Perhaps with a touch of Mazenodian exaggeration, Eugene declared:
The word of the English bishops, whom I have had occasion to see as they passed through here, is that our Congregation is the most esteemed of all in England and the bishops compete for the advantage of having her in their dioceses.
To Bishop Bruno Guigues, 10 May 1849, EO I n 118
Very few letters concerning the early years of the Anglo Irish province have been preserved. Yet this was an important mission that was to send Oblate missionaries all over the world for well over a century. In the light of this, in the following entries I would like to fill in some of the early history from other sources.
REFLECTION
“The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” (Henry Martyn)
For some reason I find myself thinking about the freedom that is ours when we experience God’s love. It is the freedom that our hearts and souls, experience as we move from the chains and bonds of darkness and sin. We do not even recognize those bonds until we step into the light.
And this leads me to think of how we belong to and with each other, as members of a family which is worldwide and includes those of different cultures and beliefs.
I think of my friend Sheila who will be heading to Rome to serve as a member of her Congregation’s General Counsel. I think of the joy and freedom which seemed to be all around her as she shared the news of her new experience of serving.
Freedom, light and joy – these are what we recognize when we allow ourselves to be sent by God…