Frank SANTUCCI, OMI
Two hundred years later, the Oblate Constitutions and Rules continue to guide those who seek to follow Christ in the spirit of St. Eugene de Mazenod. Born from the vision of a small missionary community in Aix-en-Provence, they remain a living expression of the Gospel and the heart of our missionary life.
A Book of Life: From 1818 to Today
Our Constitutions and Rules, approved 200 years ago, is not a collection of legal prescriptions. It offers our understanding of how to live the Gospel through the charism received from Saint Eugene. It is meant to be lived, prayed, and shared. In every generation, it remains a book of life.
In 1818, when Eugene de Mazenod and his first missionary companions composed the initial Rule, they were putting into words what they had already been living for three years. Eugene sought to preserve his God-given inspiration in such a way that future generations could remain faithful to it. Over the past two centuries, the Constitutions and Rules have continued to express the lived experience of the Missionary Oblates. It is precisely this lived experience that the new Commentary seeks to explore.
Reading the CCRR Today
Many have written about the CCRR before 1982, but the definitive commentary on the 1982 edition remains that of Father Fernand Jette, The Apostolic Man: A Commentary on the 1982 Edition of the Oblate Constitutions and Rules (available on OMIWORLD). Its depth and clarity remain as valuable today as when it first appeared. In light of the bicentenary of our papal approbation, the Superior General and his council have commissioned a new Commentary to illuminate the Oblate charism as it is lived today, with hope for the future.
A Companion for the Charismatic Family
The result is A Companion to the OMI Constitutions and Rules: Reflections by the Oblate Charismatic Family. This new volume gathers the voices of 135 contributors who reflect the historical, spiritual, and missionary richness of our charism as it is lived in different contexts today. It does not replace earlier works but stands alongside them, inviting Oblates and members of the wider family to rediscover the CCRR as a living source of unity, inspiration, and hope.
The Companion is currently available in English. French and Spanish editions will be published in the coming months.
A Companion for the Charismatic Family
