Rector's Reflection- Part 5

The Journey from Eugene de Mazenod

                                   to

              St Eugene de Mazenod

                                Part 5

Fr Eugene de Mazenod, throughout his life, examined the situation with the eyes of faith and discovered how the Lord was calling him. The devastation of the Church in France after the French Revolution was enormous, and it was only his deep faith and trust in God that gave Fr Eugene the courage for his vision to proceed.

The often-quoted line from the Preface of the Oblate Rule, 'Leave nothing undared ', could not have been written without a deep faith. Fr Eugene was ready for everything and anything because he trusted in God.

Soon Fr Eugene realized that he could not continue this mission alone. In September 1815, he experienced another “impulse from without” that set him firmly on the path of apostolic action. He gave himself body and soul to the realization of his plans to establish a society of missionaries.

He sought out other like-minded and equally zealous priests who were prepared to step outside the old, even outmoded, structures. 

On January 25, 1816, the Society of the “Missionaries of Provence” was formed. The new missionaries comprised Fr Eugene (33), Fr Tempier (26) (after whom our Mazenod College Counselling Centre is named), Fr Jean-Francois Deblieu (26) and Fr Auguste Icard (25). Dedicating themselves to preaching in Provencal, the language of the common people, they went from village to village evangelizing through parish missions, youth gatherings and prison ministry. 

Fr Eugene was aware that this newly formed and growing community needed a residence, a home where they could regenerate their strengths and recharge their spiritual batteries. As mentioned in Part 1, Fr Eugene purchased a portion of the former Carmelite Convent on Cours Mirabeau and then purchased an adjoining Chapel, which gave origin to the name of the chapel: “Church of the Mission”.

Fr Harry Dyer OMI

Rector