A word from the Superior General

“It is also a means of being aware of how the charism has been lived over the years, the creativity it sparked, the difficulties it encountered and how these were overcome. Inconsistency can be detected; consequences of human weakness, perhaps even a neglect of certain aspects of the charism.” (Pope Francis: Apostolic letter to the consecrated).

Praise the Lord, my soul, for the gift of St Michael Garicoits: his person, his life, his times, his meeting with Jesus “humble and obedient”, his decision to imitate Him and to continue his mission in working class milieu, the education of children and care of the youth. Praise the Lord, my soul for his first companions: Guimon, Chirou, Fondeville, Perguilhem, Larrouy who believed in the charismatic novelty of his experience and shared it with enthusiasm; praise the Lord, my soul, for the missionary ardour of those early years which in 1856 and while the Founder was still alive, encouraged them to head out for Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

Lord, forgive the times we resisted the Spirit on behalf of those who saw in the choice of education a threat to parish missions, and for others who supported the bishop’s position against the Founder’s, resulting in divisions in the community.

Praise the Lord, my soul, for the devotion and skill in government of Father Etchecopar; his writings are helping us to know the Founder better and his charism. The Congregation had a new surge with the approval of the Rule of Life by the Holy See. With Father Etchecopar the processus of canonisation of Saint Michael received a powerful surge forward. The third successor collected his “Thoughts” and accounts on his life. Under his mandate as superior, in 1879, the houses and scholasticate at Bethlehem were founded, trusting the wisdom of St Marie de Jesus Crucified.

Praise the Lord, my soul, for the expulsion of the religious from France in 1903, in the words of Father Estrate: “God scattered us so as to become seeds” in Spain, Italy, England where the charism produced fruits, and in Belgium where the branch failed to take. This painful experience helped us to reinforce the pedagogical mission in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The commitment of the Religious of the Sacred Heart was great in the formation of citizens who were both responsible and committed.

Lord, forgive us: along with the great success realised in the field of education in these countries we let ourselves be caught out by the prestige and the financial gain of our undertakings; on several occasions this was to take precedence over the value of consecrated life. Forgive us because the religious failed to develop vocational propositions among their pupils fearing that they would be withdrawn from the college by their parents.

My soul, praise the Lord for the missionary zeal of Fathers Pirmez, Etchart and Palou out East and in 1922 as far as China. They had already been missionaries in Argentina and Paraguay. In 1951 with the persecution and the unfortunate episode of the expulsion from China, we arrived in Thailand where our missionaries realised a great work of evangelisation among the Karen tribes in the diocese of Chiang Mai.

Praise the Lord, my soul, for the beatification of Michael Garicoits in 1923 and his canonisation in 1947. In this way, the Church recognised the holiness of our Founder, the authenticity of his charism, the fraternity and mission of our Congregation.

Praise the Lord, my soul, for that particular time in history. The Congregation developed its organisation in Provinces replying thus to a need: many communities had been opened for the service of new missions thanks to the increase in numbers of religious. In Brazil in 1935 then in North Africa, first of all at Casablanca in 1940 and Sidi-Bel-Abbes in 1949; then followed in sub-saharien Africa at Katiola in 1959. It was at this time that we were asked to look after the formation of priests in the seminaries of Auch, Jerusalem, San Jose de Cuyo and Rosario.

Pardon, Lord, because the Provinces became very withdrawn making communications difficult, the sharing of vocations, people and property. Forgive us, Lord, for the envy, the power struggles and the difficulty in respecting cultural differences.

Praise the Lord, my soul, for the mission realised in the parishes since 1909 and the foundation of the Sacred Heart at Droitwich. The countless efforts that were necessary so that Jesus could be known, loved, imitated, witnessed and announced! What a task for the construction of ecclesial communion! The time given to preaching, to catechesis in developing the Word of God! How many sacramental celebrations would be necessary to enable the disciples to meet their Master! What energy in the development of charity to come to the aid of the poor! The time consecrated to meeting people!

Pardon, Lord, for often overwhelmed by pastoral work in the parishes, we paid little attention to the demands of the spiritual life, community life and the life of poverty and obedience. Forgive us for not realising that the reality of the charism and belonging to the Congregation were somewhat diminished, which stood in the way of arousing the desire of a vocation.

Praise the Lord, Oh my soul, for all that Betharram was given to live during the Council: the centenary of the death of our holy Founder, the assembly of the whole Congregation, the inter-provincial commission, the Chapter of renewal and the 1969 Rule of Life, the session on the charism at Betharram for the 150 years since the foundation of the Congregation. Gratitude also for the foundations in Central Africa and India, for the advances in meeting new forms of poverty with the Family Home at Monteporzio for the terminally ill Aids patients.

Pardon, Lord, because sometimes, without our realising, in the work of renewal demanded by the Council ideologies became more important than the Gospel message. We ask you to forgive us because preference for a certain type of presence deprived us of the freedom of the missionaries.

Praise the Lord, my soul, for the gift of so many of the laity who, thanks to the Council, are now sharing our charism and mission; they are helping us to find solutions for difficult situations, including from the point of view of the economy.

Lord, forgive us our lack of openness in dealing with the laity; very often we don’t know how to share our spirituality and mission while at the same time respectful of what is original in each of our vocations.

Gaspar Fernández Pérez, scj
Superior General