Category Archives: LETTERS

THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF AIX

The appointment of Fortuné as Bishop of Marseille was a long-term protection for the Missionaries, and did not solve the immediate problem of the threats of some of the parish priests of Aix to the existence of the group. At … Continue reading

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THE DE MAZENOD DREAMS ARE SHATTERED

Assured of a financial income that would guarantee the possibility of a better lifestyle in their country of origin close to their families, the three de Mazenod brothers arrived in Marseille on 27 December and were met with joy by … Continue reading

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EUGENE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BE VICAR GENERAL OF HIS UNCLE

In his effort to persuade Fortuné to accept the nomination to be bishop of Marseille, Eugene had assured him: Take courage, I will be your other-self. Letter to Fortuné de Mazenod, 16 September 1817, O.W. XIII n. 12 Fortuné responded … Continue reading

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THE NOMINATION OF FORTUNÉ DE MAZENOD AS BISHOP OF MARSEILLE – TAKE COURAGE, I WILL BE YOUR OTHER-SELF

In a later letter, continuing to lecture his uncle as to the necessity of accepting the nomination as Bishop of Marseille, Eugene realized that because this step was essential for the survival of the Missionaries, he would have to commit … Continue reading

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THE NOMINATION OF FORTUNÉ DE MAZENOD AS BISHOP OF MARSEILLE – PERSUADING HIS UNCLE TO ACCEPT

Dear mother, you are the first to whom I tell the news of the nomination of my uncle, the Abbé, as Bishop of Marseille. I have not yet received the official letter, so please do not tell anyone, but it … Continue reading

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THE NOMINATION OF FORTUNÉ DE MAZENOD AS BISHOP OF MARSEILLE – ANNOUNCING THE NEWS TO HIS UNCLE

I am reopening my letter, my very dear friends; I was too late in getting it off to you yesterday. The reason I’ve re-opened it is to tell you, but under the strictest secrecy, that the king has just appointed … Continue reading

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THE NOMINATION OF FORTUNÉ DE MAZENOD AS BISHOP OF MARSEILLE FINALLY BECOMES POSSIBLE

The very day after Eugene had written to his mother telling her that it was now too late to do anything for his father and uncles, the tide began to change. Eugene describes the events of 22 August, in which … Continue reading

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THE NOMINATION OF UNCLE FORTUNÉ DE MAZENOD AS BISHOP OF MARSEILLE

During his exile outside of France, Eugene had lived with his father and uncles, to whom he was very attached. While he was in Venice he was hurt by the departure of his mother and by the subsequent divorce of … Continue reading

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EVEN SAINTS HAVE A TOUCH OF VANITY

Eugene’s mother was constantly fretting about his health and his poor eating habits. He reassures her from Paris: By chance I just looked at myself in the mirror. It’s horrible, I don’t dare appear in Aix, I no longer have hollow … Continue reading

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THE IDENTITY OF THE MAZENODIAN FAMILY: AN ELITE BODY FOR THE CHURCH

It is only after Vatican II that the word “charism” was used to describe the particular God-given characteristics of a religious family, but it is exactly this concept that Eugene is referring to when he speaks of the spirit of … Continue reading

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