1818: Eugene’s dream of never-ending horizons to preach the Gospel to the whole world:
N.B. And even though, because of their present small number and the more urgent needs of the people around them, they have to limit the scope of their zeal, for the time being, to the poor of our countryside and others, their ambition should, in its holy aspirations, embrace the vast expanse of the whole earth.
1818 Rule
1841: First Oblates sent to evangelise outside of France: to Canada and the British Isles and Ireland
Foreign missions compared to our missions in Europe have a special character of a higher kind, because this is the true apostolate of announcing the Good News to nations which have not yet been called to knowledge of the true God and of his son Jesus Christ…. This is the mission of the apostles: “Go, teach all nations,” this teaching of the truth must penetrate to the most backward nations so that they may be regenerated in the waters of baptism.
You are among those to whom Jesus Christ has addressed these words, giving you your mission as he gave their mission to the apostles who were sent to convert our fathers. From this point of view, which is a true one, there is nothing higher than your ministry and that of our other Fathers who are wearing themselves out in the glacial regions to discover the people whom it is their task to save.
Letter to Fr Ricard, 6 December 1851, E.O. II n157
1861: at the time of Eugene’s death there were 415 Oblates in 4 continents. Today there are around 4000 Oblates in 66 countries
“Who is St. Eugene?” It struct me this morning, very vividly, that Frank is writing in the present tense – not who “was” St. Eugene, but who is St. Eugene. Eugene, who died more than 150 years ago lives. Who Eugene was, his spirit, his being lives on, and more than simply in his writings or in his namesakes, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate – it is much bigger than that. I cannot explain, I simply know it to be true. Eugene who somehow lives and “is”.
And this morning, more than ever before I have a much keener sense of how Eugene was/is, how the Oblates are, a prophetic bunch. There he was in 1818 writing about his Oblates embracing “the vast expanse of the whole earth”. His vision, his dream(s) of what he and all future Oblates were being called to “be” is written out in his letter to Fr. Richard in 1851. At first I ‘bristled’ a some of his words, for he was speaking of Canada as one of those “backward nations” who needed to be regenerated in the waters of baptism. And yet today there is truth in it, Canada, a first world country, and yet there are so any ways that we remain ‘backward’ in our attitudes and how we treat each other, as well as those from other countries. A little (or perhaps a lot) of regeneration in the waters of baptism could be remembered and lived.
The next paragraph seems to speak directly to me; “You are among those to whom Jesus Christ has addressed these words, giving you your mission as he gave their mission to the apostles who were sent to convert our fathers. From this point of view, which is a true one, there is nothing higher than your ministry and that of our other Fathers who are wearing themselves out in the glacial regions to discover the people whom it is their task to save.” This speaks directly to me, to my heart and soul. It speaks to me almost as strong as did his words in his first letter to Tempier, as did his lenten homily at the Church of the Madeleine, as did many of the things that he said. This is an affirmation of God’s call, of Eugene’s invitation to live out my vision of a way of life. In a month that has been filled with emptying and letting go of much that I hold dear, rather than seeing the fire go out, I am finding in the ashes of the old new life and strength, the flames burn brighter and are more defined. The passion is there, the vision becoming clearer in a way. That image of Jesus at the centre, surrounded by and connected to his apostles, and yes the Oblates, priests and brothers, lay people. I don’t always like that term (lay) – like so many others it separates and excludes, measures and limits. I believe we are all called to live together. So I see all of us there.
Eugene de Mazenod – father, founder, Superior General, brother and friend. He never limited his love and he lives on today, in each of his sons and daughters, in each of us.