At the highest level, the Marianist Lay Communities are led by an International Team of 7 members. There is one President, one Regional Responsible for each of the 5 global regions, and one assessor.
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Matt Dunn
President
Matt is currently Regional Responsible for North America, Ireland and Australia. He is a member of the Micah Theotokos MLC and the Visitation Marianist State Community. He has served in various MLC leadership roles in North America, the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative Steering Committee and the Marianist Family Council of North America. He was a delegate to international Marianist assemblies in Lima, Peru and Seoul, South Korea and Madrid, Spain. Matt is a liturgical minister in his parish. He also serves on several committees in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Professionally, Matt works for a Foundation based in Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Elvis Omondi Oweya
Regional Responsible for Africa
Elvis received his Bachelors in Biology from The Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He joined the Marianist Lay Community in 2002 and was Consecrated in 2006. He later joined Marianist Brothers from 2007 to 2013.He currently serves as the leader of Adele MLC community, and national coordinator for Kenya.Elvis is passionate about Community transformation and loves swimming. He resides in Mombasa-Kenya, is married and blessed with two children.
Kiyoshi Hirata
Regional Responsible for Asia
Kiyoshi graduated from Sophia University in Tokyo and started a teaching career at Koka Gakuen Junior & Senior High School run by the FMI in Tokyo. It was at that time I was baptized. At the same time, Kiyoshi began to study about the Marianist Family and MLCs and became one of the founders of the initial sodality with support from FMI sisters and SM priests in the 1980s. The group grew year by year, and there were more than 200 people at the turn of the century. During 2000 to 2015, Kiyoshi left the Tokyo area to teach school and was not able to attend regular meetings. When he returned in 2016, he was once again able to participate in MLC activities and took over the position of Education in the Sodality. Kiyoshi has served as the national responsible for Japan since 2018 until stepping into the inaugural role of Regional Responsible for Asia in 2022.
Mercedes Quero Molina
Regional Responsible for Europe
Mercedes— known to her friends as Leles—is from Almería, Spain. As a teacher who has dedicated her life to education, faith, and social engagement. For the past two years, she has been working at an adult education center within a correctional facility. A member of the C.L.M. in the Province of Zaragoza since 1987 and consecrated to Mary, she has always been involved with the parish, participating in celebrations, catechesis, and youth ministry. She has held leadership roles as Area Director and fraternity advisor, and she has collaborated on community missions, summer schools, and camps. In addition, she helped launch Acción Marianista and serve as the delegate for her area. She represents the Marianist family on the Almería Platform Against Poverty. Currently, she is activist with the Por un Mundo más Justo party and has been a candidate in several recent elections.
Lilliam Valle de Garagorri
Regional Responsible for Latin America
Lilliam lives in Lima, Peru and has been a member of the “Fé y Razón” community since 1988. She has belonged to different coordinating committees in Lima and was part of the organizing team of the sixth International Lay Marianist Meeting held in Peru in 2014. Lilliam is committed to the formation of new communities, an active participant of the Santa Maria Reyna Parish, and is currently part of a joint mission of the Marianist Family in the Callao Region of Peru. She is married to Juan Francisco Garagorri and is a proud mother of two children and grandmother of one grandson. Lilliam likes to read, listen to music and dance.
José Julián Matos-Auffant
Regional Responsible for North America, Ireland, and Australia
José Julián is originally from Puerto Rico. An alumnus from Colegio San José - Marianist College Preparatory, he taught there also, and worked with Juventud Marianista, the Summer Mission at the former Marianist Parish, and Marianist LIFE (Living In Faith Experiences) for over a decade. Being formed in the Marianist charism through education, religious life, workin apostolic institutions and lay community life, José Julián is an advocate of ongoing formation opportunities to put our faith in action. José Julián served as the executive director of the Marianist’s Tecaboca Camp and Retreat Center in Mountain Home, TX and now Director of Moye Retreat Center in Castroville, TX.
Béatrice Leblanc
President
Nidia Isabel Rodríguez Salazar
Responsible, Latin America
Mercedes de la Cuadra Guerrero
Responsible, Europe
Marceta Reilly
Responsible, North America, Ireland, Asia, Australia
Francisca Jere
Responsible, Africa
Domingo Fuentes
Assessor
