In the Footsteps of St. Louis Marie de Montfort
"Footsteps Online"
Christmas 1997 (Volume 3, Issue 1)
Celebrations in Rome
Almost every year, the Company of Mary holds an "Extraordinary General Council", made up of the Superior General and his Council, together with the Superiors of the various Provinces and General Delegations around the world. It is usually held in Rome, and this year it was combined with a Pilgrimage to Rome from various parts of Europe to celebrate the 50th Anniversary, and with a meeting of the General Councils of all three Montfortian Congregations, the Company of Mary, the Daughters of Wisdom and the Brothers of St. Gabriel, and a 2-day gathering of the extended councils. As part of this, our three Superiors General met with the Holy Father at the audience of September 24th, 1997. We reproduce below the reflections of Father William Considine, Superior General of the Company of Mary, on these events, as published previously in MONTFORTIAN ECHO.
Sometimes a mere handful of people can represent thousands. At the end of September in Rome that is what happened in this 50th Anniversary of the Canonization of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. The Montfort Pilgrimages from Italy, France, Belgium and Holland had decided to organize for their pilgrims joint celebrations September 24th and 25th, emphasizing the unity in diversity of the greater Montfortian Family. The celebration at St. Laurent-sur-Sèvre in July was the initial common event for the Anniversary, but what happened in Rome opened that out to an even wider world.
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No doubt for many the highlight of the pilgrimage was a unique ceremony in St. Peter's the following morning. Fr. Corrado Maggioni, of the Italian Province, met the 200 pilgrims at the Basilica's central doors; then led by incense and the Cross, singing the litanies of the saints, they advanced down the main aisle toward the tomb of Peter. Having made their profession of faith, they walked back in procession to the great statue of Montfort high up in the Basilica's wall, where they prayed the litany of St. Louis de Montfort. A memorable event for the pilgrims and a special privilege!
That afternoon all gathered at the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls for a final Eucharist before being sent "on mission" back to their countries. Here again, one could tell that the small handful was truly representing thousands and thousands of others around the world. In the homily I said that: "In countries you may never have the privilege of visiting, thousands of people experience the mystery of God as you do: they share the same awe before the gentle Wisdom of God, made flesh in Virgin Mary's child; they know -as you do- that what has been hidden from the learned and clever has been revealed to the merest children: the full and abiding presence of Jesus Christ, Eternal and Incarnate Wisdom; they strive -as you do- day after day to live their baptismal life to the full...As a man or woman who lives the spirituality of Montfort, we each have a mission to make the beauty of Eternal Wisdom known and loved. Each one of us -- at home, in the family, at the office, at school, with our friends, with the poor, the sick, the little ones -- each one of us has a mission to let the gentle Love of God touch and transform the people around us. Being disciples of Montfort, we must carry out this mission in very concrete and simple ways, in ways which are very incarnate, which speak from heart to heart. Being disciples of Montfort we must carry out this mission with the love and the faith of Mary..."
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organising the procession for the renewal of vows during one of his missions |
The days of the pilgrimage were like the kindling wood for the great fire that was to follow September 27th to 29th when the Extraordinary General Councils of the Three Montfortian Institutes met at the Saint Gabriel Generalate. Some 75 superiors represented 5000 religious and thousands of other lay associates and co-workers on every continent. We began with another procession, following Montfort's custom for the renewal of the promises of Baptism. Each one kissed the book of the Gospels and renewed his Consecration. Again, Mother General brought the original statue of Mary carved by Montfort, and each one held and venerated it as we quietly prayed the Prayer to Mary (SM, 68-69).
For three days we shared, discussed, prayed and celebrated as the Montfortian Family. We tried to deepen our understanding of the inculturation of our charism; we examined where and in what forms our energies were found around the world, and how in the future we might unite those energies for a greater synergy. We saw real paths for greater collaboration in formation, spirituality, mission, and justice and peace.
On the last day together, the Eucharist was prolonged throughout the day. We began with a uniquely moving celebration of pardon and reconciliation. My words will not capture the power and emotion of it. In Tertio Millennio Adveniente, Pope Jean-Paul wrote that the Church cannot cross the threshold of the new millennium without encouraging her children to purify themselves of past errors and inconsistency; that sins detrimental to unity surely require greater repentance (n.33-34). It was in this spirit that we 75 brothers and sisters, led by the Three Superiors General, acknowledged our congregational and individual sins against unity, fraternity and charity. If the original idea of this celebration was to heal the pain and divisions between the Company of Mary and the Brothers of Saint Gabriel that stung the most 50 years ago at the moment of the Canonization, it soon enlarged its scope to seek pardon for what we each do in our communities, to different "classes" or "colors" or "castes". We asked forgiveness for scandals or hurts to the local Churches and to our lay employees and co-workers.
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St. Louis Marie on his staff |
Finally, as a sign of reconciliation and unity, in the name of the Company of Mary, I presented Brother Jean Friant with part of the relic of St. Louis Marie. What had been denied to our brothers in those painful times 50 years ago, became a sign and cause of unity in this Anniversary Year. There was many a tearful eye, and a deep realization that we had been graced to be actors and witnesses in a privileged moment in the history of the sons and daughters of Montfort and Marie-Louise.
In the evening we celebrated the Liturgy of the Eucharist, joining to the prayer of the Church our individual expressions of thanksgiving and praise. This historic encounter of the Montfortian Family ended with a missioning ceremony: the three Superiors General called out the brothers and sisters continent by continent, and sent them forth on mission back to their countries and tasks. As the Family went out from the chapel on mission group by group, eventually only the Three General Councils remained, and then in a lovely surprise, all the others returned to bless us and to strengthen us in our mission. Soon all one saw was smiles; all one heard was the repeated refrain: "Allez dans le monde entier! De tous les peuples faites des disciples. Alleluia! Alleluia.! Go out to all the world! Make disciples of all the nations. Alleluia! Alleluia!"
As the members of one of the small discussion groups noted, 75 persons experienced these events. What about the other 5000 plus? I believe that both for the superiors present and for each of us, St. Louis Marie has given his Family a gift and a duty in his 50th Anniversary Year. We are not alone, not even alone as one Congregation. We form one Montfortian Family with brothers and sisters, both lay and religious, literally all over the world. Montfort and Marie-Louise are proud of us; the Holy Father and countless Christians are proud of us. On the eve of the Third Millennium it is time for us to be proud of ourselves, and to believe that we have and that we are "a treasure that must bear fruit; that must not remain hidden."
WILLIAM CONSIDINE, smm
Superior General
