FRANCE - The Marchioness de Boisgelin dies
GERMANY - A second doctorate
Lourdes and the Oblates (3) - Missionary Bishops on pilgrimage

RECIFE – BRAZIL - Lucky to be alive

The casual visitor to 36 Trion Street in Lyon is often surprised by the variety of faces. And likewiseit is also saidby the ease in the relationsthe relaxed atmospherethe familiar nicknamesthe jokesthe sharing of tasksbeginning with that of the kitchen.… The Oblates at the scholasticate in Lyon live this reality without paying it too much attention. And sofrom one year to the nextTrion remains a place that allows people of many countries and many cultures to meet and inter-relate.

Winericehot peppers and curry
“It's truewrites Fr. Michel COURVOISIERthe Superiorall of us do not appreciate the same cheeses (RoquefortMunsteror “Vache qui rit”). Doubtlessrice must be more frequent on the menu than at other French tables. There are as many tastes in wines as there are for the different sorts of hot peppers or curry. We often run the risk of forgetting that French is not the mother tongue of all. When a fax arrivesit is sometimes necessary to guess if the writing is Lao or Tamil (the addressee is obviously not the same). And what about understanding who is being called to the telephone.…” The Inter-provincial Scholasticate at Lyon-Trion – for that is its name in the Oblate Personnel – is very multiethnic and international and of course inter-provincial.

Continuing a tradition
The French scholasticate was reborn after several “lean years” at Chavril in 1988and moved to Trion street in Lyon the following year. It was an inter-provincial undertaking of four Provinces: France-MidiFrance-NorthFrance-East and Belgium-South. Laterthe three Provinces of France united and Belgium-South continued to share the responsibility.

This was nothing new for France because the scholasticates of the former French Provinces at LumièresLa Brosse and Solignac had also welcomed scholastics from elsewhere: from South Africa and PolandLaos and ThailandCameroonChad and even Holland. Oblates who can remember know that Liège (Belgium) was an international scholasticateand even Montolivet in the Founder’s day. In 1849the young scholastic Louis Soullierthe future superior generalwriting to his familyspoke about “forty brothers collected by the hand of God from almost all the countries of Europe and gathered in an Ark of the Covenant to navigate with harmony and charity towards the same purpose.”

A mirror of society and of the mission
Already towards the end of the 70syoung Asians with a more or less direct link to Laoswhere French Oblates had been missionariesasked to join the Oblates of France. A few at firstthen more numerous. A look in the personnel book of the French Province at the names of those under 55 years old gives an idea…. Trion has welcomed young Oblates from eleven countries: BurkinaCongo-Brazzaville and Senegal in Africa; VietnamLaos and Sri Lanka in Asia; Haiti in the Americas; PortugalBelgiumNorway and France in Europe.… And the door remains opened.

They represent the diversity of the population in France at the beginning of this millenniumas a look at the faces one sees in StrasbourgLilleMarseillesParis will reveal. “Fortunatelysays Fr. Courvoisierthis diversity is found within the Church of France and among the Oblates.” He insists that “the Oblates in France are not ready to welcome non-French young people who would make the request from their country of origin.” There are such requestsbut all the young men from the countries mentioned above have lived for some time in France before entering. Some were refugeesstudents or migrant workers. It is while residing in France that they came in contact with the Oblates.

One Asian was sent by the Oblates in Scandinavia. The Haitian scholastics did their regency in French Guiananow a joint endeavor of the French and Haitian Provinces. They have come to Lyon to continue their formation as a sign of the cooperation between the two Provinces.

The community today
The current year saw ten in formation in the communitypreparing for ministry either as priests or brothers. The term “scholastics” includes both. Two are from the Province of Haiti and eight for the Province of France. One is a native of Laosanother a Tamil originally from Sri Lankaanother a Congolese from Congo-Brazzaville. The others are “French of France”. Two of the scholastics were on regency this yearone in French Guiana and the other in Australia.

Fr. Courvoisierhaving come to the end of his term of office as superiorwill be succeeded by Fr. Kykèo PRADAXAY on June 30th. Fr. Pradaxay is originally from Laosbut has lived in France for more than thirty years.

It should also be noted that the house on Trion street also occasionally welcomes Oblates from other parts of the world who come to Lyon for language studies. Recent years have seen Oblates from BangladeshSri LankaZambiaLesothoGermany and Italy. Other visitors have come from the PhilippinesSouth AfricaCameroonCongo-KinshasaHaitiMadagasacar….

“Ecce quam bonum….”
Sowhat is life like in a multiethnic and international community? Fr. Courvoisier invites any Oblate who wants to know to come and seeand even to spend a few days. “He will be a witness of exchanges on our various cultureson the very different ways of living family relationson the place held by eldersthe ancestorsor even the "spirits". The tone rises sometimes a littlewhen it is question of colonizationneo-colonialismreception of foreigners in Franceglobalization or the oil companies.… Unless one or the other prefers to keep silent.… This little cell of the Church is in our hands. It is always fragilebut we cherish it. Each person feels at home and finds respect for his history and for what is important in his life. The celebration of name-days and birthdaysthe common prayerthe daily Eucharistall are so many places and moments when we expressbetter than with wordsthe joy of being together and of knowing that we are called and gathered by an Otherwho faith allows us to sense is very close to us.”

FRANCE

The Marchioness de Boisgelin dies

SaturdayMay 10Ms. Aliette de Boisgelin died at Boulogne-sur-Seine. She was the great granddaughter of Eugénie de Boisgelinthe Founder’s sister. She had been for many years the head of the De Boisgelin family. Over the yearsshe kept in close contact with the Oblates and followed with interest the process of beatification and later canonization of her great granduncle St. Eugene de Mazenod.

Age and illness prevented her from attending his canonization ceremony in 1995. She took that occasion to present 17 cases of the De Boisgelin family archives to the General Archives in Romeassured that they would find a safe home there.

Never having been marriedthe Marchioness leaves no children. The responsibility of “head of the family” passes to her nephewPierre de Boisgelin.

GERMANY

A second doctorate

Fr. Raymond JAHAE was awarded a summa cum laude for his doctoral thesisFinality in Nature according to Kant and Blondelpresented at the Gregorian University in Rome in May. This is his second doctorate in six years. He obtained a doctorate in theology in 1999 with the publication of a thesis on the mystical experience of Hadewijcha Flemish mystic of the 13 century (cf. OMI Info#386Jan. 2000).

“To what extent and in what sense is it possible or necessary to speak of finality in nature” is the question studied in this thesis. After having exposed the historical background of the questionthe author looks at the attempts at a solution in the philosophy of Kant and Blondel.

In the first part the author describes the thinking of Kant on the possibility and the limitations of teleology. He points out the strong points and the problems of Kant’s reflections. In the second part he turns to the philosophical writings of Blondel who tried to answer the questions raised by Kantian philosophy. By way of conclusion he contends that it is possible and necessary to affirm the reality of finality in nature.

A native of HollandFr. Jahae entered the Oblates as a member of the German Province. He has been invited to lecture in philosophy at St. Paul UniversityOttawaCanada beginning from September.

Lourdes and the Oblates (3)

Missionary Bishops on pilgrimage

From the 1870s on the shrine magazineAnnales de Notre Dame de Lourdeslists the bishops who visited the Grotto of Massabielle. Most of the French episcopate made a point to come there to pray. The lists also include missionary bishops. The following Oblates are among those listed in those : Bishop Vital GRANDINBishop of Saint AlbertCanada (1878); Bishop Christophe BONJEANVicar Apostolic of JaffnaCeylon (1880); Bishop Charles JOLIVETVicar apostolic of NatalSouth Africa (1885); Bishop Isidore CLUTVicar Apostolic of MackenzieCanada (1887); Bishop André MELIZANBishop of Jaffna (1887).

This was Bishop Melizan’s second visit to Lourdes. The writer of Les Annales notes: “He comes to give thanks to Our Lady for his diocese that already numbers 80000 Christians. He comes in the name of the forty missionarieswho like himself are also Oblates.” It is said that he left a Tamil translation of the account of the Apparitions at the Grotto.

There is an interesting anecdote about another Oblate bishop that does not take place at Lourdesbut at Nevers. On March 181873Henri FARAUDBishop in the Mackenzie in Canada was authorized by his friend the Bishop of Neversto visit Bernadette in her convent at Nevers. She was very ill and bedridden in the convent infirmary. At the end of a long visitBishop Faraud decided to bring back to his diocese a souvenir of one whom regarded as a saint. He discreetly let his violet skullcap fall on the patient’s bedhoping that the latter would touch the object and return it to him. But the sly Bernadette perfectly understood his ploy and was not tricked. As he was about to leave the bishop asked Bernadette: “My sisterwould you give me back my cap please?” Bernadette snapped back : “But MonsignorI did not ask you to drop it. You can take it yourself. (From an article by Noel LecaOMI-Documents.)

AUSTRALIA

OMI to leave New Zealand

It was with deep regret that Fr. Vincent RYANProvincial of Australiaannounced that the Oblates would be leaving St. Paul’s parish in MasseyNew Zealand next year. This will bring to a close 37 years of Oblate presence in New Zealand. Parishioners greeted the news with sadness and an bit of shock. The discernment process leading up to this decision has extended over many years. Fewer vocations and the advancing age of the Province’s members are contributing factors to this decision. The fact that this was the only Oblate community in New Zealand was also another. The Province will also withdraw from several other parishes in Australia.

February 5th 1967Frs. John HANNAH and Noel GERAGHTY began service “in their new mission field.” The Archbishop of Auckland himself presided the Mass and introduced them to the parishioners. The area confided to the Oblates was very largeabout 40 sq. miles. The overall population at the time was 6000 people of whom about 800 were Catholics. Today there are close to 60000 people in the area and almost 3000 Catholics. The ethnicity of the Massey parishaccording to the 2001 censuswas given as 61% European14% Maori15% Pacific Islanders10% Asian.

Fr. John McGINTYthe parish priestsays that besides the main church of St. Paul's at Masseyhe and Fr. Peter HOANG also care for the church of St. Malachy in neighboring Ranui.

A meeting hall was added to the church building just over 6 years ago. It was named St. Eugene's halland will serve to recall the presence of the Oblates in Massey. It is used regularlyparticularly by the Pacific Islander parishioners. A primary school was also built two years ago. The school is situated in Masseythree kilometers from the parish church and presbytery. Currently there are 243 students at the school with others on the waiting list. There are plans for the Massey churchpresbytery and kindergarten to be relocated at the new primary school site.

Over the years more than 20 Oblates have ministered in New Zealand. Reflecting on his years of service at St. Paul’sFr. McGinty recalled a statement by Fr. Austin Cooper in his bookA Little By Ourselves. “Massey has always proved a warm-hearted parish and many Oblates have greatly cherished the time they have ministered there.” “This observationsays Fr. Johnremains just as true today as it did in 1994 when Austin's book was published.”

Frs. John McGINTY and Peter HOANG are the last Oblates to serve in Massey. They will be reassigned in Australia.

INDIA

Evangelizing through stamps

Fondly called ThiaguFr. Antony THIYAGARAJ today shares the rare and unique distinction of being a priest who proclaims the Word of GodGospel values of justice and peace and inter-religious harmony through a hobby that he has pursued for the last 27 years.

An avid stamp and coin collectorFr Thiagu says“My focus however is not so much on coin collection. I have devoted more interest and time for stamp collection because it has also become a part of my ministry as a priest”.

“Bible in Stamps”
Wading through his collection of over 100000 stampsFr. Thiagu picks up an album titled “Bible in Stamps” and zealously explains the story of Creationthe Annunciationthe Visitationthe Flight into Egyptthe Apparition of the angelsthe Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the Resurrection and Pentecostby pointing to stamps that are representations of the events he describes. A staunch devotee of the Blessed Virgin MaryFr. Thiagu also has a grand collection of over 200 stamps of Mother Mary. “Most of the Christian stamps originate from the Vatican and some from predominantly Christian countries. India too has released a good number of stamps like those of St. Don BoscoSt. ThomasMother TeresaBd. AlphonsaBd. Kuriakose and many more…

“A middle-aged man once walked into my room and when I began to share the Scriptures with him through my stampshe expressed amazement saying “I have been a Catholic for a long time but never understood the Bible as much as I have through these stamps”. Religion and religious valuesaccording to Fr. Thiyagarajcan be attractively and effectively communicated through stamps.

Origin of a hobby
Tracing the origin of his hobby37 year old Fr. Thiagu recalls how at Carmel School in Nagercoilhis 5th Standard teacher would request the students to bring stamps if they had any. She was a philatelist. “I would eagerly collect stamps and take them to my teacher. Maybe that was the starting point of my interest in stamp collection”. Thiagu is thankful to the members of his religious community who have given him much encouragement. “Some of my superiors even gather stamps and send them to me regularly….” TodayThiagu’s treasure chest has stamps from over 130 countries.

A help to personal growth
When asked how philately helps one personallyThiagu reflects a bit and gives an enchanting smile – “Every hobby edifies the person. Stamp collecting is one way to channel our energies towards something constructive and creative. With philatelyone grows in knowledge of peoplesculturesnations and religions since every stamp speaks something of the people and country it originates from. There are certain stampsfor examplethat bring to the memory of an adult the value based stories and tales of our childhood. The story of the thirsty crow and the half-filled water jar – for example is depicted on a stamp. One look at it and a childhood memorya moral learntcomes to mind”.

At more than fifteen major philately exhibitions that Fr. Thiagu himself has organized in places like Madhya PradeshUttar PradeshBihar and Karnataka his focus has been on students. “I feel that when young people develop interest in philatelythey tend to avoid deviant behavior or aggressiveness. As far as I knowa majority of philatelists are people who are very pleasant to relate withpeople with a well balanced and a mature outlook in life…”

Fr. Antony Thiyagarajordained in 2002ministers at Ascension ChurchSt. Mary’s TownBangaloreIndia. (Excerpts from an article by Adolf WashingtonTHE EXAMINERFeb 152003).

MADAGASCAR

St. Eugene church

IIn the eight years since the canonizationwherever Oblates minister more and more new churches have been dedicated to St. Eugene de Mazenod. The most recent one was in Madagascar.

On SundayMay 25the Archbishop of FianarantsoaFulgence Rabemahafalydedicated the new church at Sahalava to our holy Founder. It is the seventh church in the city of Fianarantsoa. The St. Eugene Scholasticate and the OMIFILM center are also in this city. There are currently sixteen scholastics in the Madagascar delegationbringing to 46 to the total number of Oblates present in the country.

ZAMBIA – MONGU

Prison ministry praised

Bishop Paul DUFFYof Mongureceived the following letter from the Officer in Charge of the Mongu Central Prisonpraising the diocese for its service to the prison.

“On behalf of the Prisons Commanding Officer Western RegionMongu Prison officers and inmatesI write to express our sincere gratitude for all the material and spiritual assistance the Church in your diocese has offered to this institution throughout this yearthrough the Prison ChaplainFather C. KebaSister Maurice and all concerned Catholic communitiessuch as: blanketswhite material for prison uniformscooking potsweekly supply of drugs and nutritious food for the sickclothessewing machinecounseling programsvisitsetc. I must assure Your Grace that all these works have made our work easier and have made a tremendous improvement on the prisoners’ lives in this prison….”

This brief message signed by the head of the Mongu Central Prisonindicates the enormity of the needs and the varied help the Christians of Mongu provide.

KENYA

Youth center in Kionyo

More than 170 young people belong to one of ten youth groups in the Oblate parish in Kionyo. Probably five times that number are active Christiansbut not part of a group. During a series of meetingsFr. Mario AZRAKa member of the Kenya mission team from Australiaasked the parish youth to highlight problems and concerns facing young people in the area and to think of the possible causes.

Problems
Abuse of alcohol and drugs were high on the listseconded by a growing number of single parents. The main reasons were unemploymentcorruption and no alternative meeting places other than seedy bars in the markets.

The majority of young people in Kionyo come from farming families with small plots of land. Their parents struggle to be able to find work away from the farm. Some are qualified teachersothers builderscarpenters or welders. But few are gainfully employed. Having time on their hands and being in a state of depressionthey end up in one of the many bars in the market.

The area is littered with illegal homebrew and bangi plantations. (Bangi is a barbiturate like marijuana.) For a small “fee” authorities turn a blind eye and allow them to continuedespite the fact that some people are poisoned from time to time by chemicals used to ferment the beer.

A solution
The reasons these bars are so popular is that there are no alternative places for young people to meet. So Fr. Mario came up with the idea of a youth center as a meeting point for recreationseminars and prayer groups. With the support of contributions from benefactors and the many hands of volunteersthe parish bought the materials and began building a youth center.

By the sweat of their brow…
Fr. Mario also got involved in diggingcarrying stones and lugging timber. Reflecting on his experience he writes: “The place where our trees were felled is called Ngaintethiameaning ‘God Help Me.’ It is a deep valley with 60 degree hillsidesand of course we had to get trees that were at the very bottom. Those who are born and bred in this terrain made the job look easy. Men and women alike carried 50 kg planks of timber up massive hillsides as though they were matchsticks. But as for me ‘Ngaintethia’ was the cry I made to the good Lordas I huffed and panted my way to the topsweating and with my knees shaking. My agony was of much amusement to the others whothankfullymade three trips to each one of mine.”

The centerscheduled to have been completed by mid-Marchwill be equipped with recreational facilities like dartstable tennis and board games. It will have a small library and a quiet space for prayer and seminars. “God willingwrites Mariothe lives of some youths may change for the better as a result of this facility.” (From the St. Mary’s ProvinceMAMI News).

ZAMBIA

Overwhelmed!

“The Holy SpiritSt. Eugene and associates continue to overwhelm us with possible candidates” writes Fr. Ron WALKERdirector of the pre-novitiate house in Lusakain a recent letter. At present the mission has 24 pre-novices and a contact list of 450! There are 6 men in the novitiate.

Each year several “Come and See” programs are organized for young people who want to know more about the Oblates. There were 170 applications for this years’ 4 programs. Between 10 and 12 are accepted for the one-week experience.

The 40-member mission includes 1 bishop13 priests1 brother and 25 scholastics. Most of the scholastics study at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute in CedaraSouth Africa. Others are Oblate centers in RomeChicago and San Antonio.

DULUTHMINNESOTA

100 years

A celebration commemorating the Centennial of the arrival of the Oblates in the Diocese of Duluth was held at Holy Family ChurchDuluth on June 152003. Oblates and parishioners joined Duluth Bishop Dennis M. Schnurr in a concelebrated Mass with Archbishop Roger SCHWEITZof AnchorageAlaskaas guest homilist.

First Missionaries
In the winter of 1853the great missionary Father Frederick Baragatraveled by snowshoesto bring the Good News of Salvation to the Ojibwa Indians gathered on the shores of Lake Superior. He was followed in 1866 by Frs. Albert LACOMBE and Laurent SIMONETwho while on their way to the Western Canadian Provinces gathered the Catholics of Duluth for Mass. From 1873 to 1882 Fr. Jean-Baptiste GENIN worked among the French-Canadians who met for worship at the future Sacred-Heart Cathedral.

Permanent Oblate establishment
When Duluth became a Diocese in 1889Bishop James McGolrickaware of the great accomplishments the Oblates were making in the Red River Valley and solicitous of the spiritual needs of the French-Canadians desired a religious community of French speaking priests to take over the pastoral care of St. Jean-Baptiste churchhome to the French Canadians since 1885.

The Provincial of St. BonifaceManitobaPrisque MAGNAN acquiesced and on March 131903Oblate Fathers Didace GUILLETZachary LACASSE and Scholastic Brother Omer ROBILLARD arrived in Duluth to begin the first Oblate foundation in the State of Minnesota. Father Guillet was appointed pastor and first Oblate Superior in Duluth.

The Manitoba Oblate Province
The Canadian Oblates immediately set out to construct a new St. Jean-Baptiste churchimprove parish organizations and bring their administrative and preaching skills to the attention of their French congregation. The Provincialon a visit to his Oblate confreres sought and obtained incorporation of the Oblate Congregation in the State of Minnesota on May 91903. The Congregation was indeed well established and would assign a total of fifty-eight men from Canada to extend its compassion to the poor and abandoned of rural Northern Minnesota. Among the most notable Canadian Oblates to minister in Minnesota was Fr. Omer Robillardwho served the longesta total of thirty-three years in Duluth.

The Central U.S. Province
By mutual agreement between the Oblate Provincials of Manitoba and the United States all Oblate mission sites in the North Central States were turned over to the Central U.S. Province in 1958. American Oblates continued their rural ministry as well as taking on various prisonhospital and Neumann Center chaplaincies. In 1953 Polish Oblates had taken over the care of Sts. Peter & Paul parish which served the Polish community of Duluth’s west end. In 1972 a team ministry approach was instituted and the Oblates assumed pastoral care for St. Clementsan Irish/German parishwhich eventually merged with St. Jean-Baptiste. In 1985aware of the need to “pool their resources” in a fast changing societythe Oblates petitioned Bishop Brom to “merge” the three west-end parishes under their care. The Oblates worked diligently to bring the various ethnic cultures of the west-end into a new parish community known as Holy Family.

The Oblate mission continues
Since the take over by the U.S. Central Province in 1958a total of one-hundred Oblate priests and brothers from the new U.S. Province have served in the many mission posts of rural Northern Minnesota. Nine Oblates are currently serving in DuluthInternational FallsCookGarrison and SandstoneMinnesota. Oblates continue to make up the majority of the religious clergy of the Diocese of Duluth. Archbishop Roger Schweitza native of Minnesotawas Bishop of Duluth prior to his appointment to Anchorage. (Submitted by Bro. Richard P. CotéOMI).

RECIFE – BRAZIL

Lucky to be alive

Fr. Edward FIGUEROAa missionary in Brazil for more than forty yearsis lucky to be alive.

Very early one morning in mid-Februaryhe had gone down to the river to work in the garden where he grows food for the children at the orphanage he foundedComunidade Deus e Nossa Senhora.

As he was approaching the gardenhe met a man who has helping himself to some of the produce. Fr. Ed told him that the food was meant for the meals of the children. If the man needed helphe could come and talk instead of jumping over the wall and helping himself.

Fr. Ed went about his work. As he left to go homethe man had returned and attacked himhacking away with a large corn knife. The priest received multiple cutsone of which almost removed his left thumb. When he fellthe man left. FortunatelyFr. Ed had his cell phone with him and was able to call for help. It took four hours of surgery to repair his injuries.

After several days in hospitalthe 70 year old missionary whom at least 50 children consider a father figure because he has taken them off the streets and into the “Community of God and Our Lady” was able to return to his charges. (From The Oblate World).

OMI Information will not be published during the months of July and August. In view of this suspension of servicesthe list of anniversaries for August and September are included in this issue. Please note that this list gives the years of religious profession counting from the date of first vows.

Yesyou may receive all the Information Service publications by e-mail (InformationDocumentation and the Communiqué). Send an e-mail to: information@omigen.org indicating the language and format desired (RTF or PDF)and the postal address where you currently receive our publications.

The Information and Documentation are also available in EnglishFrench and Spanish on the Congregation’s website at: http://www.omiworld.org

OFFICIAL

Suffrages for our Deceased

Fr. Adrien Darveau (N.D.-du-Rosaire) in Ste-Foy