In sending the first Missionaries to Notre Dame du Laus, Eugene wanted to make sure that there be no confusion as to the identity of this group. It was important that the diocesan authorities of Digne understood clearly that they were not receiving a group of men who were diocesan priests, but a group of religious with a definite spirit and outlook. Eugene thus sent this description to the Vicar General to ensure the necessary clarity on the vocation of the Missionary:<\/p>\n
\nWe need men who are detached, zealous for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, in a word, intent on following and practising the evangelical counsels. Without this, little or no good can be expected of them.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
They were not going to Laus just to ensure the day-to-day running of a church, but they went to make of this a center of permanent mission. The pilgrims who came would undergo a concentrated experience of what usually happened on the longer parish missions. Whatever were the goals of the parish missions the same had to be applied in Laus on an ongoing basis.<\/p>\n
In the winter months, when there were no pilgrims, the Missionaries would go out to preach intense parish missions in the surrounding villages. They were never to forget that their identity was MISSIONARY:<\/p>\n
\nThe missions are the apostolic work par excellence.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to M. Arbaud, Vicar General of Digne, January 1819, O.W. XIII n.22<\/em><\/p>\n
Today we must never forget this important principle: the ministry of the Mazenodian family is not one of maintenance, but of being missionary. While being at the service all, our major focus is not towards the \u201calready-saved\u201d, but of reaching out to those who have not been touched by the Kingdom of God. They were, and will always be, the \u201cmost abandoned\u201d for Eugene.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A church of dialogue in the contemporary world… a church, taking on the mission of Jesus, which is in the world not to judge humanity, but to love it and to save it.\u00a0 <\/em>Cardinal Claudio Hummes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In sending the first Missionaries to Notre Dame du Laus, Eugene wanted to make sure that there be no confusion as to the identity of this group. It was important that the diocesan authorities of Digne understood clearly that they … Continue reading