PRECAPITULAR COMMISSION

The three members of the precapitular commissionBernard KERADECEmmanuel MOSOEU and Salvatore DE GEORGEheld their first meeting at the General House in late December. While Fr. Keradec had spent several weeks in Rome previously reviewing the documentation of the 1998 Chapterthis first working session of the full commission began the long range preparation for the General Chapter of 2004.

The official convocation of the Chapter is expected later this year after the process of restructuring the Provinces and former Vice-Provinces is completed. Neverthelessthe commission has begun drawing up lists of the auxiliary personnel required at a General Chapter and contacting the persons concerned.

The main work of this session was the drafting of three questionnaires to sound out the concerns and issues the membership of the Congregation feel should be addressed at Chapter. The questionnaires were sent to all Major Superiors on January 3rd: one to be answered by all Oblate units; the second by Oblates in the first five years of ministry; the third by all Oblates in first formation. They are also posted on the Congregation’s web site: www.omiworld.org

The deadline for the answers to these questionnaires is March 31st. The commission requests that answers be sent preferably by e-mail where this is possible. This will save hours of typing and speed up the process of compiling the answers. A special e-mail address has been opened for this purpose: Chap2004@omigen.org.

EUROPEAN MISSION CONFERENCE

Oblate charism and parish ministry congress

Every two years the Oblate European Mission Conference holds a congress to reflect on some aspect of mission. The theme for the next congress will be: “Oblate charism in parish ministry.” In addition to the designated delegates from each unitthe congress welcomes the participation of any Oblate engaged in parish ministry in Europe.

The congress is scheduled to be held from June 25 to July 2 at the International De Mazenod Center in Aix-en-Provence. A detailed questionnaire has already been sent to the delegates and Oblates in the field. While seeking to gather the usual statistical data on this ministrythe questionnaire also touches on the varied aspects of parish life like cooperation with the laityecumenical and inter-religious dialoguehuman developmentjustice and peaceyouth and ecclesial movments.

FRANCE

« Pôle et tropiques » subscriptions transfered

As noted in our December issuethe French mission magazine Pôle et tropiques has ceased publication. The last number was sent out in early January. The former editor-in-chiefMr. Jean Étèvenauxin a parting letter to the subscribers announced that all outstanding subscriptions would be transferred to Missi barring an order to the contrary from the subscribers.

Mr. Étèvenauxwho is director of Missi (Magazine d’Information Spirituelle et de Solidarité Internationale)also announced that the board of directors had agreed to keep two pages in Missi entitled Pôle et tropiques. These two pages will feature news on the Oblatesthe Apostoliques de M.I.and the Holy Family Sisters of Bordeaux. Missi will draw information from the internal newsletters of the three institutesand also welcomes news and photos of meaningful activities of the three missionary families.

Freedom returns to Ukraine (3)

Systematic destruction

(by Pavlo VYSHKOVSKYY for Oblate Missionary Record)

During the Communist era300000 churches across the USSR were either destroyed or turned into armaments factories and the like – the antithesis of their former use as places of worship.

Using the school systemthe authorities systematical-ly set about destroying peo-ple's faith and their humani-ty. As a resultfreedom is now recklessly misused in self-destructive ways. Many are hopelessly addicted. Indeedthe Church's first task is to rebuild human val-ues.

The Communists dam-aged the people's concept of truth. What the government said was truewas trueand what they said was untruewas untrue. 'Pravda'the Russian word for truthbecame a byword for lies and propaganda.

They destroyed the con-cept of familyas motherfather and children. The idea of family was seen as a threat to the new order. So they formed artificial 'fami-lies' of about 30 people20 women and 10 men living in one big building. The USSR becamein 1920the first country in the world to legalize abortion.

In order to get rid of the idea of Sundaythey chang-ed from a seven to a ten day week. Every tenth day was a day of rest. Now that the seven day week has been restoredpeople don't know what to do on Sundays; they still expect to rest on every tenth day.

Neighbors just don't trust each other. Past betray-alswhere they were encour-aged to report on one anoth-er to the authoritieshas sown a level of distrust which is difficult to heal. Village communities tend to be more trusting than those living in the cities. (to be continued) .

PERU: Studying law for the poor

Since 1995Fr. Daniel LEBLANC has been studying civil law part-time. He has one year remaining to finish the program. His full-time ministry with two deacons and hundreds of lay-volunteersincludes serving two parishes on the outskirts of Lima that between them have about 200000 parishioners. These parishes are very involved in social activities: soup kitchenssupport of those living with AIDS (an increasing problem in Peru)psychiatric counselingand various other social works.

As if he did not have enough to doDaniel is also director of the school for lay formation called “Centro de Evangelización” which enrolls about 1700 students per year.

He describes his ministry as one which serves the needs of “those within and without the church.” When he finishes his law degree he hopes to continue ministry to all these groups by offering legal services to the poor and disenfranchised. (St. Peter’s Province newsletter).

PERU: Building houses for the poor

Despite his 68 yearsBro. Blaise MACQUARRIE spends long hours in a rock quarry with 14 other workers mining the materials to build housessifting sand to make adobe bricksand being the inspiration for an incredibly successful project that has built many houses for the poor during the past 30 years.

In the last two months alone they have built 20 homes for the homeless. Currently Blaise is also working on the construction of a retreat center in the Chincha Alta area. (St. Peter’s Province newsletter).

Bishop Daniel VERSTRAETEsince his retirement as Bishop of Klerksdorphas been tirelessly working for the promotion of the apostolate of the Bible in South Africaand even beyond. The Prophet Joel tells us: “Your sons and daughters shall prophesyyour old people shall dream dreamsand your young people see visions.” (Joel 3:1.) Bishop Daniel has not just sat and dreamt of doing something for the promotion of the Bible among the laityhe has among other things established the Catholic Bible Foundation (CBF). The aims and objectives of the CBF are to help people enter into a living and dynamic relationship with the Word of GodJesus Christthrough the Word of God in Scripture.

As a means of achieving this goal he established the Catholic Bible College in 1998. It is now the St. Jerome College for Bible Education and Leadership Trainingat La Rochelle in Johannesburg.

During the years since his retirementhe has also established regional centres for the promotion of the aims and goals of the CBF. There are three such centresone each in DurbanJohannesburgand Cape Town. The Good Shepherd Retreat Centrewhich overlooks the scenic Hartbeespoort Damwas also refurbished by the bishop for this purpose.

Bishop Verstraetewho will be 79 this yearis in the process of handing over all of the above to the Oblates. The I.P.C. (Inter-Provincial Conference.) has wholeheartedly agreed to assume responsibility for the CBF and all its various outreach projects to make God’s Word known and loved in the hearts of all through a deeper appreciation of the Scriptures. (From the Central Province newsletter).

The artistic genius of 84 year old Frans Claerhout is well known throughout South Africawhere he has been a missionary for many years. Two series of his paintings were recently presented to the new Reservoir Art Museum in Bloemfontein.

November 14th the newly acquired Reservoir Art Museumat Oliewenhuis was officially opened by the deputy Minister of Public WorksRev M. Zondi. The occasion was marked by the presentation of two of Fr. CLAERHOUT’s series of paintings: Christ and the Other Personand Reconciliation by Women. These two series are given to the Bloemfontein art museum on a permanent loan basis. This means that they will remain the property of the Oblate Congregationand will be on public display at the Art Gallery of the Museumwho will assume responsibility for their protection and care. Plans are being finalised for the care of Fr. Claerhout’s other works of art by a committee of Oblateslaity and friends. (From the Central Province newsletter).

The Zambia Government has granted a construction permit and temporary license for Oblate Radio Leseli in the Mongu diocese. Construction of the100-metre transmission towerwhich will no doubt become a landmark in the Mongu areais currently underway. “It will be a symbol of our missionary determination as Oblates to serve the Church and the people in daring ways” says Delegation SuperiorRonald CARIGNAN.

In a report to the annual assembly of the Delegationthe director of the projectFr. Freeborn KIBOMBWE explained the meaning of the temporary license. In official jargon it is called a Construction Permit/Test Transmission License. The permit gives 18 months in which to build the studioserect the tower and begin test transmission. Only music may be broadcast during the test period four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening. After the test transmissions are completed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will send inspectors to Mongu to assess whether the station should be granted a full license.

Radio Liseli will be a non-commercial “community radio station.” As such the local people are expected to support it and to help in the programming. Communications Committees have been set up in most of the parishes of the diocese. They will be the link between the parish communities and the core team that directs the station. They will also recruit volunteers to help with the programming. Fr. Kibombwe hopes to be on the air within the next six months. (Zambia Delegation Brief).

MIAMIFlorida: Fire damages historic church

On FridayDecember 202002fire severely damaged parts of the oldest African-American parish church in the Archdiocese of Miami. St. Francis Xavier Church in the historic Overtown quarter of Miamihas been in the care of the Oblates since 1979. Fr. George KNAB is the current pastor.

To add to the sadness of the tragedythe day after the fire a 12 year old boyformerly a student at the parish schoolwas arrested and charged with arson.

The fire began in two different places in the church. The worst fire damage was in the sacristy which wasfor all practical purposesgutted. But smoke damage was extensive in the rest of the churchwith repair estimates around $600000. Just months before the firethe church had been completely redecorated on the occasion of the parishes 75th jubilee.

The resilience of the parish community has been evident since the tragic event so close to the celebration of Christmas. This resilience and community spirit has characterized the parish since its inception 75 years ago.

Prior to the establishment of their own parishthe Catholics of Overtown would go downtown to the Church of the Gesù where they werebecause of the existing segregation lawsrequired to sit in the back pews. The Black children were not allowed to attend the local Catholic school. Even for First Communionthe Black children received the sacrament in the basement of the church and the white childrenat the main altar upstairs.

Filled simply with a desire to worship together in dignitysome of the leaders of the Black Catholic community worked together to establish what would become the first Black Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Miami. In factthe parish predates the archdiocese because at the time of the parish’s foundingit was still part of the one Florida Diocese of St. Augustine.

The theme for the 75th Jubilee celebrations was “We have come this far by faith.” That faith has been tested in many ways. The firethe latest testhas left the parishioners undaunted in their effort to be the Catholic presence in a part of Miami that has many of the modern-day problems that plague the inner-city: drug-related crimea considerable homeless populationlimited employment opportunitiesand inadequate programs for youth. (From www.omiusa.org)

The Senegal Delegation notes the new address for the Superior’s residence and offices:

Missionnaires OMI
Keur S. Eugène
Route de la Pyrotechnie Est
Dakar-Mermoz
Senegal

Postal address :
Missionnaires OMI
B.P. 25600
Dakar-Fann
Senegal.

Fr. Yves Le Jollec

Fr. Pierre Tissot

Fr. Edward Murray (U.S.A.) in San Antonio