Missionnaires Oblats d'Aix

It was a week full of graces. We discovered our Patron, places where he lived and his spirituality. We also discovered the beauty of Provence – said Wiola member of a Polish association whose Patron Saint is the Founder of the Missionary Oblates.

The Association Saint Eugene de Mazenod was created in Gorzόw Wielkopolski in St. Joseph Parish served by the Oblates since 1945. This association aims to undertake initiatives for the poor among children, youth or the elderly. This being inspired by the example of life and the work of St. Eugene de Mazenod.

The program of the pilgrimage to Aix-en-Provence were retreat, pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Eugene in the cathedral of Marseille and dicovering Provence: crests of Cassis, la Ciotat, Roussillon,Notre Dame de Lumières, Luberon, etc.

The group of 18 members of the Association was accompanied by Father Piotre DARASZ, their parish priest.

Krzysztof ZIELENDA, OMI

From 6 to 24 August, 23 young Oblates from four formation houses and 12 different nations came to Aix-en-Provence to re-live the experience of our Saint Eugene de Mazenod, Founder of the Oblates.

Arrived at the place at 8:00 pm the first impressions of the court Mirabeau, shows that the experience we are going to make is promising. In an intercultural atmosphere, we are called from the first day to discover our encounter with Christ through the life story of our Founder and also to identify the difficulties facing our religious family. Everything continues with a direct contact with our history through pilgrimages in the footsteps of St. Eugene and also the sharing of our vocational experiences for further understanding and relationship between us. Then, the planned summer festival organized by young lay people associated with the Oblates added a personal touch to our experience; festival that allowed us to meet these young people, to live with them while testifying our oblation and sharing our experiences. As a result, this festival was an application of everything we learned during the first days. This allowed us to live the ideal of the founder who gave body and soul to young people. The conviviality, the mutual help, the sense of the service and the charity were indeed an encounter. There were no longer language or cultural barriers we were one heart and one soul. As a result, our multicultural has quickly become intercultural. All this has once again aroused our desire to commit ourselves to living the Oblate vocation as a call to apostolic and missionary life.

Since it is said that every being is an absolute, that no experience is transmissible and that the world is to be constantly recreated, come and experience the secret of Oblate life yourself. The doors of the house of Aix are wide open to welcome you. So come and you will see!

Leon ALDAYIR, OMI

Novice Master is an educator of candidates for religious life. He helps the candidates to discern more clearly the call of the Lord in order to respond his call better. During the year of Oblate vocations, the novice masters of the Congregation of Missionary Oblates, from 16 different countries, met in Aix-en-Provence.

“Being novice master is a true missionary commitment. This ministry allows me to live fully the Oblate Charism and to collaborate with Christ who has trained men to missionary life “- said one of the participants of the session.

“We live this mission in the apostolic community by following the example of Jesus and the Apostles” – says another Novice Master.

These are some topics of the session, such as (1) to understand better the missionary identity of the Oblates; (2) to know how to initiate young people to prayer and religious life according to Oblate spirituality; (3) to live together in the context of interculturality; (4) to deal with the fragility of candidates, and some other issues came up during the session.

The session is directed by Fr. Cornelius NGOKA, the General Assistant for Oblate formation. There areas well two major interventions are made by Fr. Frank SANTUCCI, omi and Fr. Thierry ANNE, sj.

Krzysztof ZIELENDA, OMI

The joy and generosity of Oblate life – this is the theme for the Year of Oblate Vocations which began on December 8, 2017. “I would like to invite you,” says the Superior General of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, “to consider that the testimony of joy and generosity of our lives can awaken a vocational interest among young people.”

The opening of the Year of Oblate Vocations

Oblate units around the world have taken various initiatives for this year of oblate vocations.

As for the community of Aix-en-Provence, this year was inaugurated on December 9th during an evening of prayer and sharing organized by the Mazenodian family. During this evening, Fr. ASODO presented statistics on Oblates formation and Patrick VEY, a young Oblate Scholastic from Germany, currently doing his regency in Aix, gave a testimony by presenting the different stages of his formation, his studies, his various experiences of community and apostolic life.

During this year devoted to oblate vocations, the community of Aix invites us to pray before the Blessed Sacrament every first Thursday of the month, from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm, in the Oblate Chapel. The community also proposes to recite and meditate the rosary every fourth day of the month, in front of the tomb of Saint Eugene de Mazenod at the cathedral of Marseille at 3 pm. The rosary could also be recited at any other personally chosen moment of the same day!

Krzysztof ZIELENDA, OMI

The Eugene de Mazenod International Centre has joined forces with those who fight poverty, ensuring that the dignity and rights of every human person are respected. “We will always be close to the people with whom we work, taking into account their values and aspirations.” (Constitution no.8 of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.)

In line with our Constitutions and Rules, and following the 2016 General Chapter which invited us to review our mission by giving priority to the new faces of the poor, the Eugene de Mazenod International Centre joined the 30th day for the refusal of misery initiated by ATD Fourth World. Since 1992, the plea launched by Father Wresinski, founder of ATD Fourth World: “Where men are condemned to live in misery, human rights are violated. To unite so ensure that human rights are respected is a sacred duty.” The UN General Assembly adopted this plea, consequently proclaiming October 17 The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

In the city of Aix-en-Provence, almost 10 years ago, a cooperative movement was born to remind us that poverty is on our doorstep and that we had to fight, all of us, to avoid descent to misery. Today, in France, there are more than 9 million poor people and 2 million of them live on less than 500 € per month. This poverty is at the origin of the descent towards exclusion (inadequate housing, school failure, health care, unemployment).

This year, in Aix, the cooperative movement decided to move October 17 to Saturday, October 21 so as to reach more people and to raise awareness among them to this cause. In fact, the day before, the film “MAKALA” by Emmanuel Gras, followed by a debate; officially opened the October 21 program. The film revealed how, through simple commitments, people have shown their willingness to roll back poverty related discrimination and reminded everyone that anyone can bring something to society. The students of Célony High School took care of all the communication, the day was animated by various choirs and musical groups and by the organ of Barbarism of the Companions of Emmaus. It was a beautiful day of conviviality, with a large number of interested people, thanks to the mobilization capacity of the cooperative movement “October 17″: ATD Fourth World, Amnesty International, Secours Catholique, Unicef, etc.

“Misery is not a fate, it is the work of men and only men can destroy it.” Joseph Wresinski.

Benoît DOSQUET, OMI

“Give us a part of your mind!” It is the theme of the retreat that the 20 Italian laity of the AMMI (Missionary Association of Maria Immaculate), accompanied by two Oblate fathers from the Mediterranean Province, did in Aix-en-Provence on August 23-27.

With a strong desire to confirm, once again, their adherence to the Oblate charism, the participants of the retreat made an encounter in places that were dear to Saint Eugene de Mazenod. The house of the foundation where St. Eugene lived and his writings re-read during the retreat made him alive and renewed in the participants the awareness of what has always fascinated them in this saint.

The beauty of the city, the warm welcome of the Oblates of the Aix community, fathers and brothers, the competence of the Father BONGA, his ability to transmit knowledge and testimony of life, those all that made this unforgettable retreat that left in the heart of all the strong desire to receive again “a part of the spirit” of Saint Eugene. Many religious and lay people together with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the first guardians of the charism of Saint Eugene, have the desire to communicate this spirit to all the people of this world.

Marina Falcone – AMMI

There were 14 people, 8 lay persons from Aix and Strasbourg and 6 Oblates from Marseille and Pontmain, who participated in the retreat led by Joseph Bois, with the theme: « In the name of God let’s be saints! » (Eugene de Mazenod, February 18, 1826) Inspired by the life and works of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, with the Word of God as the basis, the participants attempted to uncover what kind of sainthood they are called to today.

There were two daily lectures, one in the morning and one in the early afternoon, both quite short, to present certain aspects of the life of Saint Eugene along with biblical texts for meditation. Sessions on prayer and discernment were also offered to voluntary participants. The retreat began and ended with a moment of shared contemplation among all partaking members.

The entire retreat, meals included, was lived through in silence, respected by all participants. They appreciated the leadership team, the silence, prayerful atmosphere and tranquil rhythm allotting time for each session and activity.

Joseph BOIS, OMI

It was with a great joy the community of Aix welcomed a group of Polish Oblates of the France-Benelux Delegation who came on pilgrimage to the sources of the Congregation.

During the visit of Aix, our pilgrims followed lectures on the life of Saint Eugene de Mazenod and visited the places in Aix en Provence and Marseilles where he had lived. The Mass at the tomb of the Founder of the Oblates was the most touching moment of their pilgrimage.

The Delegation of France-Benelux belongs legally to the Province of Poland. It was created after the Second World War to serve many Polish-speaking Christian communities in France and Belgium. At present, they are about thirty Oblates who are extending to Luxembourg as well.

Krzysztof ZIELENDA, OMI

The COMI have just left their Father’s house in Aix, after ten days. Silence falls in the cloister and in the common spaces of the House, where they shared the joy of living in the same places of St. Eugene and filled these places by their prayers, their sharings among themselves and their liveliness. For the first time, three continents of the COMI world found themselves together in Aix for a retreat and interchapter meetings: approximately 30 participants, mostly Italians, but also an Uruguayan and three Congolese.

Elderly COMI members and those with health problems have not renounced the possibility of this experience: to come and find their Father, St. Eugene de Mazenod, in the bicentenary of the Foundation of the OMI. This House had never been inhabited by so many women at a time, only during the days of the Carmelite nuns in the 17th century! Hospitality, assistance and the availability of the Aix Oblate community contributed decisively to the success of this experience, while also strengthening the fraternal bonds with the COMI.

So many precious moments of grace were experienced! The Eucharist on the Tomb of St. Eugene, the Missionary mandate of two COMI members which will soon open a new mission in Argentina, the renewal of temporary vows of three COMI and a 50th anniversary of oblation: the COMI welcomed their vocation and their sharing in the Oblate charism, as women consecrated, called to live in the world.

The retreat preached by their assistant, Fr. Fabio CIARDI, OMI, was rather an experience of fraternity, during which they felt received and welcomed by St. Eugene, as women, encouraging them to live charity among themselves and confirming them in their mission of evangelisation in communion with the Oblates, their brothers.

BONGA MAJOLA, OMI