For a long time the system of minor seminaries was customary in the Church: schools run by a diocese or religious congregation for youngsters considering a priestly or religious vocation. The Oblates had just started their first one at the Shrine of Notre Dame de Lumières.
… The establishment that has been formed at Lumières has no other goal than to prepare young people to enter novitiate for diocesan or foreign missions. I would never tolerate that this establishment be in the least deflected from this purpose, for any reason whatsoever. Their occupations have only clerical instruction as their goal. They will all wear the soutane at all times. Previously, five of their fellow students were sent to the novitiate; several of those now at Lumières are about to be sent to the same place.
As soon as we notice that there is someone who is not fit for the vocation for which he presented himself, we hasten to send him away. We are all that much more strict in this regard for it is extremely important that the house avoid entirely the spirit and character of a boarding school; and, what is more, all those young men supported there for a special vocation do not even pay their board and lodging expenses.
We have definitely a different idea than simply to give a free education to children called to some worldly profession. The latter is a kind of good that we cannot and do not want to do, not any more than we want to form clerics for parish work.
Letter to the Rector of the Academy at Nimes, 3 November 1843, EO XIII n 101
Eugene stresses that our formation houses intend to form missionary religious brothers and priests whose main occupation is not mainly to be clerics for parish work, but missionaries in whatever situation they find themselves. The same principle holds for the laity of our Mazenodian Family: each person has the vocation to be a missionary cooperator rather than just “Father’s helper.”
This extract from Eugene’s Diary gives an insight into his care for the members of his Oblate family, and for his concern for those who misbehaved. Father Reinaud had become an Oblate in 1830 and for the following 13 years had been a successful seminary professor in Corsica and Marseilles. He was also very ambitious, hoping to be made a bishop, and had engaged in serious deceitful behaviour at times to achieve his own ends. Eugene noted in his diary:
I did not reply to him at all, because in doing so, I ought to have previously provoked his expulsion from the congregation, which he dishonored by the principles which he professed, by his remarks and by his conduct. If there are some setbacks in the calculations of his ambition, it is a just punishment by God. He was mistaken, if he believed that we were duped by his duplicity. Alas, we knew all his intrigues, and, if I agreed to his departure, this was only in order to avoid an inevitable scandal which would not have delayed in happening if by any chance I should have hesitated in taking this course of action. Did not the madman say that he had been called to destinies other than the tight circle wherein he was enclosed?
He had previously asked for some time away from the Congregation, which Eugene had agreed to in the hope of his changing. His mother had incurred debts and the Oblates had provided her with a livelihood.
It would have pleased God if justice had been done to this malicious subject during this period! We would have spared ourselves some grief. But compassion always predominated in my resolutions, and I continued to shower him with acts of generosity to the point of annually giving him a very considerable sum so as to support his mother too given over to vice and to furnish her with everything she needs. I am not speaking about the expenses of journeying to Lyon and elsewhere, in a word, of everything that could be done for the subject, the most precious and the most worthy of a congregation which his malicious heart made him detest, as he proved on a hundred occasions… It is with sorrow that I write all this.
Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 23 October 1843, EO XXI
He was finally to be expelled from the Congregation the following year and he became a diocesan priest and worked in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) where, again, he set in motion events involving the Oblates to enable him to become a bishop. He failed again!
I reflected on this extract because of the words ” compassion always predominated in my resolutions, and I continued to shower him with acts of generosity.” No matter what mistakes Oblates made, Eugene always tried the way of compassion in order to help them to amend their ways. If this did not work, then he had no choice but to turn to the most severe course of action: expulsion.
The Missionary Oblates were founded to evangelize among the most abandoned – usually in rural areas. This is how they began in Canada. Eugene realized, however, that it would be essential to have a community as a base in the two large cities: Montreal and Quebec. These establishments would provide a means to finance the work among those in the poor rural areas.
I would insist that we establish ourselves at Quebec and Montreal…
With the trend of all the Congregations, old and new, to establish themselves everywhere, it is impossible that an important prospect will go begging. You say to me: that is not where the most abandoned souls are. True, but in establishing yourselves there, you provide yourselves with the means to come to the aid of those most abandoned souls, without taking into account that you will also do much good to many of those who, while not abandoned, are nonetheless in need.
Letter to Fr Jean Baptiste Honorat, 7 October 1843, EO I n 27
A reminder that the “most abandoned” are not always necessarily the materially poor – they are all those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Eugene’s advice to the Oblates in Canada to focus on doing what is right rather than trying to please the opinion of others.
Furthermore I would wish that all of you, each as much as the others, focus yourselves more on your interior relations. What a mania you all have to speak of your business to everybody! Be polite but extremely reserved. Go about your business without troubling what all and sundry think of it. You often report to me the opinion of such and such a priest. What does it matter to me what they think? Where would we end if we were ever consulting the petty views of a flock of people? What concern is it of theirs? Is it not amusing to see them worrying about the opportuneness of the voyage of the particular Father whom you have sent to the General Chapter? In one of your letters, you told me you had to explain why, how, etc. What good is it to be so obliging? Once again, let us go about our business as we please: honni soit qui mal y pense. [ed: “shame on the one who thinks evil of it”]
Letter to Fr Jean Baptiste Honorat, 7 October 1843, EO I n 27
Continuing from the previous entry, we find Eugene correcting Father Honorat for having shared on the weakness of some of his community members with the diocesan bishop.
It is the duty of the superior to uphold the worth of his members, as it is the duty of the members to uphold the worth of the superior. This concerted charity profits the entire body and facilitates the good that it is called upon to do. So put aside such worry and know how to make the best of all that is given you, always allowing for what is human without being surprised or upset.
Letter to Fr Jean Baptiste Honorat, 7 October 1843, EO I n 27
I learnt the power of these words from former Superior General, Father Marcello Zago, a successor of St Eugene. He had appointed me to a position of responsibility and during this ministry I had made a short-sighted decision on a course of action that involved others and could not be changed for a year. He called me in and made me aware in no uncertain terms of the shortcomings of the decision. After dressing me down, he added: ” You know that I do not agree with you, but outside I will support your decision and defend it.” The following academic year I was able to correct the policy. I have never forgotten that lesson on how an authority figure relates with, corrects but supports his co-workers.
Father Honorat, the superior of the Missionaries in Canada, had confided the difficulties within his community to the Bishop of Montreal. Eugene found out about it and was not happy.
I fear that in your intimate interviews with the Bishop, you may have spoken too openly about the one amongst your brothers of whom you should be most considerate and you may thus have to blame yourself for having transferred to the mind of the Bishop the prejudices which dominate you at the moment. This would be extremely annoying because prejudices disappear between brothers but they remain for ever in the mind of a stranger.
What good is that to anyone? You may well have had momentary relief by confiding in this way but the wrong that is done to an individual and which has repercussions on the family is irreparable.
Letter to Fr Jean Baptiste Honorat, 7 October 1843, EO I n 27
A pointed reminder to us today too.
The scholastics were always referred to as “the Oblates” since 1816, even before the whole Congregation received this name ten years later. In their studies and formation for the priesthood they had been moved around to various places in the 27 years of our existence: Aix en Provence, Laus, Marseilles, and then for a year to Notre Dame de L’Osier. Now the time had come to give them a more permanent home in Marseilles. Eugene noted this in his dairy.
Letter to Fr. Guigues to summon all the Oblates to Marseille so that they may do all their theological and philosophical studies there.
Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 1 October 1843, EO XXI
Father Guigues and the local community were upset at this decision because these young scholastics brought life and vitality to the Marian Shrine. It would remain as the novitiate.
Have a little more confidence in the Lord, my dear Father. When the Oblates shall have gone from L’Osier, new novices will be coming to replace them. You realize that it was only circumstantial that they remained at L’Osier last year; that situation could not have been a permanent one. Without any regret I call both the philosophers and the theologians to come here…
All of our Oblates will come to study both their philosophy and their theology at my seminary here in Marseilles. Everything is ready to take them in, let them come as soon as possible.
Letter to Fr. Bruno Guigues, 2 October 1843, EO X n 816
Father Henri Tempier would be their formation director. With his scholastics in his city, Eugene was able to have regular contact with them and share the spirit of his charism and his missionary zeal with them. He continues to do this today for the members of the Mazenodian family as we study his life and writings and imbibe his spirit.
Leonard Baveux was a 47 year-old Sulpician priest ordained in 1828. His meeting with the Oblates in Montreal led him to discover that he was called to missionary life and he joined them. On August 2 he had made his lifetime commitment through his perpetual oblation, and he had written to Eugene about it. Eugene noted this in his Diary:
Letter from Father Léonard the day following his profession. He proclaims, with the most touching expression, the happiness which he experienced. The bishop of Montreal addressed a very paternal discourse to him; the bishop of Kingston was also present at this wonderful ceremony. The chapel was filled with friends and parish priests. A Jesuit Father was also present. The tears of our Father Léonard made them flow from the eyes of all those present.
Eugene de Mazenod’s Diary, 19 September 1843, EO XXI
Then, in a letter to the Bishop of Montreal, Eugene referred to the Bishop’s role in the oblation ceremony.
I have just received a letter from the good Father Leonard. He wrote it to me the day after his profession. Oh, what a consolation it gave me to hear about everything that happened on that beautiful morning. It seems that the Holy Spirit poured the anointing of his generous gifts on the new Oblate. I can judge it from the letter of this fervent religious.
But, Bishop, after having testified my gratitude to the Lord, I cannot stop from expressing to you how touched I am by your fatherly concern for my dear children who are certainly yours. The words you address to them in these circumstances, proving to them how good you are to them, do them incalculable good. How happy they are to have a father like you! I am therefore not worried about them being so far away from me. It is just as if I were with them.
Letter to Bishop Bourget of Montreal, 1 October 1843, EO I n 26
Separated by the Atlantic Ocean from his Missionaries in Canada, Eugene was constantly united to them in thought and in oraison prayer. Father Dandurand had sent him a sketch of the house where the Oblate community was established.
I thank you, my dear Father Dandurand, for the sketch that you have sent. It gives me an adequate idea of the place inhabited by so dear a portion of my family. It fills this gap of time while I wait for you to prepare a picture done with care that I can have framed and hung in my study. You cannot believe how much pleasure I derive from anything that reminds me of the children that God has given me.
The Founder’s love for his children was much more than a human emotion. He loved his oblates because they were living by the charism that God had given the Congregation. He rejoiced because of the way in which they loved Jesus the Savior and made an oblation of theor lives to bring the most abandoned to the same love. He now reminded them of the conditions necessary to maintain this relationship.
Let all be intent on making our community very fervent. Fidelity to the Rules, exact discipline, charity, mutual support, goodwill in doing promptly and willingly all that obedience demands, these are the virtues to practice which makes religion a true paradise on earth. I know that you understood this from the moment you entered the Society and I rejoice about this in the Lord while blessing you with all my heart.
Letter to Father Damase Dandurand, 11 August 1843, EO I n 23
Today, through the communion of saints, Eugene continues to pray for “his children” – all the members in all the categories of his Mazenodian family who continue to love Jesus our Savior and to make him known to those who need him most.
