Six years after the establishment of the Oblate community in Marseille in 1821, the community at the Calvaire was a growing mission center. From this center of religious missionary life, the Oblates did pastoral work throughout the city, and went into the countryside to preach parish missions. The novices had moved from Aix the year before to be part of the wider community, and in January 1827, five scholastics, preparing for priestly ordination, had come to Marseille as well. It is about these students that Eugene writes<\/p>\n
\n… I assure you they are working, but they do so willingly and with much success.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
At this\u00a0stage there were twelve priests, five scholastics and eleven novices in the house. Seeing how each Oblate fulfilled his specific role in the community, Eugene exclaims:<\/p>\n
\n\u00a0It is thus that the whole Society fulfils her task for the greater glory of God.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Letter to Jean Baptiste Honorat, 24 January 1827, EO VII n 260<\/em><\/p>\n
This ideal of Eugene is the inspiration behind the current initiative of the USA Oblates in establishing various mission centers here:<\/p>\n
\u201cA Mission Center<\/em> is defined as \u201can apostolic community of approximately 4 \u2013 8 Oblates responsible for a particular institution (parish, Shrine, retreat center, etc.) which also, through community discernment and consensus, goes beyond the institution by serving in a variety of other ministries (for example: campus, prison, youth, homeless, immigrant groups, itinerant mission preaching, education, community organizing, JPIC, vocation , collaboration and networking with other organizations, chaplaincies, etc.).\u201d This idea will continue to evolve and the importance of authentic community life in the actual living out of this concept cannot be emphasized enough.\u201d (Renewing the Province Mission \u2013 USA OMI)<\/p>\n
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\u201cLet us all remember this: one cannot proclaim the Gospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’s life.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Pope Francis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Six years after the establishment of the Oblate community in Marseille in 1821, the community at the Calvaire was a growing mission center. From this center of religious missionary life, the Oblates did pastoral work throughout the city, and went … Continue reading