The Marist Youth here at Molloy are trying to follow in the footsteps of St. Marcellin Champagnat. Their aim is to make Jesus known and loved here at Molloy. They try to achieve this in a number of ways, such as The Lantern, leading the underclassmen retreats, tutoring other students, volunteering as summer camp counselors and service projects. Everyday they try to do random acts of kindness to help create a positive family spirit here at Molloy.

Marist Youth try to:

 

Model Christian behavior

Act with love and kindness

Respect differences

Initiate peace and justice

Serve one another

Trust in God

 

 

The Lantern

After an influential Marist Youth Leadership Conference (May 2002) in Esopus, New York, the objective for the weekend was to bring the spirit of Champagnant back to the students' respective schools. Mark Sweeney '03, Brother John Raeihle and Brother Stephen Urban decided that what was needed here at Molloy was a constant reminder of the Marist Spirit, which is embodied in the Marist Brothers. They decided to set up a student-run weekly Prayer Service which would focus on a variety of topics that High School students could relate to. Brother Stephen, Brother John, and Mark chose a student-core group that would be in charge of creating and developing the Prayer Service each week. "The Lantern," as it is formerly known, has become a popular weekly "get away" for the student body here at Molloy. As the Lantern was for Champagnant, the Lantern Program has become a guiding light for the spiritual development of our students.

 

Presently, the Lantern takes place on Thursdays in the Chapel and averages approximately 50 students per week plus the 15 upper class leaders who run the service. The core group designs creative ways for the student body to share, reflect, meditate and pray on a particular topic. Some of the topics include: Love, Forgiveness, Trust, Faith, New Beginnings, Change, Peer Pressure, Family, Friends, etc.; topics in which most High School students can relate to and reflect upon in terms of their own lives. In addition to the spiritual development, the Lantern Program also creates a strong sense of community for our students which is also an important virtue in Marist Life.

 

Mr. Mark Sweeney, currently an English teacher here at Molloy and a part of the original team who developed the Lantern as a student, has once again become a part of the program as its Moderator and is very happy with its continued success. "I cannot explain how moving it is to see how our students relfect, share, and pray together in such a reverant and genuine way. This program truly reflects the spirit of Marcellin Champagnant." As an important component of the Marist Youth Ministy, the Lantern clearly reflects the objective of "Making Jesus Known and Loved."