The Letter of Superior General to the Congregation on the Anniversary of the Papal Approval of the Constitutions and Rules
Dear Brother Oblates, and all our Sisters and Brothers committed to living the Oblate Charism,
We celebrate with great joy and gratitude the 196th anniversary of the papal approbation of our Constitutions and Rules as the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate! May we share in the profound conviction of Eugene de Mazenod that this approval was the work of divine Providence. We pray for one another, that we will be faithful in living this precious charism, a gift from the heart of St. Eugene who passionately loved Christ Jesus, the Church, and the poor. I am sure the Blessed Virgin Mary smiles on us, assisting us in our conversion to live our missionary charism with greater integrity. Happy feast day to all of you.
Last night we gathered by zoom, more than 90 of us, Oblates and Associates: and the joy with which we came together was tangible as we called out greetings with each new face that appeared on the screen. The physical distances between us no longer mattered and I wonder what Eugene thought of our coming together in this way. I am reminded of the lengths that the early Oblate missionaries in Canada went to in order to be with those they loved and served and who were every bit as innovative as St. Eugene.
“We pray for one another, that we will be faithful in living this precious charism…”
That is what we did, that was the focus of our gathering and celebration as we repeated our vows and commitments before and with each other. And we gave thanks that God has called us together to live this precious charism shared and handed down “a gift from the heart of St. Eugene who passionately loved Christ Jesus, the Church, and the poor.”
And so it is with these precious memories of our local celebrations that I carry with me today and echo the thoughts and words of Father Louis Lougen: “Happy Feast day to all of you.”