A month after the installation of the new Archbishop of Aix, in 1819, Eugene wrote to him. He gave him an introduction to the history of the foundation of the Missionaries, stressing that their reason for existence was the evangelization of the poor.
In all families, we like to recall our important moments, and there is a certain grace and freshness that we re-live with every recounting. This is OUR Oblate story too and it reminds us of the reason for our existence: to respond to “the extreme needs of a diocese destitute of priests and full of illiterate poor people who cannot be helped except by missionaries from their own people, who speak the same language.”
Your Grace,
During the course of the year 1815, Fathers de Janson and Rauzan [ed. the founders of the Missionaries of France] got together to respond to the Holy Father’s views: the Pope wanted missions to be given in France. These gentlemen, counting on my good will, requested me to join them in that holy work. Their insistence was so pressing and the reasons they presented so conclusive that I could not but go along with their idea…
I was in that state of perplexity when the Lord inspired me with the plan of establishing a society of missionaries at Aix who, as a priority, would undertake to evangelize the poor country people, even in the smallest Provencal hamlets. I shared my idea with the Vicars General who approved it; and immediately I started to put the plan in motion by setting down the foundation of this little society which has worked incessantly for five years for the conversion of souls with a success that is due to God alone and can be regarded as miraculous.
From that time on I could reply to the Fathers de Janson and Rauzan that it was impossible for me to accede to their invitation because the needs of my own diocese were claiming my services. With some zealous companions I was going to start immediately that same ministry to which they had wanted to recruit me, ministry among the poor abandoned souls all around us. These gentlemen made another attempt, for they thought that I could be of some use to their society. They have never given up asking me to join them, always presenting very good reasons.
These reasons do not answer my main argument which is based on the extreme needs of a diocese destitute of priests and full of illiterate poor people who cannot be helped except by missionaries from their own people, who speak the same language and, if need be, are ready to return to them more than once a year to solidify the work of their conversion. So, I persisted in my first plan.
I cannot congratulate myself enough on the interest and confidence that I was shown by the Vicars General on the occasion of this establishment. They took this work under their protection and they continually defended it as enlightened administrators against all the efforts that Satan did not fail to apply and destroy it. I made it a point of principle to submit to these gentlemen that plan that I had conceived in order to render the service of the missionaries more useful to the diocese. They approved it and it was immediately put into action.
Letter to Archbishop de Bausset of Aix, 16 December 1819, O.W. XIII n.27
On his deathbed Eugene still recalled this event with joy:
Be sure to tell them that I die happy… that I die happy that God was so good as to choose me to found the Congregation of the Oblates in the Church.
Joseph Fabre OMI, Circular Letter to the Congregation 26 May 1861
Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are brought to our attention by external opportunities. William Throsby Bridges
Great letter. Your skills at retrieving such are amazing! A great way to begin my day.
Like Paul, I too thank you Frank for sharing so much with all of us.
I am constantly amazed at the wisdom and knowledge of life (and how to make things work and happen) that Eugene would call upon again and again. And I agree that there is a certain grace and freshness in re-counting and sharing the stories. It is more than just a story – it is as you said “…the reason for our existence …”. It defines and explains who you are and in many ways who we (associates) are. (I have just spent two days reading and going over some of the writings of Marcello Zago who gets into speaking about ‘our vocation’ and God’s call to us and how we live that out.)
For sure Eugene’s life was not an easy one but it certainly was filled with many blessings. In reading “Be sure to tell them that I die happy… that I die happy that God was so good as to choose me to found the Congregation of the Oblates in the Church.” you/I can feel a little of that joy. I am reminded of Our Lady and again of St. Paul (among others) and their joy living out their “yes” to God.
Thanks, Paul and Eleanor! After 650 days of production, this website has become a “way of life” – each morning I have the pleasure of sitting down to a Eugene text and allowing it to speak to me of God, of Eugene, of the Mazenodian family he started in the Church and of the spirit that we are invited to be animated with two centuries later. Thanks for the support.