PROUD TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING HIS INSPIRATION…
Remarks of Father General,
Louis LOUGEN, during the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the death of
Saint Eugene de Mazenod, Cathedral of Marseille, 21 May 2011.
Cardinal Roger
Etchegaray, Cardinal Bernard Panafieu, Archbishop Georges Pontier, Monsignors,
Father Yves CHALVET DE RÉCY, dear brothers and sisters from the Archdiocese of
Marseille and the Archdiocese of Aix and Arles, and all you members of the Mazenodian
Family.
May God’s
charity reign among you, and may his zeal for the mission be with you!
I am very happy
to be with you in this cathedral to celebrate the anniversary of the death of
Saint Eugene de Mazenod. I am grateful for this marvelous celebration and for
the warm welcome you have given me, as well as to all the Missionary Oblates of
Mary Immaculate and to the members of the Mazenodian Family on this very
special day.
For us Oblates,
Saint Eugene was a man on fire with a great love for Jesus Christ, for the
Church and for the poor. He shared these gifts with the people of Marseille for
37 years, as Vicar General and then as Bishop.
At the same
time, he was the Superior General of the Missionary Oblates and he guided this
growing Congregation from the bishop’s house across the street.
It is from this
same city that he sent us to preach the Gospel throughout the world. The statue
of Saint Veronica wiping the face of Jesus, located in this cathedral, is a
replica of the statue at the Shrine of Notre-Dame de la Garde, dedicated to all
the missionaries who left Marseille “to go and wipe the face of the suffering
Jesus” throughout the world. We Oblates are proud to continue following his
inspiration in nearly 70 countries, with more than 4,000 missionaries and
numerous lay associates.
One hundred and
fifty years ago, Saint Eugene lay dying here in Marseille. He blessed the
Oblates who were with him and he encouraged them to live with charity toward
each other and to have zeal for the mission. These are the words that you have
written on his tomb. The day of his death, those who surrounded him began to
recite one of his favorite prayers, the Salve Regina. At its last words, “O
clement! O loving! O sweet Virgin Mary!” Bishop de Mazenod died.
This prayer has
become very dear to all Oblates, and we have the tradition of reciting it every
day. Each time that the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, sent abroad to
mission countries, were leaving aboard their ships from the Port of Marseille,
their last view of France was the statue of Our Lady on top of the Shrine of
Notre-Dame de la Garde. Most of them knew that they would never return to
France, and they would sing the Salve Regina to their Loving Mother. This was a
strong expression of their missionary offering, of their devotion to Our Lady
and of their union with Saint Eugene, at the moment of their leaving to give
their life to the preaching of the Gospel to the most abandoned.
Let us rejoice
at his memory by invoking with much love the Mother of Mercy, the Loving
Mother, by singing the Salve Regina before going in procession to the tomb of
Saint Eugene.
Thank
you very much.
