Eugene continues his petition to the Pope by explaining the origins of the Oblates to him. The success of the ministry that they were doing with the abandoned people in Aix en Provence aroused the interest of the bishops of the surrounding areas. In order to respond to these requests it was necessary for the Oblates to assure unity of spirit and action through a statement of their ideals, gathered together in the form of rules to assure their success. It was this collection of Constitutions and Rules that was now being presented to the Pope for the Church\u2019s recognition and approval.<\/p>\n
\nThe extraordinary blessings that God has showered on the efforts of their zeal sparked the desire in the Bishops of the neighbouring areas to obtain the same benefits for their flocks. They repeatedly requested Father de Mazenod to have him and his companions evangelize the people of their dioceses. Father de Mazenod considered himself fortunate to be able to support the pastoral concern of these esteemed Bishops, and was delighted to be able to deepen the knowledge of Jesus Christ in this way and to assure the return of a greater number of lost sheep to good values. Now the Missionaries thought quite rightly that, since they were to expand into various dioceses, it was necessary to set common rules which would be like the bond of their new-born Society.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Petition for approbation to Pope Leo XII, 8 December 1825, EO XIII n.48<\/em><\/p>\n
How vast the field that lies before them! How worthy and holy the undertaking! The people are caught up in crass ignorance of all that pertains to their salvation. The consequence of their ignorance has been a weakening of the faith and a corruption of morals with all the licence which that inevitably entails. Thus, it is supremely important, it is urgently imperative, that we lead the multitude of lost sheep back to the fold, that we teach these degenerate Christians who Jesus Christ is, that we rescue them from Satan’s power and show them the way to eternal life. We must spare no effort to extend the Saviour’s empire and to destroy the dominion of hell.<\/em><\/p>\n
Preface of the CC&RR<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Joel Osteen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eugene continues his petition to the Pope by explaining the origins of the Oblates to him. The success of the ministry that they were doing with the abandoned people in Aix en Provence aroused the interest of the bishops of … Continue reading