Twelve years after the founding of the Oblates, this letter from Eugene to his sister touches on all the major areas of his everyday life in Marseille.<\/p>\n
As a son and brother<\/strong> he writes to his family to invite them to attend the consecration of the new church. Throughout his life he maintained close contact with his mother and his sister and her family \u2013 as they did with him, and with the Oblates in Aix, whose community was around the corner from the family residence. The family participated in the major events of the Oblates and of the diocese of Marseille.<\/p>\n As superior of the Oblates,<\/strong> we see him sharing his joy at the first ever church built by the Oblates. He would like his religious family to be present for this milestone. He also refers to the slow, but steady, growth of his Oblate family: two 23 year-old Oblates were to be ordained to the priesthood. (Each was destined to play an important role in our mission in later years. Bruno Guigues as the founder of the church in Bytown and first bishop of the city that would become Ottawa. Jean L\u2019Hermitte, who had lived with the Oblates in Aix while studying law, discerned a call to join them, and was destined to become an outstanding preacher in later years.<\/p>\n As Vicar General of Marseille<\/strong>, he had played a major role in the establishment of the Calvaire as an important center of pilgrimage \u2013 and the new church would now accommodate the pilgrims in a more fitting manner. In the diocese he also refers to his responsibilities to the diocesan priesthood in having some of the seminarians ordained to minor orders.<\/p>\n As priest and missionary<\/strong>, we see him participating in the ministry of the Oblate community of the Calvaire (of which he was a part). He had already spent six hours in the morning hearing confessions, and was about to begin the second session for the day as it was the Vigil of Pentecost<\/p>\n Letter to Eugenie de Boisgelin, 24 May 1828, EO XIII n 67<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Stephen Covey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Twelve years after the founding of the Oblates, this letter from Eugene to his sister touches on all the major areas of his everyday life in Marseille. As a son and brother he writes to his family to invite them … Continue reading \n
My dear sister, I had written you a long letter which I leave on my desk in order to write you another that is shorter. It is to invite you to come with mother, if she is back from her trip, the day after tomorrow to attend the consecration of our church. The consecration will take place on Tuesday after Pentecost at 7 o\u2019clock in the morning; but you must be here the evening before, because the ceremony starts with first vespers. The occasion is unique because of the tribunes which allow one to see what is going on in the church, where no one is admitted during the consecration.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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I have sent word to Father Court\u00e8s to come if he can and it is convenient; tell him again on my behalf. He can stay here till the ordination on Saturday during which our two brothers Guigues and L\u2019Hermite will be made priests. Tell him not to forget to ask for dimissorial letters for the minor orders for our brother Cailas whom I wish to ordain with several others at this ordination.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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I don\u2019t have time to say more. I must go to hear confessions for my second session on Saturday; the one this morning was only six good hours. Farewell. I greet the whole family.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n