The Oblates were on the crest of a wave of missionary zeal and expansion. They were also receiving recruits at the novitiate.
His will is too clearly manifest for us not to be obliged to go forward with blind confidence. It is at this moment that the Lord calls our Congregation to extend its zeal to a great many countries, and who at the same time inspires a great number of men to offer themselves to accomplish his desires, and how could we refuse to accept their devotedness which enables us to obey the will of our Master! I cannot give in to this, no matter what human prudence seems to say. So receive all those that the good Lord sends us. This does not mean to receive them without examining them. On the contrary, be careful to discern well the motives which bring them to us, to weigh their virtue and to judge if their talents are sufficient.
Blind confidence did not mean blindness in the acceptance of candidates who slipped in with the wrong motives:
… I see that you have allowed yourself to be fooled by the trickery of little Ginies. The information I have received about him tells me that he is a real hypocrite, a thief and a liar, not to say more. He does not lack ability, but what is talent worth when virtue is totally absent. We risk too much in trying to bring him to a good behaviour. Can we rely on a villain who uses all his skill to betray those he depends upon. Do not let yourself be taken in.
Letter to Father Ambroise Vincens, Novice Master, 12 August 1847, EO X n 936
REFLECTION
“Little Ginies” must have been pretty bad to merit Eugene’s unusual hard words! Normally he went out of his way to bring smoldering wicks to burn brightly again.
“Seeing reality for what it is, is what we call discernment. The work of discernment is very hard” (Lewis B. Smedes)
The more new missions were opening up, the more Eugene had to look for missionaries to send. Among the many recruits that Fr Leonard had brought in, were some who were already ordained diocesan priests. In order to become Oblates they had to do a full year of canonical novitiate. Eugene wrote to the Cardinal Prefect in Rome to try to get two of these to the missions sooner.
It is a matter of granting to two priest novices of the Congregation, of which our immortal protector, benefactor and father Leo XII made me the Superior, a dispensation of several months of novitiate in order to canonically make religious profession before the year required by the decrees. There is an urgent and legitimate reason for this dispensation.
The “urgent and legitimate reason” shows how quickly the missions were spreading:
The Congregation of Oblates of Mary Immaculate is evangelizing the indigenous people along the banks of the Saint Lawrence, Saint Maurice, Ottawa and Saguenay Rivers; they are also preaching the gospel to those of Abitibi and Temiscaming. They have just penetrated into Oregon, are already on the Red River, and are planning to head toward the Hudson Bay on the Moose River. Your Eminence is quite aware that we need men for all these missions. It is indispensable that I send at least four of them without delay, but two who are most apt for this difficult ministry have not completed their novitiate year; they are however sufficiently tested and full of holy zeal for their sublime vocation. I therefore beg Your Eminence to obtain from the Sovereign Pontiff the dispensation that I am requesting in the enclosed form.
Letter to Cardinal Orioli, Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars in Rome, 30 July 1847, EO XIII n 114
REFLECTION
It is moving to read about the enthusiasm of these pioneer missionaries who left their countries of origin knowing that they would probably never see their families and country again. Like Eugene they were set on fire by the awareness of the transforming power of God’s love and mercy – and they wanted to share this with those who had never known the salvation offered by knowing Jesus Christ.
Today, circumstances have changed, but the fire of Eugene still burns and impels us to be missionaries wherever we find ourselves according to our state of life, lay or religious.
Sometimes the difficulties of the missionaries in foreign countries seemed insurmountable and they lost confidence. Eugene, whose faith and enthusiasm was fuelled by his unshakeable belief in God’s unfailing providence, was aware of their difficulties and often encouraged them.
Much good remains for us to do. Let us be of good heart and undismayed by difficulties. Who is there who has none to overcome? I would wish the weak and timid could hear the words I hear from the lips of bishops and missionaries who pass through my house. It is quite different from what happens to us. But they go forward and God helps them. Let us adopt their attitude. They do not worry about weak beginnings. Things improve with time and experience shows that time does not hold back when one puts one’s confidence in God.
Letter to Fr Eugene Guigues in Canada, 20 July 1847, EO I n 86
REFLECTION
There is much that we can learn from Eugene’s example and intercession: if we are doing God’s will, then we can rely on God’s supportive presence.
“I’ve learned that fear limits you and your vision. It serves as blinders to what may be just a few steps down the road for you. The journey is valuable, but believing in your talents, your abilities, and your self-worth can empower you to walk down an even brighter path. Transforming fear into freedom – how great is that?” Soledad O’Brien
Father Telmon was a gifted person with an amazing missionary zeal and loads of energy – but, was also impetuous and didn’t always think before he spoke. At times this led to people being offended.
Father Telmon must moderate his character. He is forty, has much talent and zeal. Could he possibly spoil so many good qualities by lack of restraint? Let him convince himself once for all that there is no virtue in saying all that one thinks. There are things better left unsaid even though one would believe oneself a hundred times right. There are so many ways of winning people over. One must never fly off the handle. All is over when wounds have been inflicted. I heard that he alienated the Coadjutor Bishop by a letter he wrote to him.
Letter to Fr Eugene Guigues in Canada, 20 July 1847, EO I n 86
REFLECTION
“Great talents are the most lovely and often the most dangerous fruits on the tree of humanity. They hang upon the most slender twigs that are easily snapped off.” Carl Jung
As the Oblate mission was rapidly expanding, so was the need for missionaries. Father Leonard’s recruiting campaign was bringing in new Oblates who were enthusiastic. Eugene was respectful of their wishes as to where to go for ministry: in France or in the foreign missions. He was also confident that they would be generous in responding to whichever were the greatest needs.
Father Leonard’s campaign has procured a considerable number of recruits who ask to be sent to evangelize the indigenous peoples. I have not undertaken never to employ them in other ministries. No doubt what I will take into consideration is mostly their own liking but they will be reasonable when God shows us what we must do for His greater glory.
Letter to Fr Eugene Guigues in Canada, 20 July 1847, EO I n 86
REFLECTION
These words of Ben Carson,”I think one of the keys to leadership is recognizing that everybody has gifts and talents. A good leader will learn how to harness those gifts toward the same goal” certainly apply to Eugene’s leadership style. May generosity to share our talents be a characteristic of our Mazenodian Family.
From the time that the Missionaries became a religious congregation, there have been men who discerned that their vocation was to be religious brothers and not priests. In France, the Oblate brothers generally maintained the infrastructure of the Oblate houses thus enabling the priests to focus on preaching and the sacraments.
This letter to Fr Allard, in Canada, marks an important shift: in the foreign missions the Oblate brothers were to play an important role in the mission itself by having external ministry themselves, especially as teachers.
Would you like us to prepare an able brother for teaching? We have one at the moment who is being instructed by the brothers. He’s intelligent, regular and strong; I’m sending him to you.
Letter to Fr Jean-Francois Allard in Canada, 8 and 9 June, 1847, EO I n 85
REFLECTION
The beauty of the Mazenodian Family is that we have realised that the charism, spirituality and mission of St Eugene can never be completely effective unless we all contribute through our different talents and cooperate as a family.
“I was blessed with certain gifts and talents and God gave them to me to be the best person I can be and to have a positive impact on other people.” Bryan Clay
I would love to spend my life at the foot of the holy tabernacles where our adorable Saviour dwells. It is to go some way towards realizing this desire of my heart that I associate myself with the adoration of all these fervent souls who succeed one another night and day before the throne of the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, our God, our all.
As well as the days I already consecrate to this duty of adoration in the various parishes of my episcopal city… and the time fixed in my rule for my daily adoration…
+ J.C. Eugene, Bishop of Marseilles
Note written on the Register of the Association of the Blessed Sacrament established in the monastery of the Sacramentines of Marseilles, 25 July 1847, EO XV n 190
REFLECTION
Eugene’s devotion to the Eucharistic presence of Jesus formed an important part of his daily schedule and of his whole life. When he became Bishop of Marseilles, he instituted the 40-hour adoration devotion in each parish. He made a point of attending the opening and closing ceremonies in each parish and joining the people in their devotion.
“We can evaluate our Eucharistic adoration when we take care of our neighbour like Jesus does… We find this in the Eucharistic Bread — the attention of Christ to our needs and the invitation to do the same toward those who are beside us. We need to eat and feed others.” Pope Francis
What you tell me of Father Coste gives me great pleasure. Please take good care of this young man who will be one of our resources for missions in the Provençal language.
Father Joseph-Marie Coste, grew up in Marseilles and was thus fluent in the Provencal language – which was the language used by the Oblates in the south of France to preach parish missions.
I insist much that you give him a good education, so that we may get out of the sterile abundance of all these lazy people who find it easier to undermine their reputation and ours than to take the trouble to study.
Letter to Fr Hippolyte Courtès in Aix en Provence, 24 July 1847, EO X n 933
REFLECTION
Eugene could never complain about the missionary zeal of his Oblates – but he worried that this zealous activity got in the way of study and proper preparation of sermon material. Here he expresses his disappointment at their laziness regarding ongoing studies which resulted in poor sermon content and reflected badly on the Oblate family.
The same holds true today for all in the Mazenodian Family. If we do not pray and prepare our activities with reading and reflection, our message suffers and our groups are impoverished in their knowledge of God.
“Solitude is very different from a ‘time-out’ from our busy lives. Solitude is the very ground from which community grows. Whenever we pray alone, study, read, write, or simply spend quiet time away from the places where we interact with each other directly, we are potentially opened for a deeper intimacy with each other.” (Henri Nouwen)
In sending Oblates into a new diocese, Eugene insisted that their spirit and charism be understood and respected.
… May it please God that in the diocese of Nancy, as you lead me to hope for the future, people will be able to understand the excellence of the vocation that dedicates a person to the glory of God, to the service of the Church in its most difficult duties, and to the salvation of the most abandoned souls.
Letter to M. Marguet, Vicar General of Nancy, France, 15 June 1847, EO XIII n 111
REFLECTION
Eugene’s clarity about the excellence of our vocation, and his insistence that it be properly understood, continues to be lived today in the vocation of each of our Mazenodian Family members. Our vocation is the love of God expressed in the Church with a special predilection for the most abandoned.
“Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus.” (Mother Teresa)
