The Gift of “Oblate Studies”
“I am a part of all that I have met…” Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson
On August 28th of this year I joined two others from OMI Lacombe Canada Province to take the new on-line “Oblate Studies” course offered by the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio Texas. My life has not been the same since that day.
For many years now St. Eugene and his charism has been a passion of mine; getting to know him better, finding in him and with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate a very particular way of living out my own journey as a single lay woman who loves both her church and God. I have read many of his writings, reflected on them and then read some more, always trying to look at him and the Oblate way of living – and its relevancy if today’s world. But there have been gaps – questions that did not have answers.
Oblate Studies is filling in many of the little cracks and holes of my knowledge, as we are invited to get to know St. Eugene in a deeper way; how he came to love his Church so deeply and much, much more. There is no end to the reading material; which is made available on line and all of which is good (although I have to admit that I still have not fallen in love with Jean Leflon’s biographical 4 volumes of Eugene’s life). The course is divided into Classes which are 2 weeks in length; the 1st week offers a series of presentation videos as well as reading resources. The 2nd week is taken up doing some of that reading and preparing an assignment paper in response to assignments: one for the Oblate Associates and the second for the M.A. and M.Div. Oblate students. Once the assignments are submitted they are reviewed and graded. My experience has been that a very real commitment to the course is necessary if I am to take full advantage of all that it offers.
The course though – all gift!
I am learning how deeply Eugene’s life and experiences were nourished at the St. Sulpice Seminary; how his life was enhanced and filled out by the Sulpicians during his time there. His deep love of the Church was born there in the ‘School of French Spirituality’. And although Eugene became personally acquainted with poverty of many sorts during his time in exile and then when he returned to France – at the St. Sulpice he was also introduced to St. Vincent de Paul and others who had gone before him. His Spiritual Director, Fr. Duclaux, both at the seminary and then later continued to support and encourage Eugene to be faithful to his love of the poor. This love of the poor, those who were the most abandoned developed and grew while he was a seminarian. A small gift in all of this for me was that I came to know a little bit about Eugene’s spiritual director; he somehow reminded me a little bit of Fr. Fernand Jetté OMI (who I never met but who I have come to know and love from his writings) and even a little of my own Spiritual Director. One of many unexpected gifts that I have been receiving over the course of the past few months.
As we moved through those early years of Eugene’s life, his time at the 
seminary and his ordination I came to realize just what it meant for Eugene to be a priest! It was everything! We studied the beginnings of his Youth Congregation in Aix I became more aware and appreciative of how the youth group was very much a model for the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate. Our focus then changed to the beginnings of the Missionaries of Provence and the move to form a congregation, writing the Constitutions and Rules and heading to Rome to receive approbation. With each class we seemed to go deeper and deeper just as did my ongoing reflections. I decided that I wanted to write on both of the assignments as one seemed to flow into the other. A little more work but well worth it for me. I seemed to be revitalized rather than spent of all my energies as we moved from one class to the next.
Each of the assignments have been invitations to go deeper in the spirit of Eugene, deeper into the charism and how it is reflected in my life. It has all been humbling and exhilarating, difficult and enticing.
Not long after I began my journey with the Oblates and the other members of this Mazenodian Family I started to learn, realize and recognize who I am. My studies have only reinforced that idea. Eugene’s life shines a light on mine.
“As an Oblate Associate I have come to try and model myself on Jesus, on my beloved Church, on dear St. Eugene, on and with other Oblates and Oblate Associates. To hear the word “charism” and be told that I am invited to share in it while being a joy is simply not enough. I need to know what that means; what does it look like? How do I share it? Who do I walk with? At the same time I believe, now more than ever, that I am exactly where God has called me to be – and that is foundational for me, it is a base of strength and knowledge. As I write this I wonder if this is not a part of my testament of who I am in the eyes of God.” I wrote this as part of my last assignment. This is the real gift that the Oblate Studies offer us – coming to know who we are. We are invited, led, nourished and supported so that we can go deeper within ourselves and then we are able to look up and respond more fully to God’s call.
These studies are ‘stretching’ me, leading me deeper into the spirit of Eugene, deeper into the charism and how all of it is reflected in my life as a member of the Mazenodian Family. Christmas has come early this year!
By Eleanor Rabnett, Provincial Associate
