PARISH MISSIONS: THE EXAMPLE AND APPROACH OF THE MISSIONARIES CHANGES THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE

In the previous entry Eugene spoke about the initial coldness of the Mayor of Marignane towards the missionaries. They persevered in their efforts to win him over, and in Eugene’s diary entry four weeks’ later he describes a man with a changed attitude.

While we are on the subject of the Mayor, we may remark that he has not missed a single one of the evening instructions, and that he is extremely courteous and helpful towards the missionaries, whom he has referred to as the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, in an ordinance he issued with the purpose of having the bars closed on the Sunday when the putting up of the cross will take place. If he was not all he should have been on the first day of the mission, it is because he is at odds with the Parish Priest about whom he complains, while the Parish Priest for his part has his accusations, a quarrel it is no part of the missionaries’ task to judge

Diary of the Marignane Mission, 14 December 1816, O.W. XVI

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