September 1st, 2015 – Eugene De Mazenod International Centre          Originally Published on OMIWORLD.ORG

The summer session for Oblate scholastics is a session that allows participants to live in the cradle of the Congregation, a spiritual experience which helps them to make a concrete step in their formation to missionary life.

This year there were 15 scholastics who attended the session. They came from Poland, India, Italy, USA, South Korea, Czech Republic and Guatemala. During the session, they followed lectures on the life of St. Eugene de Mazenod, the history of the Congregation and the Oblate Charism. The lectures were followed by visits to places where Eugene had lived as well as by sharing in smaller groups. All those were done in a climate of openness to the linguistic and cultural differences of each participant.

On the 16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Church of the Mission hosted a beautiful International Mass animated by the participants of the Scholastics’ Summer Session. The richness of our Oblate family in culture, language and diversity became evident and was highly appreciated by the parishioners of the Church of the Mission. During the Mass three young Oblates shared their vocation stories and gave inspiring testimonies of their experience of the Session.

The session was animated by two members of the European Office of Formation (BEF), three formators and the Aix community. The session closed with a Mass and renewal of vows presided by Father General at the tomb of the Founder in the Cathedral of Marseille. (Krzysztof ZIELENDA in http://www.centremazenod.org)