Author Archives: franksantucci

Fr.  Jean-Pierre Bernard (24 years old) had been ordained a priest by Bishop de Mazenod in September 1847, and within days had left for Canada. On the same day Fr. Augustin Gaudet had been ordained and the two had travelled … Continue reading →

Continuing his heartfelt reflections on the young Oblate, Jean-Pierre Bernard who had just arrived in Canada and was dying of typhus, Eugene confided in his diary: Since his ordination to the sub-diaconate, this dear son had done no other than … Continue reading →

Fr.  Jean-Pierre Bernard (24 years old) had been ordained a priest by Bishop de Mazenod in September 1847 and within days had left for Canada. Within day s of his arrival in Canada, Eugene received the news that our very … Continue reading →

Eugene invites all the Oblates to be inspired by the extreme personal sacrifices being made by the first four members of their religious family to go to western North America to teach people “the love of Jesus Christ.” I have … Continue reading →

The west coast of North America was opening up to Oblate evangelization with the arrival of four missionaries. (See the entry and the ones that follow in: THE FIRST OBLATE MISSION IN THE UNITED STATES – https://www.eugenedemazenod.net/?p=5355) These four missionaries … Continue reading →

Eugene de Mazenod was a busy person! Superior General of many Oblates in France and elsewhere, Bishop of a large and demanding diocese, and also the power behind the Oblates breaking new ground in the foreign missions. Going through his … Continue reading →

Celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and rejoicing in his presence, Eugene sends Christmas greetings: This is all I can say to you on this holy day spent entirely in church. I officiated yesterday at First Vespers, then during the … Continue reading →

Election day for the President of the Republic. I went to vote. The entire staff stood up to receive my vote. This act of respect for the character with which I am invested edified me. Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 10 … Continue reading →

In 1816, at the beginning of our Congregation, all the members were diocesan priests because its aim was mission preaching and dispensing the sacraments. In 1818 when we became a religious congregation, the situation changed and the Oblate vocation was … Continue reading →

Bishop Eugene regarded himself as much a father of his diocesan clergy as he did of the Oblates. This was especially the case if he been the bishop who ordained them to the priesthood. In his Diary he notes his … Continue reading →