Following the path of deBrésillac and Planque

A reflection on the recent SMA- OLA meeting in Rome on common spiritual patrimony by Sisters Patricia McMenamin, Maria Lee (both OLA) and Father Martin Kavanagh, SMA. 

Bishop de Brésillac (left) and Fr.Planque. Images courtesy of www.ndaolagen.org.

Eighteen SMA Fathers and ten OLA Sisters gathered recently in Rome to look at the early years of our history, up to 1920. The title of the seminar was: ‘Following the path of deBrésillac and Planque: Reflection on the SMA-OLA common spiritual patrimony’.

The seminar focused on the five themes listed below, along with the presenter(s):

• Marie-Hélène Robert OLA – Mission Ad Extra, particularly in Africa;
• Bupe Chembo SMA and Patricia McMenamin OLA – Gift of self for mission;
• Irini Chenouda OLA – SMA-OLA one mission: variety of gifts, apostolates, roles,...
• Chantal Dartois OLA – Family spirit: community life, internationality, simplicity of life...;
• François duPenhoat SMA – Empowerment: of the Church, local clergy, people, women...

Primary Evangelization still a priority

Overall from the five presentations it was clear that our early missionaries were an amazing group of women and men of strong, indefatigable faith. It was all for Jesus, even their very lives. Though we could [and probably would] no longer see the purpose of mission as snatching souls from hell – therefore baptise every one you can – their zeal for mission is something we could and should emulate today.

In the feedback and subsequent discussions we noted the following points [the words students / aspirants are used to cover those expressing interest in joining us and those who are at various levels of initial formation, before Final Profession or Permanent Commitment].

The lessening of commitment by some members to the task given to them needs to be addressed. Right from the initial formation period there must be emphasis on the fact that students/aspirants join us to do “our thing, our mission” and not “their thing.” It is not about fulfilling myself but about doing the work of mission and finding fulfilment in doing this for the love of God and His people not for my own personal fulfilment. And if students / aspirants don’t accept this then they can seek to find another group who will let them do their thing as they want.

Primary Evangelization (PE) remains a priority for us and even though there are many ‘new’ areas of PE we already have sufficient within our missions to have people assigned there. But are you willing to be that one?

Theme 1: Mission Ad Extra, particularly in Africa

Why mission ad extra?  The main reason put forth is that mission ad extra (which at the time was called the foreign missions) answers this call to evangelize nations and to save souls who have not heard the Gospel.  Marion Brésillac readily made use of Mt 28:  “Go and make disciples of all the nations…” (ex. Lettres, p. 1261-1262) (Marie Helene’s text)

Brésillac left behind the foundation Articles as well as a certain number of texts that Fr. Planque was familiar with and from which he tried to apply the main ideas.  Which ones?

-          To learn the language of the country (very strong emphasis).

-          To know and to value the culture.

-          To establish indigenous schools.

-          To catechise.

-          To train catechist, teachers and to have them become a part of the running of the government.

-          To found a visible and autonomous local church.

-          To baptise.

-           To establish an indigenous clergy, if possible trained in-country, and then to leave to found a new mission

-          To open clinics, hospitals and orphanages so as to care for the population and to gain their trust.

-          To think about founding Christian villages (January 24, 1896).

-          To visit families, always 2 by 2.

-          To be assisted by the women of the country.

-          To found “a self-sufficient congregation” because the purpose of the missions is “the salvation of the        natives”.

Theme 2: Gift of self for mission

For SMA:

DE BRESILLAC –Self gift meant “To offer one’s life every day, despite sufferings, obstacles and failure”. Leaving the parents – obligation to go, to be true to his convictions.

Willingly and knowingly – life of a missionary is to respond to the obligation of negating oneself and carrying the cross.

The enterprise is difficult, I admit, so as collaborators I would need a number of priests who do not shy away from sacrifice, who love above all the holy virtue of self-denial and the sweet burden of the cross

The missionary must frequently contemplate Christ on the cross.

Obedience is the most precious sacrifice we can offer to God, because by it we immolate His love those things which man holds dearest – our liberty, judgement and will. The missionaries, then, shall look upon this virtue as the best means of practising that abnegation and self-denial which our divine Lord demands of us, and which is the hall-mark of the apostolic vocation.

For OLA:

Fr. Planque insisted on the observance of the Rule and emphasised life in community. While emphasising the element of sacrifice he was clear – he opposed self-inflicted penances saying that daily life in community would replace fasts and would be more meritorious

He encouraged them to give their all and the self gift that he looked for was rooted in the spirituality of the Cross. He talks frequently of Christ’s “union with the will of the Father even unto death. This would be lived out in different kinds of suffering and in sacrifice that frequently included the risk and probability of an early death. As evidenced in all the letters from the Sisters on mission, the Cross, abandonment to Providence, self gift and awareness of the probability of an early death, were paramount in their spirituality. They gave of themselves unsparingly to spread the Gospel in Africa. Self-sacrifice in the early days was a foremost value in the missionaries’ spirituality and lived out to the death by many.

Theme 3: SMA-OLA one mission: variety of gifts, apostolates, roles...

The three dimensions of the Charism of our Founders for SMA-OLA are complementary and interdependent: Spirituality – Fraternity – Mission

Mission is an integral part of both charisms.

OLA and SMA had this deep conviction in common and it motivated them ... and united them.

Here we touch a lovely synergy between OLA and SMA. It has been possible to this degree because the mission was so from the very beginning.

Theme 4: Family spirit: community life, internationality, simplicity of life...

In his letters from 1856 to 1859, to Cardinal Barnabo, at Propaganda, as well as to Fr. Planque, Mgr. de Bresillac insists on a family spirit and sees himself as the father of this SMA family. It is something that is close to his heart and that he tried to set up in his time as Superior of the seminary in India.

He insists on a life together, a common rule, as we read in a letter he wrote to Cardinal Barnabo: "...we need from the beginning to live a common rule, at least provisional...”

Fr. Planque, echoing Mgr. de Bresillac, writes “the OLA Congregation and each community must constitute a true family in which simplicity, cordiality, benevolence, team spirit and unity prevail.”

Theme 5: Empowerment: of the Church, local clergy, people, women...

Our Missionary witness must aim at a “true incarnation” not just virtual, in being close to the brothers and the sisters of any culture and race; it has to try to overcome barriers and walls which are found between countries.

As regards the Church, more than the theological changes, the new situation is the new demographic balance which makes the continents of Africa and Latin America and certain Asian countries the new lands of Christendom. There is not a dominant Church anymore, but several "big Churches ". Catholicity can be better felt now more than ever before. At the same time, the Church is rarely in a position to wield absolute power as she did in Europe for centuries - she is often criticized. Humility, collective and personal conversion has to be the essential elements of our being missionary.

The theology of salvation has evolved and invites us to enable every Christian, through his/her own means and culture, to have a real mystical experience.  Inter-religious dialogue brings us to discover that God is greater than everything and to emphasize his Mystery.

Biblical and Patristic Studies in recent times have also helped us to better understand the depth and extent of the concepts of love and charity.

All these elements produce a framework through which we can carry out Missions today but the foundation remains the same: it is necessary to give of oneself completely as did our predecessors, with all our weaknesses and shortcomings, to give oneself daily and wholeheartedly – briefly, " to be a missionary of the bottom of our heart ".

Invitation to stop and reflect together

This work of research is not simply about the work of one mission, in itself, but rather a reflection on the spirit that has permeated Mgr. Marion de Bresillac and Fr. Planque in founding our two Institutes SMA/OLA and  our first Fathers and Sisters and which continues to inspire the life of both Institutes up to the present day. The missions continue with all their strengths and weaknesses. It is a patrimony which daily animates us even if we do not think about it. There has always been collaboration between SMA and OLA with lights and shadows, but can we discover together other zones of collaboration and thus bear more fruit from our inheritance, expressed by Mgr. de Bresillac: “To be missionary in the depth of my heart and never neglect anything to advance the work of God?”

For further information or to read more detail on each on the theme, please contact Sr. Maria Lee [olaprovsec@yahoo.ie] or Fr. Martin Kavanagh [martin.kavanagh@sma.ie].