Missionnaires Oblats d'Aix

The end of the year 2017 is already on the horizon and we come to share with you some recent months’ activities of our community and the Eugene de Mazenod International Centre.

Since Easter, we have had four major sessions: two “De Mazenod Experiences”, one after Easter, in English, and another one in Spanish is currently underway, with Oblates mostly from South America as participants. During the months of July and August, three important groups followed one another: the annual 3-week Scholastics Summer Session, mainly for Scholastics preparing for Final Vows. Then a week with 45 young people who collaborate with Oblates in Youth ministry, from different European countries (GECO). And then a retreat of 20 Italian lay associates, members of the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate (AMMI). The month of August ended with the annual retreat of the general administration (Father General and his 11 councillors and secretary).

Three community members of European origin have managed, with great difficulty, to take a few days off. For the other two (BONGA and ASODO), it will be in December and early next year, respectively.

Fr. BONGA, who finished his training in Lyon in June, left in mid-September for Canada and England to preach retreats. He’s been back, a week ago, and our community is complete again.

Fr. Roberto VILLA, who had come to replace BONGA, returned to his country, Italy, and is now responsible for the community of Vercelli.

In September we welcomed Patrick VEY, a Scholastic from the Central European Province, he is in Aix for his year of Regency.

Without mentioning all the visits, more or less long, numerous and varied. With the month of September, the “ordinary” activities have begun: the reception of 12 students, the groups of young or old who collaborate with us and all the activities related to our chapel.

At the end of November, we will all go away for our annual retreat, a week of Spiritual Exercises at a retreat house not too far from here.

We wish you a good and beautiful end of the year.

Joseph BOIS, OMI

“No news, means good news”! It is often what we say to excuse our silence and sometimes our laziness!

The latest news is from the summer of 2016, a very busy summer as we had announced to you. The last quarter of the year was marked mainly by the two months of a session we call “de Mazenod Experience”. It was destined for French-speaking Oblates. There were 16 participants. The region of Africa was well represented (Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Senegal), but also the American Regions (French Guyana, Haiti, USA, Canada), without forgetting Vietnam and Europe. The two-week retreat took place at Notre-Dame du Laus, a magnificent and important place for the Oblates, as it was the implantation of our second community in 1818 and the opportunity to leave Provence and to open ourselves to the world. The Animators of this Experience were Frs. Jo BOIS (principal animator), ASODO and Roman TYCZYNSKI from oblate mission in Luxembourg.

In September, our General Chapter also took place in Rome, and one of us, Fr. BONGA, participated, not as capitulant, but in the liturgical animation team. He also left for Lyon in January to take a 5-month spiritual training course in the Jesuit center of Chatelard. To replace him, we welcomed an Italian oblate, Fr. Roberto VILLA, who has just spent 4 years in Lourdes and who is with us until June, on the return of Fr. BONGA.

In February 7th, Fr. ASODO learned of the death of his mother who had not been doing well for a few days. He was able to join his family and celebrated Masses with his family and friends. During the month of December, he was on vacation and was able to stay with her for quite long period.

Right after Easter, another de Mazenod Experience will begin, this one for English-speaking Oblates. The principal animator is Fr. ASODO but two others will come to work with him.

We wish you a good journey towards Easter, with a beautiful spring full of flowers and tastyfruit for your body, soul and spirit.

Joseph BOIS, OMI

The new international oblate community of Aix-en-Provence is a dream come true of the 2010 General Chapter! This new community is still less known within the congregation, and the International Eugene de Mazenod Centre Association, briefly referred to as CIEM, even less known. However, these two intimately linked realities have been in existence for some years now. It is with joy that I speak to you today of the Oblate community of Aix. My presentation will have two parts. In the first part, I will briefly present the historical context within which the community has been constituted, and in the second part I will present to you its mission.

Canonically established on the 25^th of January 1816, the Oblates community of Aix is the oldest community within the congregation. Situated within the old Carmelite convent on 60 Cours Mirabeau, this community had St Eugene de Mazenod as its first Superior. This community is in the historical centre of the congregation, and it is today the headquarters of the International Eugene de Mazenod Centre Association.

Here are the most important steps within the foundation of this community:

The new project of the Aix community which was approved by the Provincial of France and the Superior General in council was proposed to the General Chapter of 2010. In order to have this new project realised, the Oblate house of Aix, which was the property of the Oblate Province of France, and known to the French law as de Mazenod Foundation, had to be at the disposition of the General Administration.

In order for this new project to take place, an association in conformity with the French norms had to be created. It is for this reason that in November 2011 International Eugene de Mazenod Centre was created. Fr. Paulo ARCHIATI omi, Vicar General, is the current president of this association.

Immediately after the house had passed from the jurisdiction of the Province of France to the General Administration, the house renovations that were conducted by Bro Benoit DOSQUET omi began. The renovations were supposed to take a period of two years; however, the official inauguration of the renovated buildings only took place on the 28^th of October 2014.

The new community was composed almost at the same period as the beginning of the renovation of the house. The passing through of the Aix community to the jurisdiction of the Superior General dates from the 1^st October 2012.

Today, the new community of Aix-en-Provence consists 5 Oblates coming from 5 different countries: Krzysztof ZIELENDA (superior), Poland; Benoit DOSQUET (bursar), Belgium; Joseph BOIS, France; ASODO ISTOYO, Indonesia, and Bonga MAJOLA, South Africa.

In his brief speech of the 21^st of February 2013 addressed to the new community of Aix on the day of the installation of its superior Saverio ZAMPA , the Superior General said: “I would like that this new community helps each one of you to become a saint… Your communal life must be characterised by a profound communion with Jesus Christ, and consequently a profound communion amongst yourselves. This communion is not something closed or turned within itself. Our communion of life is a means of stability and efficacy for the mission, for the service and the announcing of the Gospel to the poor and the abandoned. I am convinced that if you live the commandment of charity given to us by the Founder, you will be enflamed by the missionary zeal. May all your activities flow from a united community searching always the Will of God today and discerning, reflecting, discussing, drawing its plans and evaluating its practises together. You therefore will be a prophetic call for the Congregation and the society.”

The dream of the 2010 General Chapter is therefore that of an apostolic community in Aix, which lives according to the Oblate Charism, a community rooted solidly within Christ, assiduous to prayer, a community capable of bearing witness to the Gospel in a radiant manner within its environment, and of a community fervent in exercising its mission.

The mission outlines of the Aix community are expressed in the foundation texts. In his speech of the 28^th of June 2013, the General Vicar of the Congregation, defined the mission of the Aix community as follows: “the mission of this community is that of animating the Oblate Charism. All will be done to help this community of Aix fulfil its mission.”

However, the Oblate Charism must not only be taught, it must be lived as well by the community itself. For, the Oblate Charism animation finds its favourable environment when it is accompanied by the missionary exercise within the Church. In speaking of the latter, the Superior General said: “I would like that this community (…) serve as the basis for an effective mission for the animation of the charism, the ministry around the Mission Church, and the discernment of other missionary activities to come.”

The new community of Aix is well equipped by an internal regulation within which an important place is given to spiritual and fraternal life. The spiritual life of the community is marked by the rhythm of daily prayers, monthly days of recollection, and the annual retreat. The community follows a rhythm of two weekly meetings, of which one concerns work, and the other is of fraternal sharing on what was lived by each community member throughout the week.

The primary mission of the new community of Aix is the service of the whole Congregation and to those (lay associates, members of consecrated life Institutes linked to the Oblates and others) who desire to deepen their knowledge of the work and spirituality of St Eugene de Mazenod. This is done through initial and on-going formation meetings, retreats, sessions, expositions, conferences and other means.

The Aix house as the cradle of the congregation filled with history is the most suitable place for the animation of Oblate Charism. For Oblates, this house plays the same role that the “Holy Land” plays for all Christians; a place of pilgrimage to the source. Within a place such as this one, each item tells our foundational aspect: foundation room, Church of the Mission, First Vows chapel, Founders’ room, etc.

The priority in the Oblate Charism animation is without doubt the De Mazenod Experience which is a time of spiritual renewal lived in Aix.

The recipients of this program are the Oblates of the whole congregation having at least 10 years of perpetual vows. To this day, 40 De Mazenod Experiences were held in Aix. There are nearly 550 Oblates who have participated in this program. Currently taking place in Aix is a De Mazenod Experience in French, 16 Oblates are participating in this session.

In March 2015, the De Mazenod Experience program was redesigned in the light of the call to conversion of the last General Chapter.

Here are some elements of the new programme:

Progressive integration into the group, sharing, community prayer experience, pilgrimage on the footprints of St Eugene de Mazenod.

History of the Congregation and of the first Oblate community.

Oblate Charism.

Three steps allowing each participant to evaluate his life in view of personal and communal conversion.

15 days retreat according to the exercises of St Ignatius de Loyola.

Actual missionary vision of the Congregation, with a member of the General administration. Foundational Question: What are the challenges within my mission which makes of the mission of the Congregation?

The experience is concluded with the renewal of vows and missionary send-off

The dates for the next De Mazenod Experience are the following:

18 April – 16 June 2017 in English

5 September – 3 November 2017 in Spanish

Apart from the De Mazenod Experience, other forms of spiritual renewal programs are proposed by the General Administration or by the Aix community itself.

For example, in the course of 2016, the following Oblate Charism activities took place in Aix: a session for the Oblate students of Rome, for the Oblates of the Mediterranean province, for the Oblates of Byelorussia, etc. We have also welcomed the Permanent Committee of Brothers, the General Committee of the Oblates engaged in Higher Learning, the Congress on the Oblate Youth Ministry, Congress on Oblate Vocation, the council of the Assumption Province, Scandinavian Oblates, scholastics from Europe for a summer session, the novices of France, the inter-chapter of the COMI, etc. In going over this calendar, we can quickly make calculations and note that up to the present, in the course of this year, there has been close to 185 days of animation within the house in Aix in which, directly or indirectly, the whole community participated, and 2016 is not yet over!

To this we can add visits having different durations varying from a single to several days, such as, for example, the Oblate Lay Associates from Canada, from the United States of America, from Belgium, from Japan, from Germany, etc.

In the course of the bicentenary year, we organised the celebrations on the 24^th and the 25^th of January, the expositions on the history of the Oblates, and a series of conferences on the life and missionary works of some great Oblate figures of our foundation.

During this year some animation activities that were asked outside of Aix also added themselves: participation and animation at the Anglo-Ireland provincial assembly, and a retreat given to the Oblates of the Province of France, and another one to the Oblates of the Mediterranean Province.

In a permanent manner, from a year to another, the community also exercises pastoral work in the Church of the Mission. This pastoral work consists, above all, the Eucharistic celebrations, welcoming for prayer and the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation. It is worth noting here that from the time of the Founder, the Oblates gave a great importance to this ministry.

The community of Aix exercises, equally, ministry to the Mazenodian Family which is made up of all those who, in one way or the other, are in contact with the Oblates i.e. friends, associates, volunteers, benefactors, etc. This ministry, set apart the meetings of all the members of the Family, consist of small groups of Christian formation and spiritual accompaniments.

The community of Aix, faithful to the Oblate Charism, exercises a youth mission. The most important component of this mission is the accompaniment of the “Frat Oser”, a group of students living in our house, and of Mazenodians, a group made of students and young professionals who are attracted by and wish to live the Oblates’ missionary spirituality and participate in our community mission. On Sunday the 4^th of September, two members of the “Les Mazenodians” made their commitment in the Church of the Mission, this commitment consist in living for a year according to the spirituality of Saint Eugene de Mazenod in order to deepen their faith through prayer and service to the poor and their relationship with Jesus Christ. The third component of the mission with the youth consists of the community’s engagement in pastoral work exercised at Saint Mary’s high School.

In addition to these missionary activities of the Aix community, there is chaplaincy at Montperrin, the oldest psychiatric hospital of Aix served, it seems, by the first community Oblates of this town, and the activities led by a group known as Veilleurs de fraternité which are organised in favour of the poor. These two activities have a proper Oblate Charism element in them.

Musical concerts and some art expositions organised in the Mission Church or in the house cloister equally occupy an important and vital place in our mission. A glance towards the ad gentes mission exercised within the modern times areopagus.

The mission scope in Aix within the spirit of the Oblate Charism could still be even more extensive. The expectations from the local Church and the missionary challenges still to be discerned by the community are still many.

Is the new community of Aix-en-Provence a place of resourcing for the Oblate Charism? In the realisation of the project called International Eugene de Mazenod Centre, nothing was neglected by the General Administration, they have given everything towards the success of this project! We owe them all our gratitude! We deeply thank the General administration! For. their administrative tactics, the directives, elaborated during numerous long meetings, whose implementation has taken even longer and has involved a significant number of people because of the magnitude and specificity of this project. For it is all about a community that lives and exercises its mission within the Oblate Charism while doing its best by its life-witness, which is the most important means of transmitting the Oblate Charism. This is lived within the historical framework which is offered by the cradle of the Congregation, the “Holy Land” of the Oblates. Thus, the Oblate house of Aix is not simply a place built for sessions or spiritual retreats, but a place where Oblates who are ready to share their oblate life experience live and work.

The new community of Aix is like a well loaded boat which navigates to the wide. It is probably not going to discover a new world, the latter is already discovered! It will simply accomplish its mission by allowing itself to be led by the Holy Spirit where it would want to bring it.

Krzysztof ZIELENDA, OMI

Six months have passed since we celebrated, on 24 and 25 January, the bicentenary of the Foundation of the Missionaries of Provence which will become, 10 years later, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

We have not seen time elapse, because since the beginning of this year, many Oblates and lay people from around the world have been coming in numbers to make a pilgrimage to the place of our Foundation that we gladly call “our holy land”. Sometimes, we had to seek housing outside, our House being too small to accommodate everyone.

There were two congresses organized by the General Administration: one on Mission with youth and the second, which has just ended, on Oblate vocations.

The end of the year will be no less busy with groups from Italy, Germany, a session of three weeks for the Scholastics from Europe and, from September to November, a long session that we call “De Mazenod Experience” with 16 francophone participants.

We can only rejoice at all these activities, the House and the community being made exceptionally for them. Above all, our greatest joy is in meeting our Oblate brothers from all continents, to see lay people, young and old, engaged with us in the same spirituality and the same mission, to share with each other our hopes and the Kingdom of God which comes through, sometimes, many trials and suffering.

Best summer wishes to you all!

Joseph BOIS, OMI

We have just concluded the De Mazenod Experience in Polish. It ran from 1 September to 6 October. It was indeed a powerful experience for the 13 participants and the three animators. They were all of Polish origin but working in several countries of the world i.e. Poland, obviously, but also from the USA, Sweden, Belarus, Madagascar, Ukraine and Canada.

The summer months have been quite busy: in July, we had a three weeks session for Scholastics preparing themselves for Final Vows in the Congregation, they were from Europe and outside Europe. The session focused on St. Eugene and his first companions, the Oblate Charism, pilgrimages and visits to different and symbolic places of our foundation.

In August, we welcomed a group of lay people from Palermo, then a group of young people from Oblate parishes in Canada, they were immediately followed by a group of about 40 young people from Europe.

We finally began a rather calm period, but, which will still be busy, especially with the preparation of the celebrations of the bicentenary of our Foundation, January 24 and 25 2016.

Fathers ASODO and BONGA will take advantage of this relatively calm period, they will take a legitimate and beneficial holiday in their respective countries (Indonesia and South Africa).

Our community of five members has just been enriched, but for a few months only, with the arrival of a 6th Member, Father Mario Brandi, Italian Oblate, who spent many years in Cameroon in various ministries and who has just finished his six years as Superior of the International Scholasticate in Rome; he comes among us to relax, to revitalise and to renew himself but also to give us a hand which will certainly be very appreciated.

Joseph BOIS, OMI

Currently, the Oblate community in Aix is composed of five Oblates from five different countries: Belgium, the United States, Indonesia, France and Poland. They are permanent members of the Association of the Eugene de Mazenod International Centre (EMIC), a group which was founded in November of 2011, which has as its goal the dissemination of St. Eugene’s works, writings and thoughts, while animating and taking care of the historical space in which this religious family was born. In addition, the group is responsible for pastoral ministry in the Church of the Mission, and in the near future, may assist with youth ministry in the diocese.

The renovation was guided by Mr. Éric FERMENT, who was assisted by Br. Benoît DOSQUET, the treasurer of the community, and Fr. Marc DESSUREAULT, treasurer general.