France

During the recent Marist Pilgrimage from Australia to India, Rome and France, Darren McGregor, Principal of Marist College Bendigo walked from L'Hermitage to La Valla in southern France. He reports there was added excitement this time he undertook this walk as the dam just above L'Hermitage has been emptied for repairs. The Gier River, which rises on Mt Pilat above the dam, is back to the level it was when Marcellin Champagnat was alive in the early nineteenth century. Darren points out that the low water level reveals another bridge below the one where Marcellin is supposed to have invited his first recruit, Jean-Marie Granjon to join him. Marcellin's group, of course, was to become the Little Brothers of Mary or the Marist Brothers of the Schools.

Brazil

In April, 2014 Br Joaquim Clotet, rector of our Marist University in Porto Alegre, Brazil received the country's President Dilma Rousseff during the launch of a national program for technical education and employment.

Marists, like Joaquim, who lead Marist Higher Education institutions, meet together every two years. Joaquim hosted our Conference in 2010. The next Conference was held at Our Lady of Marbel University in Koronadal, Philippines from 10-15 November 2014. There, our host was Br Willy Lubrico, pictured here, second from the right at the 2012 Conference.