Marist School President J. D. Childs and Marist Way Director Mike Coveny ’81 are championing a new program to bring current parents into deeper engagement with the school’s spiritual and educational foundation. The Marist Mission Groups Initiative offers parents an opportunity to explore the roots of Marist identity through small-group fellowship.

Led by trained parent volunteers, each of the 35 mission groups includes a handful of participants, randomly assigned for a two-year cycle of connection and reflection. The groups gather four times each academic year—flexibly and in person or virtually—to discuss origin stories of the Society of Mary and reflect on how those values live on at Marist School.

“Our Marist legacy animates our mission and makes profound claims on how we approach education here at Marist School,” said Coveny. “These groups invite parents to reflect on their experience from this unique, Marist perspective. As parents build community through that lens, the mission is strengthened, renewed, and advanced.”

For participant Michelle Djuric, parent of Madeleine ’21, Henry ’23, and Joseph ’27, the experience has been both unifying and faith-affirming. “It has been inspirational to see parents of all faiths come together to learn about the Society of Mary and its present impact on our children’s education,” she said.

Jim Kipers, parent of Nicholas ’25 and Grace ’27, serves as a group leader. “I am struck by each person’s dedication to the values that make us proudly Marist,” he shared. “Mission groups offer a powerful way to connect more deeply to our spiritual inheritance and inspire us to carry it into the community.”

That spirit of faith in action resonated with Amy Murphy, parent of Cooper ’27 and Anne ’29. “We hope our children will be as brave as Mary and continue her path of saying ‘yes’ to God’s will,” she said. “Marist fills them with the confidence and desire to say yes to their faith.”

With almost 200 parent participants across all grade levels, the initiative is fostering meaningful conversations and forging faith-filled connections.