education Programs. From now
up to the Easter Vigil celebration, when these candidates are
to receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirma-
tion and Communion), we will have special rites for them at
Mass, as part of their journey of preparation. Rev. Hector Cruz, S.M. Giving the cross to
continued on next page ... a Catechumen in the Rite of Rite of Accep-
tance into the Order of Catechumens.
OLPH, continued from previouson page ...
The rites that the Catechumens will go through are very
ancient. They were lost in the course of the history of the
Church and retaken after the second Vatican Council. While
at first they may seem strange to us, experiencing these rites
will help all of the OLPH parishioners deepen our own faith
journey. Our Catechumens’ names are to be inscribed in a
special book, “The Book of the Elect”, and they will examine
the areas of their lives where they are tempted, failing or in
need of conversion. Our Catechumens will be anointed with
the “Oil of Catechumens” and receive the support of their
sisters and brothers in this community of faith. Let us pray
for them and ask the Lord to continue to give them persever- Rev. Hector Cruz, S.M. and the
ance and strength. Nine Catechumens.
Centro Hispano Marista (Atlanta, Georgia) Graduation Ceremony 2020
The priests and brothers of the Society of Mary USA congratulates the Centro Hispano Marista Class of 2020
who celebrated their graduation on December 13, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not all graduates
were able to attend. We wish you the very best and may the spirit of Mary guide you in all you do.
Pontiac, Michigan
Notre Dame Preparatory’s
senior band students. Pic-
ture taken at concert on
January 7, 2021.
Pontiac, Michigan Visual Arts Program at Notre Dame Preparatory
Want to know more about the quality and depth of Notre Dame Preparato-
ry’s visual arts program? A good start would be to read some very insightful
remarks from faculty and alumni about one of the world’s most influential
20th-century artists.
Notre Dame art teachers Sandy
LewAllen, left, Lauren Zajdel and
Michelle Zimmerman
Marist School (Atlanta, Georgia) Evening Series
Stretch your creativity, learn something new, think globally,
or explore aspects of the Christian faith. The Marist School
Evening Series features three evenings of captivating courses
for adults taught by Marist School’s talented faculty and staff.
Invite your friends and neighbors and come learn something
new! Limited in-person and virtual options are available.
More information can be found here.
Nik Rodewald’s, SM Renewal of Vows to the Society of Mary
The Marists (Society of Mary) in the United States wish to Congratulate Nik
Rodewald, SM and the members of the 2020 Novitiate class who celebrated
their First Anniversary on January 8, 2021. Nik is currently assigned to Marist
School in Atlanta, Georgia in the Campus Ministry department. Congratula-
tions to All!
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Marist priests from Our Lady of the Assump-
tion (Atlanta, Georgia) joined their brother Marists from Marist School (Atlan-
ta, Georgia) for evening prayer at the Marist School Chapel to witness Nik’s re-
newal of vows to the Society of Mary and to share a celebratory meal together.
The Marists are inspired by and support Cardinal Gregory’s statement regarding the events that
occurred at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021.
Statement of Cardinal Wilton Gregory on the Protests at the U.S. Capitol
“Our United States Capitol is sacred ground and a place where people over the past centuries
have rightly demonstrated, representing a wide variety of opinions. We Americans should honor
the place where our nation’s laws and policies are debated and decided. We should feel violated
when the legacy of freedom enshrined in that building is disrespected and desecrated.
I pray for safety – of our elected officials, staffers, workers, protestors, law enforcement personnel,
and neighbors to the United States Capitol. There are injuries and tremendous harm, including
reports about the loss of life. Together, we must intentionally pause and pray for peace in this
critical moment. The divisive tone that has recently so dominated our national conversations must
change. Those who resort to inflammatory rhetoric must accept some responsibility for inciting
the increasing violence in our nation.
We are called to be a people of democratic values that respect the opinions of others, even when
we disagree with them. As people of faith seeking to bring our Lord into this world by how we
live, we must acknowledge the human dignity of those with whom we disagree and seek to work
with them to ensure the common good for all.”
Archbishop Hartmayer’s statement on
violence at nation’s Capitol
The Marist Fathers and Brothers of
Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv.,
of Atlanta, Georgia released a statement on the US Province congratulate Most
Friday, January 8, 2021 in the wake of last Rev. Paul Martin, SM, the Marist bish-
week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol building. In op of Christchurch, New Zealand on
his message, he urges prayer for a peaceful his appointment by Pope Francis as
transfer of power. the Coadjutor Archbishop of Welling-
ton New Zealand. Bishop Martin will
assist Cardinal John Dew in New Zea-
land’s metropolitan diocese. Read the
full announcement here.
societyofmaryusa.org smpublications@maristsociety.org
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