PARISH MISSIONS: THE ATTRACTION AND DANGER OF COMFORT ZONES

The outreach of the missionaries to the women and girls was always the most successful and rewarding. Eugene tells us that in Marignane

the women and young ladies were brought together at two o’clock in the afternoon… The gathering was very numerous. These good people would spend their lives in church.

 The following morning they celebrated Mass at 8 in the morning only for the women, inviting them all to go to Communion. He describes the Mass with reflections specifically aimed at them:

Mass with women’s communion at 8 o’clock. When the women were in place in the church which they filled, we began by singing the Veni Creator, then a low Mass was celebrated by the Superior, assisted by the Parish Priest in stole and with acolytes…

During Mass, one of the missionaries in the pulpit, while kneeling down, uttered pious reflections up until the consecration touching on the sacrifice and on the communion in which all those assisted were to participate. After the consecration, he spoke out loud in an even tone all the “acts before communion.” Before administering the holy mysteries the celebrant spoke some fervent words, what the Italians call a “fervorino”.

He then distributed the Body of Jesus Christ to over four hundred women or girls who came up to the Holy Table with remarkable devotion and recollection…

We withdrew at half-past ten singing canticles that seemed to come from the bottom of the heart.

Diary of the Marignane Mission, 8 December 1816, O.W. XVI

This type of positive experience with “these good people (who) would spend their lives in church” can be very comfortable for the Oblate and, at the same time, very dangerous because our human nature is always attracted to “comfort zones” where we see results. Yet the heart of Eugene continues to challenge us as it is expressed in our Constitution 5:

where the Church is already established, our commitment is to those groups it touches least.

Constitution 5