Vie Oblate Life Autrefois / Formerly Études oblates SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 1983 ACTA OF THE CONGRESS EVANGELIZATION AND THE OBLATES (English Edition) OTTAWA ACTA OF THE CONGRESS EVANGELIZATION AND THE OBLATES Rome, 29 August - September 14, 1982 (English edition) Introduction The Congress on Evangelization and the Oblates studied the theme of evangelization in the light of the Oblate ideal and history. This congress was an important step towards the deeper understanding of the Oblate missionary charism. Publishing, in French and in English, the studies prepared for the congress together with the congress conclusions will provide not only a valuable document of the work that was done but also an animation means and a reference point in the discernment of our missionary activity. This Congress is linked to that of The Founder's Charism Today held in 1976. It deepened one of the nine main elements of the Founder's charism, namely, that of evangelization. The method used was somewhat different: the lion's share belonged to historical research, while the light brought by lived experience, biblical and theological science, and the challenges of the Church's and the world's needs was not omitted. Those who organized the congress chose this approach in response to the desires of the volontary participants, keeping in mind the fact that another international Oblate congress had a more immediate objective: in fact, from August 9th to August 20th, a congress held in Ottawa struggled with the theme of the Oblates and the evangelization of secularized societies. The General Council entrusted the organization and preparation of this Congress to a committee whose members were Fathers Marcello Zago, Edward Carolan and Aloysius Kedl. The latter was also its executive secretary. Seventeen Oblate experts accepted to study each a special aspect of Oblate evangelization and to prepare a basic work document for submission to the congress participants. The whole collection of these documents was meant to constitute the main mosaic, so to speak; the congress would then examine it, add to it, modify and complete it. The Congress was held at the General House in Rome from August 29 to September 14, 1982. It did its work in a family atmosphere and with an intense pace of study, sharing, and prayer. The fifty-five congress members came from 27 Provinces and 15 countries and represented the different age groups as well as a wide variety of ministries. The largest single group was made up of historians and archivists. Still, all the participants were determined to discern and deepen that which constitutes the dynamism and requisites of Oblate evangelization right from the founding to our own day. The method used proved to be very useful for the Congress' work. It included: - a brief presentation of the basic work documents which were then distributed to each participant; - a time of personal study so as to analyze these documents; - a period of work in small groups so as to complete or modify these studies; - a time to compare the study results with the participants' experience, the needs of the world and the Congregation's situation. Evangelization was examined according to the full span of our history and in several socio-cultural contexts. It was analyzed in the light of the most important influential sources, such as the Founder, the Constitutions and Rules, the General Chapters, the Superiors General and the missionary activity of Oblates. From all this, it was found that evangelization understood as the proclamation of the Word lies at the very heart of the Oblate charism. Other dimensions were also highlighted and their close unity underlined. The main convergent factors are formulated in the synthesis paper, drawn up by a Congress committee, revised by the assembly of the participants, and definitively written by Father Clarence Menard. Here we are publishing the full text of the sixteen studies prepared for the Congress: two dealing with the Founder's vision and practice in France and elsewhere (Maurice Gilbert and Giovanni Santolini); eight on the response of the Oblates contemporary to the Founder (Yvon Beaudoin for those in France, Austin Cooper for those in England and Ireland, Romuald Boucher, Gaston Carrière and Claude Champagne for those in Canada, Clarence Menard and Bernard Doyon for those in the United States, and Robrecht Boudens for those in Sri Lanka); three outlining the positions taken by the General Chapters (Josef Pielorz, Aloysius Kedl, Francis George); and finally a study on the Constitutions and Rules (Paul Sion), the Superiors General (Donat Levasseur) and the present-day situation (Marcello Zago). The two interventions of Father General plus the synthesis overview complete this publication. Other contributions made on the occasion of this Congress will be made public in another form. One of the fruits of this Congress was the organization of the Association for Oblate Studies and Research which now received its charter and appropriate structure. This was all approved by the General Council during its plenary session in Cotabato (from November 21 to December 10, 1982). The elected Executive Comittee was about to begin its work when its president, Father Paul Sion, became gravely ill and died a few weeks later. The cooperation of many people made the publication of the Congress Acta a reality. Father Aloysius Kedl was one responsible for the editing and translating; he was especially assisted by Father Maurice Lesage. Father Gaston Carrière capably handled the work of printing the same. Neither the Congress nor this publication could have come about without the support of the General Council and especially that of Father Fernand Jetté, the Superior General. A sincere thank you, therefore, to all who collaborated in this undertaking. To all the Oblates I express the hope that evangelization will be more and more the inspiration thrust of their life for the good of people today. Marcello ZAGO, O.M.I. The Opening of the Congress (Sunday, August 29, 1982) The Congress on "The Oblates and Evangelization" opened with a Eucharistic Concelebration at 17.30 o'clock on Sunday, August 29, 1982, in the main chapel of the General House. Father Fernand Jetté, O.M.I., Superior General, was the main celebrant. Concelebrating with him were fifty-two of the expected Congress participants, as well as a number of Oblates from the General House community. The text of the Mass used was that of the 22nd Sunday of the liturgical Year "B". After the proclamation of the Gospel, Father General, speaking partly in French and partly in English, gave the following homily: At the beginning of this Mass, I told you how happy I was to see you take part in this Congress. There are veterans among you who have dedicated a great part of their lives to reflecting and writing on Oblate history and spirituality. They have known how to take care of all that has been entrusted to them1, deepening it, making it bear fruit, and transmitting it on to us. Please allow me to mention a name, that of Father Maurice Gilbert, founder and first editor of Études Oblates, which has become Vie Oblate – Oblate Life. This year, this review is celebrating its 40th year of existence. For the past 40 years, it has been endeavoring to make better known the Founder, the Congregation, its history and spirituality, all the values that it bears. At the beginning of this Congress, I want to pay tribute to this review and thank its present editor and all those who have assured its permanence and fidelity to its goals, sometimes in spite of great difficulties. There are not only veterans at this Congress; there are also younger men, young Oblates interested in historical work who also have at heart the desire to know, in a scientific and spiritual way, all the wealth of the Oblate life, in order to live of it today and to enable those who will come tomorrow to live of it too. I am thinking, for example, of the community of Vermicino – some of its members are here among us – which, for a good number of years now, has in this field been accomplishing an admirable work of which I am a happy witness. -- I -- Why the present Congress? Certainly to permit all of you, young and not so young, but interested in the same cause, to come together. Furthermore, this Congress provides us with a special way of celebrating the 2nd centenary of our Founder's birth, Eugene de Mazenod. It will also give us the occasion to determine the structures of the Association for Oblate Studies and Research, and to establish it in a more stable way. But above all, the Congress wants to be one more step, an important step, in the Congregation's efforts to renew itself. About a year ago, Father Arrupe, the Jesuits' Superior General, was asked the following question: "In what way does a Superior General — yourself in particular — maintain the Company of Jesus as a Corps?" He answered this: "I should say, first of all, that it is by way of prayer...; this is always the first Ignatian way for everything." Then he added: But to go to more practical means of action, I think that the first one to use is to deepen - and to see to it that others deepen - the Ignatian charism, because it is this charism which makes us feel that we constitute a Corps, united and inspired by this spirit... I think that knowledge of the Order's history is very important, but a history that does not only help us know the events - which is already very useful in itself - but also to reflect on the message that these events tell me personally.