There has been a pause in our daily reflections because I was on retreat at our Oblate house in Tower Hill, London. Eugene had visited this city twice as Leflon describes:<\/p>\n
\nMoreover, in England, the dazzling facade of bustling activity, progress, and wealth had not blinded him to the widespread poverty there. In fact, through Father Aubert, who served as his guide there, we know that, after visiting the historical places in the British capital, the Bishop insisted on venturing into the dark and filthy alleys between the Tower of London and the docks where the spiritually and materially destitute Irish were crowded in among a wretched and degraded population. “That,”<\/strong> he declared, “is where an Oblate house should be established.”<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Leflon 4, Chapter 5<\/em><\/p>\n
Eugene\u2019s wish was fulfilled after his death with the establishment of the Church of the English Martyrs, commemorating those Christians who were imprisoned and put to death just a few meters away.<\/p>\n
Today, the district has become the business area of the City of London, and wears \u201cthe dazzling facade of bustling activity, progress, and wealth.\u201d The Oblates continue to minister there. In recent weeks the house has been converted into a Centre of Spirituality with many plans to continue the outreach projected by St Eugene to those who experience being abandoned despite the glitter of the magnificent modern buildings of the City.<\/p>\n
Eugene\u2019s words, “That is where an Oblate house should be established,” continue to echo throughout the world of the Mazenodian Family:<\/p>\n
Wherever we work, our mission is especially to those people whose condition cries out for salvation and for the hope which only Jesus Christ can fully bring. These are the poor with their many faces; we give them our preference.<\/em><\/p>\n
CC&RR, Constitution 5<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There has been a pause in our daily reflections because I was on retreat at our Oblate house in Tower Hill, London. Eugene had visited this city twice as Leflon describes: Moreover, in England, the dazzling facade of bustling activity, … Continue reading