Short History of the Province of Meribah
Discover Faith and Brotherhood at the Marianist Province of Meribah
In the early 20th century, the Brothers of Mary, as the Marianists were known in those days, staffed several parish schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn. In 1915 the Brothers opened Most Holy Trinity High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, part of a sprawling German-American parish complex that included a cathedral-like church, two schools, an orphanage, a cemetery and a host of organizations meeting the spiritual and social needs of the parishioners.
During the late 1920s, Bro. Alexander Ott, SM, the principal of Most Holy Trinity HS, anticipated the eastward expansion of the Catholic population and began to search for a suitable location for a high school in the “country-side” of Nassau County. One of the necessary conditions for this new Marianist venture was that the school be located within walking distance of a railroad station. With the encouragement of the pastor of Corpus Christi parish in Mineola, Bro. Alexander purchased a 5.37acre lot on the south side of Jericho Turnpike.
On September 15, 1930, Chaminade High School opened with 145 students and Bro. Alexander as principal. In the ensuing decades, as Bro. Alexander’s hunch proved true, the school grew in enrollment, facilities, and reputation.
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) challenged all religious congregations to reconsider the charismatic vision of their founders and their structures of community life and religious authority. Within the New York Province of the Society of Mary (established in 1961), these discussions led to both exciting possibilities and profound disagreements. These internal tensions were resolved on August 18, 1976, with the establishment of the Province of Meribah by the Superior General of the Society of Mary and his council. The new province was comprised of the Brothers living in the Chaminade-Mineola community and ministering within the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
The province takes its name from the Meribah Retreat House, an estate in Muttontown that the Brothers of the Chaminade community purchased and renovated in 1970 for the spiritual formation of their students and families. Meribah is the rocky place in the desert where the thirsty Israelites challenged God’s providence (Numbers 20). In response, Moses strikes the rock with his staff and living water gushed forth, a source of both refreshment and reassurance.
Firmly based on Long Island and blessed with vocations, the Province looked to extend its mission of education beyond Mineola. Early in 1987, Bishop John McGann entrusted the campus of the former Maria Regina Diocesan High School/St. Agnes Cathedral High School to the Marianists to be renamed and revitalized in honor of Most. Rev. Walter P. Kellenberg, the founding bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. On July 1, 1987, Kellenberg Memorial High School opened as new Catholic high school in the Marianist tradition for young women and men. With the establishment of the Bro. Joseph C. Fox Latin School in 1988, the opportunity for Marianist education was extended to middle school students.
The mission of the Province expanded once again when the pastor of St. Martha’s parish in Uniondale invited the Brothers to assume the administration of a struggling regional elementary school. Beginning on August 18, 2004, St. Martin de Porres Marianist School has welcomed children from a variety of cultural backgrounds to an education rooted in Marianist family spirit.
In addition to the three major educational institutions of the Province, there are five retreat houses to foster further spiritual and faith formation. These include: Meribah (est. 1970), Emmanuel (est. 1992), Founders Hollow (est. 200), Saragossa (est. 2015) and Stella Maris (est. 2018).
For fifty years, God has blessed the Marianists and all their works. May our Blessed Mother continue to inspire all those committed in this mission of saving souls and bringing others to her son, Jesus Christ.
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be glorified in all places, through the Immaculate Virgin Mary!
The Marianist Charism
The Marianist charism is a gift from God that inspires the Marianists’ way of life and actions. It’s characterized by five pillars, or primary beliefs and focal points, that guide the Marianists’ lives:
+ Faith: Marianists are spiritual people who believe in God and serve others through prayer and action.
+ Mary: Marianists view Mary as a model of Christian living and discipleship.
+ Community: Marianists live in welcoming communities and believe that living, praying, and supporting each other strengthens their faith.
+ Mission: Marianists are called to make the world a better place by responding to those in need and working for the coming of Christ’s kingdom.
+ Inclusivity: Marianists practice discipleship of equals, where brothers and priests share equal status and priesthood is seen as a ministry.
The Marianists are a worldwide Catholic family of brothers, priests, sisters, and lay people. The Society of Mary is the male religious congregation, and the Daughters of Mary Immaculate is the female religious congregation.
Sons of Mary
“To Make Mary Known, Loved and Served”
Joining in her mission of bringing people to Christ
Understanding our
Mixed Composition
“There is only one Marianist Vocation.”
Lay religious and priests in complimentary vocations
About the Society of Mary throughout the World
Serving God’s People throughout the World
Together, forming “the man who never dies.”
About the Province of Meribah
Service in a Spirit of Hope, Faith and Gratitude
Driven to inspire love, hope, and faithfulness everywhere.
Community Life and Family Spirit
“The Marianist community aims to be an image of the first community of Jesus’ disciples, united with Mary and filled with the Holy Spirit. We give ourselves to community life in order to bear witness to God’s love,
to attain holiness, and to fulfill our apostolic mission.
We form a new family, based on the Gospel of the Lord, in which we share in common prayer, friendship, possessions, work, successes, and difficulties. We aim to make family spirit the distinctive mark of our communities, growing in the characteristics of Mary, particularly her faith, humility, simplicity, and hospitality.” – From the Rule of Life of the Society of Mary (Art. 34-35)
For the religious of the Province of Meribah, the fostering of a community, inspired by faith, animated by mutual service and sharing, and sustained by fraternal concern and compassion, is a key pillar of our life and mission. Like the first community of Jerusalem, having one heart and one soul, we hope to bear witness to the presence of Christ and to show that still today, the Gospel can be lived in all the force of its letter and spirit.
