We have been seeing the importance of Henri Tempier for Eugene \u2013 they had been together in the \u201cOblate adventure\u201d from the very beginning. Every major decision had been planned togethr and executed and evaluated together. After three years of living in the same community and working together, a second community house was opened at Notre Dame du Laus. It was essential that this second community live by the same God-given spirit of the Missionaries in Aix. It was to Henri Tempier that this responsibility had been entrusted, because it was of him that Eugene had said:<\/p>\n
\nFirst companion of mine, you have from the first day we came together grasped the spirit which must animate us and which we must communicate to others.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
He had been asked to make the sacrifice of leaving Aix in order to establish the new community in Laus, and to ensure that the two communities remain in to be in communion of spirit and mission. Three years later Tempier asked Eugene to relieve him from the burden of being the superior at Laus and of being so far away. He was finding the responsibility for the shrine and its pastoral ministry, and for the young men in training to become Missionaries, very heavy . Eugene responded:<\/p>\n
\nYou ought to feel yourself that I cannot possibly yield to your wishes. No one has a greater right than you to my confidence…<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Eugene asked him to make this personal sacrifice for the good of the Missionaries.<\/p>\n
\nOne must not forget to note\u2026 the confidence of the Society which has confided to you the superiorship of its second house, the fact of seeing you constantly and of knowing the regularity of your conduct causing a rather striking contrast with that of most of those who exercise the ministry in the rest of the diocese. All these things together make you realize well enough that it is not possible, for the moment, that I recall you definitively to my side…<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Henri Tempier, 15 August 1822, EO VI n 86<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cFor anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice – no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John Burroughs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We have been seeing the importance of Henri Tempier for Eugene \u2013 they had been together in the \u201cOblate adventure\u201d from the very beginning. Every major decision had been planned togethr and executed and evaluated together. After three years of … Continue reading