UPDATE: Mgr. Palud corrects the following entry in his comments below, which I have also pulled into a new thread here.
Initial entry
I will be away from blogging this week, working on other projects. However, some of my blog mates might be around. Please keep me in prayer. Additionally, I would urge those following the Legion/RC threads to check out the Missionary Society of Mandeville.
This was founded as a new community when several Fils de Marie (Sons of Mary) recognized that their founder had jumped the shark, and that serious intervention on the part of the Holy See might not turn it around. (Several former LC have told me the Fils de Marie were one of the few institutes at one time whose priests and seminarians mingled freely with the LC). So they approached their diocesan Bishop [CORRECTION: the bishop approached them, after they left the Fils de Marie to remain in the diocese], a former Superior General of the Passionists, who became the bishop-founder of the new institute.
What I also find interesting is how they discerned their charism. It’s the Marian and missionary spirituality that had attracted them to the Fils de Marie (minus the theological eccentricities introduced by the founder of the former institute), combined with the Passionist charism they received from the Bishop who offered them the opportunity to refound as a new institute. They even adopted Saint Vincent Strambi, a Passionist missionary, as their new patron.
Also note the role of the Bishop-founder who remained a member of the Passionists; he offered the new institute ecclesiastical protection and guidance throughout the refounding process. [Please note the correction in the comments section.]
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I think the Legion needs to be completely disbanded, and begin again with elements of the spiritually we all found so appealing — closeness with christ and allegiance to Pope and doing apostolic works for the good of the Church.
And I want someone other than a Mexican at the top.
Dear Pete,
Interesting comment, although not totally accurate.Allow me to expand. Before the Fils de Marie saga broke out, indeed a few years before that, the Officials of the Propagation of the Faith advised Bishop Boyle, former Superior General of the Passionists and First Bishop of Mandeville, that he might consider founding a missionary group of men dedicated especially for mission work in the Caribbean and to sustain the missionary works of the Diocese. I was his Vicar General at the time [and still am the Vicar General of the Diocese]. I encouraged Bishop Boyle to go forward. He was touched by my enthusiasm, but said to me, “Mike, I am too old to begin something new, and then again, I would need a group of men to begin this”.
When the Fils de Marie became manifestly heretical, the Superior general -after the Doctrinal Note of 2000 bearing Cardinal Ratzinger’s signature was published-, ordered all the Sons of Mary “back home” to Canada. 5 Sons of Mary, including myself left the institute and remained in the Diocese of Mandeville. We were just interested in continuing our lives as missionaries, under the guidance of our Bishop like all the other missionaries in the Diocese.
It was then that the BISHOP APPROACHED US and proposed to us the project which the Authorities in Rome had nudged him to do a few years earlier. He first convoked me and asked me if I remembered what he had told me about this project. “Of course, I remember Your Excellency, I even pushed your Excellency to go forward with it”. He replied, “Yes, that is correct. I was thinking of giving that project to you and your men [who left the Sons of Mary]” I said to him, “If that is your intention, Your Excellency, you will have to speak with the men yourself.”
So, a few days later, he convoked us all to his office, thanked us for remaining faithful to the Church and the People of God then he sat us together and gave to all present what was to be our initial legislation [remember, Paul Boyle was an excellent canonist]. One of our members asked if we could reflect on this before embarking on this new venture he was proposing to us.Indeed, the separation from our Institute had been painful. Naturally he said yes and we took time to pray and discern. THEN we said yes to this project.
Our charism of course is Passionist, Marian and Missionary. We have an excellent relationship with the Passionist General and of course with our new Bishop who is a Passionist. Indeed we are considered a “branch” of the Passionists [like there are many branches in the Franciscan family].
We are configured as a Diocesan Society of Apostolic Life. After our consent to his project, Bishop Boyle formally founded and established the Mission Society of Mandeville by episcopal Decree. He received the Perpetual incorporation of the first members. He then appointed a Passionist as our first Master of Novices as vocations started coming to join us. The rest is History.
We run a High School, a Home for abandoned Children, Two parishes, a mission station and we staff the Passionist Retreat House and do retreat work.
A number of us occupy curial positions. As for me, I am still the Vicar General of the Diocese, another member is the Diocesan M.C. and Liturgy Director. Another member occupied the Office of Youth Ministry for a number of years. We are also involved in Teriary education within the Catholic College of Mandeville. Our life is totally “poured out” for the sake of he missions in this developing country.
Indeed, we would welcome anyone who is serious, hard-working, has a genuine love for the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother and the Magisterium [a good sensus Ecclesiae !], has a genuine sense of mission and being with the People of God, and ready to lay down his life in the Mission Lands forevery by proclaiming the Memory of the Passion to our People.
We have more work than we have men. We were asked to open in other areas of the Caribbean. So, anyone interested can petition, and we will help them in the process.
I just wanted to set the record straight that WE did not intend to begin something new. We did not approach our Bishop. He approached us with this project, founded our Institute, guided us, presided the first General Chapter and obtained a first grant from the Propagation of the Faith to help us begin the Mission Society of Mandeville. He has left this World, but has left us a legacy intimately tied to mission life, passionist and marian spirituality.
Out of a terrible experience of death came new life. And I am grateful for it.
Monsignor Michael Palud, JCD
Vicar general of the Diocese