The demanding nine week-long mission to the city of Marseille ended on 27 February 1820 and two weeks later we find the Missionaries fully immersed in the mission to their own city of Aix en Provence that lasted five weeks from March 12 to April 24. These men certainly had endurance!<\/p>\n
Seven Missionaries of France and Eugene and four of his Missionaries of Provence participated in this mission. As usual Eugene\u2019s group preached in Proven\u00e7al and in the poorer areas of the city: the Cathedral and St Jean Baptiste. The Missionaries of France preached in French in the other four city parishes. Our Church of the Mission, not being a parish, was initially shared by the superiors of both groups, but eventually it fell on us to continue the activities there. It was the hub from which the spiritual energy of Eugene\u2019s Missionaries radiated.<\/p>\n
Eugene\u2019s Youth Congregation formed part of this hub and we find them participating fully with the Missionaries in all the activities aimed at the spiritual renewal of this city. In the Diary Eugene recorded:<\/p>\n
\nProcession to open the mission in which the Congregation took part as a body and also in that for the Planting of the Cross. The congregants shared along with the law students in carrying the cross from the place des Carm\u00e9lites to the middle of the Cours. The Congregation took part again as a body in the Blessed Sacrament procession that brought to an end the special exercises of the Proven\u00e7al mission which went on some days longer after the planting of the cross and the end of the French mission.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Diary of the Youth Congregation, April 1820, O.W. XVI<\/em><\/p>\n
“Sometimes I think of life as a big wagon wheel with many spokes. In the middle is the hub. Often in ministry, it looks like we are running around the rim trying to reach everybody. But God says, “Start in the hub; live in the hub. Then you will be connected with all the spokes, and you won’t have to run so fast.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>Henri J. M. Nouwen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The demanding nine week-long mission to the city of Marseille ended on 27 February 1820 and two weeks later we find the Missionaries fully immersed in the mission to their own city of Aix en Provence that lasted five weeks … Continue reading