Tag Archives: foundation of OMI

THE RULE: ENRICHED BY THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS

When Eugene had written to Henri Tempier to invite him to join the Missionaries, he had said: We will live together in one house, that which I have bought, under a Rule we shall adopt with common accord and for … Continue reading

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THE RULE: PUTTING A LIVED EXPERIENCE INTO WORDS

Eugene spent 13 days at St Laurent, compiling a Rule of 55 hand-written pages. His early biographer, Jeancard, described him poetically as being like Moses “going up to Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments of God.” This was not quite … Continue reading

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TIGHTENING THE BONDS SO AS TO HAVE UNITY OF THOUGHT AND ACTION

In the process of discernment, Eugene placed the situation of establishing a second community and its implications before all the Missionaries. His Memoires recall: I felt that I should summon to an extraordinary council, all those who then comprised my … Continue reading

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A MISSIONARY GROUP DISCERNMENT

The letter from the Diocese of Digne offering the care of Notre Dame du Laus to the Missionaries stated that two priests would be needed. In the summer they would devote their whole time to the many pilgrims who came … Continue reading

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A QUANTUM LEAP

Two and a half years after the foundation of the Missionaries, this seemingly insignificant letter signalled an explosion in their life and a new direction. The letter was written in response to an invitation from the Vicar General of the … Continue reading

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25 JANUARY 1816: RECALLING THE FOUNDING STORY

The all-important first day of community life for the Missionaries was obviously a story often repeated in all its details. In his Memoires, Father Tempier, described it as: “This memorable day that I will never forget for as long as … Continue reading

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MY BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN YOUTH CONGREGATION

The OMI General Archives in Rome have the originals of 238 letters written by members of the Youth Congregation to Eugene. Reacting to one of them around 20 years later; Eugene wrote: It originates with a good priest that I … Continue reading

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THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF AIX

The appointment of Fortuné as Bishop of Marseille was a long-term protection for the Missionaries, and did not solve the immediate problem of the threats of some of the parish priests of Aix to the existence of the group. At … Continue reading

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THE AIX COMMUNITY AS AN “APOSTOLIC SCHOOL” FOR STUDENTS

The Register of Entries into the Novitiate and other archival material note that Jean Baptiste de Bausset, a member of the Youth Congregation, was in the first group of novices in Aix and was a Missionary for two years. When … Continue reading

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THE FIRST VOCATIONS TO OBLATE RELIGIOUS LIFE AND PRIESTHOOD

Today I do not have a written text of Eugene, but write about some of the first persons to join him after the initial founding group. Their lives and ministry continued his spirit and actions. The Register of Entries into … Continue reading

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