Oblates Meeting of Major Superiors, Annecy 2022
Last Monday, I arrived in Annecy, a beautiful alpine city in southeastern France where St. Francis de Sales once served as priest and bishop. I was there to represent the new Provincial and the members of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province at the Meeting of the Major Superiors, a gathering of the Oblate leaders of the provinces and regions from throughout the world. This meeting is called from time to time by our Superior General, Fr. Barry Strong, OSFS, and seeks reflections and input from these leaders. It is a time to offer mutual support, reflect on the mandate that the Gospel presents to us, and address issues that apply to the entire Congregation, reminded that we are a community sent forth to serve around the globe.
Oblate Fathers Michael Vannicola and Guillaume Kambounon
The meeting was substantive. This was the first such gathering in person since 2019. My brother Oblates took the time to share blessings, opportunities, and challenges. In the spirit of synodality so strongly promoted by Pope Francis, real dialogue took place on a variety of topics including the formation of our younger confreres, a revision of our Constitutions, the needs of those to whom we minister, the state of our common life together, how we plan for the future, reaching beyond our own provinces, and the hope that we have as we move forward.
In fact, while the Church faces challenges, we departed from the meeting with a clear sense of joy, reminding ourselves that there is so much
work for us to do to help others to realize, in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales, their own call to holiness. The Oblates have 98 men in formation throughout the world, young individuals eager to join us in this mission and we feel blessed to have them.
One of my confreres at the meeting, during his sharing, really moved me as I was reflecting on the witness we are called to offer. Fr. Guillaume Kambounon, a member of the General Council from the West African country of Benin, spoke about how the Oblates there come from various tribes. It is unheard of for families of these tribes to mix and interaction between them is limited. When the people see the Oblates come from these various tribes and live together in the same religious houses, they simply cannot believe it. Not only do the Oblates in Benin do so, but they live together joyfully, prayerfully, and sharing a common purpose.
The witness of the Oblates in Benin is incredible. They show what seemed to be impossible to be possible. In reality, that is what the Oblates are called to do wherever we are and in whatever ministry we serve. In our common life, Oblates are called to bear witness to what it means to walk as Christians together. In a world torn by strife, this witness shows that people of different backgrounds, interests, and gifts can be brought together by God for a common purpose. Through the model that St. Francis de Sales provides in meeting people where they are, listening with full attention and with a true sense of care and concern, and recognizing the critical role that every Christian plays in the mission, we are well equipped for the task at hand.
During the meeting, Fr. Strong asked each of us to share our vocation story, what brought us to the Oblates and what causes us to remain. My answer on why I wake up each day and re-embrace my Oblate life is reflected in precisely what Fr. Guillaume shared, the power of the witness that we provide together following the example of the Gentleman Saint who shows us that in a tumultuous world, there is a better way. By the power of our shared life, he and I, while living over 5,000 miles away, in vastly different cultures, are connected in a common life and a simple, yet critical mission.
Father Michael Vannicola, OSFS
Assistant Provincial, Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
