On January 14, during the
celebration of Eucharist presided by Father General, the house and the
community of the scholasticate in Vermicino were dedicated to the Oblate
Spanish Martyrs.
The idea, which took shape
a few weeks after the beatification of the martyrs of Pozuelo, had grown ever
since the day on which the beatification was announced. The appropriateness and
the inspiration came from another Oblate scholasticate, namely that of Pozuelo,
which as a community offered their utmost witness to Christ Jesus, together
with their Father Provincial (Francisco Esteban Lacal) who remained with all
the members, scholastics and formators, as a real older brother, as well as a
layman (Candido Castan).
In the context of the
unification of the provinces of Italy and Spain, which in some ways has already
been anticipated in Vermicino, where Italian and Spanish Oblate students have
been living together for many years, this gesture seemed natural and not just fitting.
The title chosen, “Oblate
Martyrs,” is also meant to symbolize the bonds of the community with all the
other confreres in various parts of the world, those many who have offered
their lives for the mission. For the members of the scholasticate community,
all of our martyred confreres are true models of life and oblation.
In the Superior General’s
homily, he said: “There is no doubt about the fact that we are missionaries and
we are invited to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. But we are also servants and
friends of Jesus, and the mission is His. It is essential and indispensable
that we become passionate about God. I believe it is necessary that God takes
hold of us and seduces us and takes over our very being so that we can belong
to Him. This passion will be the motivation for our growing as mature persons
from the human point of view, but also as missionaries who sacrifice their
lives and who make of them an oblation for God, for the Gospel and for the
Church. That was what motivated the Oblate martyrs.”
From now on, living in a
community that bears their name will be a source of renewed motivation for our
commitment to formation. (Scholastic Gianluca RIZZARO)
