The Priests of Aix in the Footsteps of Saint Eugene
Originally Published on OMIWORLD.ORG
During the last week of February, a pilgrimage of the priests of the Diocese of Aix and Arles took place in the footsteps of Saint Eugene de Mazenod. Bishop Christophe Dufour made this pilgrimage together with about thirty priests of his diocese. The role of guide and preacher was entrusted to Father Bernard DULLIER OMI, author of “15 days with Eugene de Mazenod”.
During the pilgrimage, the participants attended conferences on the spiritual journey of Saint Eugene de Mazenod. All the conferences were given at the Foyer of Charity in Sufferchoix. The pilgrims visited the Church of Grans where the first parish mission preached by Saint Eugene and his companions took place, three weeks after the foundation of the Missionaries of Provence. Then, they walked following the footsteps of Saint Eugene through Marseille and completed the pilgrimage by the celebration of Eucharist in the chapel of the vows at the Oblate House on Cours Mirabeau in Aix.
Here are some words of Fr. Dullier during his inspiring homily at the closing Mass: “In this Chapel we encounter Christ who calls each of us by name, to be with him and to send us to bear witness to the Good News. In this chapel, this morning, is present the Diocesan Church with its presbytery gathered around their Bishop. The local Church is a sign of the universal Church. At the end of this pilgrimage, a call is heard, a call to unity and brotherly love without which the Church is not the Church, a call also to love the Church; because no one can claim to love Christ, if he does not love the Church”. (Krzysztof ZIELENDA)