While Eugene was writing to the Sardinian ambassador to the Holy See, he took the opportunity to ask him to remind the Pope of a project that was close to Eugene’s heart: the formation of good priests in seminaries. Since the Restoration, after the destruction by the Revolution, the Church in France had established a system of seminaries which were producing good results.
Dear friend, I beg you to present to the Pope on my behalf this little tribute of my devotedness to his sacred person and to the Holy Apostolic See. Do not forget to assure the Holy Father that he has no more devoted son in France; please tell him that. Ah! If only he wished us to set up a seminary for the secular clergy in Rome in the model of those in France to which we owe reform in morals and the whole brilliance of this Church.
The Oblates were successfully running the major seminary in Marseilles, and Eugene offered the possibility of doing the same at the service of the Pope for the seminarians of the small dioceses surrounding the city of Rome.
Leo XII was not alien to such a project. Questo ci manca (ed: That’s what we are lacking.) he said, when he approved the Rules of our Congregation which, among other ministries, includes that one, and, thanks be to God, it is successful.
Letter to the Marquis de Croza, 22 July 1829, EO XIII n. 72
Yvon Beaudoin gives the background :
“For several years Father de Mazenod had been readying himself to accept an apostolic work like this… In the new edition of the Rule (1825-1826), clergy reform remained one of the ends of the Congregation, though the direction of seminary was not explicitly mentioned. However, in Father de Mazenod’s December 8, 1825 petition to the Holy Father and in the papal Brief Si tempus umquam by which Leo XII approved the Rule on March 21, 1826, the direction of seminaries was mentioned as a secondary aim of the Institute.” (https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=2722)
“Your wish to become a priest, or at least your wish to discover if you are being called to be one. And so the question is a serious one, because you have to prepare thoroughly, with clear intentions and an austere formation.” Pope John Paul 2 to seminarians
I was curiously empty as I sat here to reflect this morning; almost looking for an excuse to walk away from it. Beginning again though at the top the word “volunteering” leaped out at me.
Eugene was a busy man – there was always I think more for him to do than he had time for, the numbers of his society were small and stretched, but when he would find a small hole in the fabric of life of his Church he would not ignore it – they counted themselves as missionaries and so were ready to go where they were asked and to do what needed doing. At the same time I know that he did not always respond to every request that he received. But still he was a passionate man and wanted always to do something properly – no half-measures.
I look at my own life and how I offer myself – as a volunteer to the Church – nothing so direct as Eugene – but I do it in smaller circles, when I see a need within my own parish, when I offer support to the local Oblates, and when I respond to a request. I do it because I have the time now to engage in my passions, in what I love most dearly, to share the gifts that I have with those that I love. I have had to learn over time that I can only do so much, learned how to curb my impulsiveness. In my wanting and needing to be needed and loved I have offered myself, my services when there was precious little left to offer (2 on the Enneagram). It has always been easier for me to ‘do’ than to simply ‘be’. Thankfully age is a great leveller and some of the ‘peaks and valleys’ seem to level out. The passion is still there but it deepens bringing with it a different kind of richness.
Eugene always gave of himself because of the depth of his passionate love for God and life and those who had less or nothing.
I have been working on my Reflection for the coming weekend when the Gospel will speak about the Law and how it is not enough to simply follow it. And I will be focussing on the ‘how’, the attitude, the inner stance that we bring as we follow the law. In it I will be using Eugene as the model of that – his oblation.
Thanks, Eleanor! Sometimes as I write these reflections (like this one which refers to a very specific area of not much interest to most people) I wonder if anyone will get anything fruitful out of it. I still go ahead, however, because it is one of Eugene’s writings and concerns and forms part of a bigger picture.
Your response today heartens me – THANK YOU for your faithful daily responses. It is always good to receive echoes.