Partners in our Mission

Bro. Stephen Balletta, S.M. ’74, speaks on the importance of lay people as partners in the Marianist mission of faith and education.

Q- Can you give our readers some of the partnership history between lay people and religious in Marianist education?

A- Historically, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade envisioned the consecrated religious in partnership with lay people. This partnership is at the heart of the Sodality movement. The enactment of this partnership creates a rippling-out effect on the transmission of faith. Lay people are partners in faith formation and education. It is important to remember that this partnership is not just a response to a need to fill faculty positions; it is part of the original fabric of the Marianist vision for how the mission of faith formation can be best enacted.

Q- How do you see lay people strengthening the faith of their students?

A- Our students see their lay teachers take faith seriously. They expect this from the Marianist brothers, but when our lay faculty speak and live their faith in class, or during the various witness talks, students see a broader context of lived faith in their teachers and role models. It is crucial for students to see that the faith is real for the brothers and religious teachers, but also for the lay people at Marianst schools. The commitment of lay people makes the faith identity of our schools clear and prevalent.

The role of a teacher is not merely that of pouring knowledge into the heads of the pupils as though he were using a funnel but also of awakening a desire to know and a passion for truth in their souls.

A- Chaminade offers more than an education; it offers a family of caring and support. Faith formation happens through formal instruction, but also through the relationships our students build with coaches, maintenance personnel, cleaning staff, and cafeteria personnel. We have given the Founders Award to deserving individuals from all of these areas because they all have an integral part to play in the mission, and all contributors are valued here.

The Board of Advisors is composed of lay people with expertise in various fields other than education. These trusted individuals are lay people who advise the president about how to best enact policies that will keep our school strong. The Board of Advisors will join our community for various events. It’s more than a business partnership; they are part of this larger mission. The familial ties we create keep this bond strong. Very often members of the Board of Advisors are alumni, parents of current students, or parents of alumni.

The Chaminade Alumni Parents Association (CAPA) is another example of the strong bond between lay people and Marianist educators. CAPA members have sons who have graduated from Chaminade, but who still wish to remain connected to our mission. CAPA runs various events and provides services to Chaminade that continue to support the school community.

There can be no education without love. In education, everything is the product of love.

Q- How would you like to see the relationship between religious and lay faculty strengthened in the future?

A- We need to continue and build upon the tradition of joint events that bring Marianists and lay faculty together for the purpose of reflection, community building, and enjoyment. Collaborative faith-centered events like “Kinship: An Evening of Recollection” and faculty retreats are helpful in strengthening that relationship. Each year we invite our new teachers to dinner in the brothers’ residence. It is one of the first moments when our new faculty are welcomed into the Chaminade Family - literally welcomed into our home to share a meal and get to know each other better. It is a beautiful and enjoyable evening that I think establishes that this is not just a professional relationship; it’s a family relationship.

Q- What challenges are posed when incorporating lay people into the life and mission of a religious organization like Chaminade?

A- A challenge for everyone is work-life balance. We Marianists should try to remember the challenges and demands of family life when balancing the mission and its commitment. How do we ensure a healthy work-life balance for both lay and religious faculty? I love when I see lay people bringing their children to Chaminade events. It expands on the notion of family and is a good reminder for those of us who are not married that these teachers have families, often with young children, which presents a whole world of demands which can sometimes be overlooked.

The continued faith formation of lay faculty is a challenge that I take seriously. We can’t assume that everyone is one hundred percent on board with our faith mission. Faith formation is an ongoing process for our students, but also for our lay faculty. We should continually remind ourselves of the Chaminade mission. Everyone, myself included, can easily get absorbed in the daily work of teaching and keeping this place going. We need to take time to reestablish our connection to the overall Marianist mission and philosophy.

Thanks be to God, though your voice is weak from speaking and your eyes tired from checking and correcting papers, your heart is nevertheless raised towards God, towards Christ, to whom you wish to return the pupils who have been entrusted to you. It is to you that a good number of them will owe, even if they have forgotten you, their strong and enlightened Christian life.

Q- Any last words for our lay faculty?

A- All our Marianist schools could not exist without the dedication and contributions of our lay people. We are very happy and proud to partner with them in Marianist education, and we are edified in how our lay partners embrace not only their specific disciplines but also their lived faith experience. This is something that Fr. Chaminade envisioned in 1817, and he would be proud to see it thriving in 2023.

Quotes from The Marianist Educator, by Rev. Paul Joseph Hoffer, S.M., Published in 1957