PC Lr. No. 2 SEPTEMBER 2015

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STELLA MARIS, CHINNA WALTAIR-530017

VISAKHAPATNAM, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA

Provincial : 0891/ 2710259

Cell : 09985860195, Fax : 0891/ 2702589

Email: msfsvizag@gmail.com, frchinnapareddymsfs@gmail.com

provincialvizagmsfs@gmail.com

My dear confreres,

Greetings of love and peace of Christ from Stella Maris,Visakhapatnam. As I write this second circular I pray for thewell being of every confrere and wish that you pray for the wellbeing of one another.

In the month of September, as the Missionaries of St.Francis de Sales, we are reminded of the two important dateswhich are quite special to the Congregation. They are: Feast ofthe Mother of Sorrows (15th September) and the Founder’sDay (30th September).

Contents

• Introduction• Provincial Congress 2015• Golden Jubilee of

Visakhapatnam Province• Mission Heritage Week• Local and Apostolic

Communities• News from Trinidad• Foundation stone at

Surampalli• Blessing and

Inauguration at Pamidi• Bible Diary 2016• Visitation to Kerala• Appointments• Welcome Back• For Studies• Congratulations• Prayer for the Sick• Let us pray for the

Departed• Tentative Programme• Salesian Thought• Key note address by

Rev. Fr. Emile Mayoraz msfs

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As we approach the day of our Patroness Mother Sorrows, we need to becomeaware of the fact that when a child suffers, the mother too suffers. Thus whenever Jesussuffered, His mother Mary too suffered. She teaches through her life of total surrender to thewill of God, how we must follow Christ Crucified through our life of commitment to thegospel values. According to our Constitutions no. 11, the Mother of Sorrows reminds us tobe constantly compassionate so that our commitment to Christ, to His Church and to thevalues of His Kingdom finds expression in our daring apostolic commitment even at thecost of our own lives. Hence, as we celebrate the feast of Mother of Sorrows, let us reflecton the role of our Blessed Mother in the salvation of humankind and resolve to becomepartakers in the salvific plan of God by preaching the Gospel by word and example to thepeople to whomever we are sent.

Secondly, on 30th September, we remember our beloved founder Fr. Peter MaryMermier. The day must be observed with fervour since we are members of the religiousCongregation founded by him. It is an occasion to study and reflect on the life, struggles andthe enthusiasm of our dear Founder. This year being the Year of Mission for the Congregation,his slogan “I want Missions” must echo in our hearts and minds. The Constitutions no. 4underlines that his total submission to God’s plan and to His mission was expressed in thefollowing words: “I have totally dedicated myself to the work of the missions, to the sublimeministry of Jesus Christ who is the first missionary and the leader in every mission.” Hismissionary fervour and commitment must always be of great inspiration.

Thirdly, this year, for us as the members of the Visakhapatnam Province, we haveanother most important event coming in this month, that is, the Provincial Congress 2015.The days September 23 – 26 are very special in the life of the Province of Visakhapatnam,since all of us as one Province would come together to discuss and plan together the past,the present and the future of the life of the Province. As the theme of the Congress, MSFSof VIZAG Province: To be Witnesses as Praying and Fraternal Communities in theMission of Faith Renewal, suggests, the Provincial Congress 2015 provides us anopportunity to reflect and introspect as a Province on our priorities and the mission of theCongregation as a whole and the Province of Visakhapatnam in particular. The Constitutionsno. 242 clearly states the objectives of the Provincial Congress as ‘to evaluate the religiouslife and missionary commitment of the Province, initiate measures for inner renewal andreinvigoration, and work out ways and means to be constantly alert to the promptings of theSpirit and to be ever responsive to the needs of the Church and the society’ apart fromelecting the Councilors and approving and reviewing the Statutes. So I exhort all of you tomake necessary travel arrangements to attend the Provincial Congress and to make somevaluable contribution for the future of the Province and the Congregation. May God be withus to inspire and guide us all through this all-important event!

Provincial Congress 2015

As I mentioned in the previous page in my introduction, I exhort everyone to make efforts tobe present for the Provincial Congress. However, confreres those who are not able to makeup for this important event please do inform to me. To make things easy, the Superiors ofthe communities are exhorted to inform to the secretary the names of the participants beforethe 6th of September 2015 either by phone or email: msfsvizag@gmail.com.

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Golden Jubilee of Visakhapatnam Province

I am extremely glad to announce that this year the province of Visakhapatnam completesfifty years as the Province. It is a very joyful occasion to all of us to thank God, our founder,our early missionaries, and all those who led the Congregation and the Province in particularover these years. So, on the last day of the Provincial Congress we will have the GoldenJubilee Thanksgiving Mass.

Mission Heritage Week

As for the decision of the General Administration, it is decided to conduct Mission HeritageWeek at MSFS Dhyanashram, Visakhapatnam from 19th to 24th October 2015. Rev. Fr. NoelRebello, General Councilor, will be coordinating and animating this upcoming programme.According to Very Rev. Fr. Superior General, the objectives of the MISSION HERITAGEWEEK are:

• To step back for a week and check whether or not our decisions and policies expressedthrough Action Plan during the last months of Consecrated Life for Mission 2015 arerealized.

• To have a MIDTERM EVALUATION in order to go ahead with deeper commitment toConsecrated Life and Missionary Life in the Congregation.

Very Rev. Fr. Superior General, in his letter SG-AB 15-106, wished to see the following fivethings as the outcome of the Mission Heritage Week. They are:

1. To plan out programs for our scholastics in all our Formation Houses all over the worldinvolving them in writing essays, articles, and presentations on Consecrated Life andMission and encourage them to make commitments to work in the frontier missions.

2. Evaluation of the Consecrated Life and Missionary Life in the Congregation 2015 at theLocal Community Level and Province level and ensure that our objectives and actionplan of the Provinces are realized.

3. The Animators from the six Provinces with the Coordinators continue to give leadershipto each Province for the Animation Programs in consultation with the Provincial.

4. To plan out the Year for Formation 2016 with clear and focused program for theScholastics and Formators, and organizing Ongoing Formation Program at the Inter –Province level during the Year 2016.

5. Finally, all gathered at the Mission Heritage Week are to take some time to come upwith a rough plan during this meeting for the Year for Formation 2016? We shall finalizethe program during the PIF and General Curia Meeting in November 2015.

Fr. P. Inna Reddy, Fr. A. Dhanraj, Fr. B. Prasad and Fr. Y. Jacob Reddy are requested toattend this meeting without fail, in order to guide the Province to implement the decisionsmade at the meeting.

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LOCAL AND APOSTOLIC COMMUNITIES IN THE PROVINCE

Local Community Those attached Apostolic ConvenerCommunity

Stella Maris SFS Parish,Chinna Waltair Vizag I

Salesianum doSFS Press Jubilee Home doSeethammadhara SJC, Waltair do Fr. Inna Reddy

St. Aloysius School S. H. Church & Paderu Vizag IISt. Aloysius NFI doRoss Hill doSFS Gjuwaka doSt. Aloysius ITI do Fr. Philip Souriamkuzhy

Palasa Srikakulam Fr. Paul Theneth

Pithapuram Jaggampeta E. & W. GodavariNidadavole doTanuku do Fr. L Ravi Kumar

Janampeta Eluru Fr. Mani Malana

Agiripally Vijayawada &Khammam

Nunna Singh Nagar & doIbrahimpatnam

Khammam Garla do Fr. Jojaiah

Melavagu Kothapalli & Guntur & NelloreMandadi

Rajupalem doParachur K. Devaraj do Fr. Mathew Mannu

Korutla Elakathuruthy Hyderabad & WarangalShantinagar doMalkajgiri doMedipally Ghatkesar, do

Shabad&BibinagarNizamabad Janakampet do Fr. Dhaman Kumar

Anantapur C. N. Kota AnanthapurPamidi do Fr. Joy. Kuzhinjalil

Mermier Bhavan Frs. P. Philip & VadakkencherryM. Mathew

Minor Seminary do Fr. Mathew Manayathumari

Suvidya Confreres of Vizag Suvidya Fr. Joy Mampally

Wurzburg Trier, Passau & Salzburg Wurzburg

Aachen – Munster do Fr. Silvester

Trinidad Trinidad Fr. Bhaskar Jayaseelan

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Papua New Guinea P. N. G. Fr. Jose Mullenmadackal

Thompson Canada Fr. Guna Sekhar

United States of America USA Fr. Bonela Antony

News from Trinidad

Decennial Anniversary celebrations at St. Anthony’s R.C. Church, Point Fortin

The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS) celebrated its tenth year of missionaryservice to the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies in June 2015.In honour of this important mile-stone, Holy Mass was celebrated on 8th June 2015 at St.Anthony’s R.C. Church in Point Fortin. Since Archbishop Joseph Harris was unable to comedue to illness, Bishop Robert Llanos officiated the solemn Holy Mass along with BishopEmeritus Malcolm Galt, MSFS priests Rev. Fathers Shijo Panthalanickal; PolamarasettyKarun Kumar; Jose Marie Thekkekutte, Santhosh Puliyammakkal, Fr. Baskar Jayaseelanand twenty-one other priests from parishes across the Archdiocese. The parishioners ofthe Point Fortin/ Cedros communities were joined by representatives from the othercommunities being served by MSFS priests (Princess Town; Rio Claro; Moruga; La Brea;South Oropouche and Siparia/Erin) in this joyful celebration. This Mass represented a fusionof the Local and Indian worship traditions, as it featured the seamless integration of Indiandances performed by the Youth, as well as Indian worship songs sung by members of theMusic Ministry. Fr. Baskar Jayaseelan preached on the occasion focusing on the life of St.Francis de Sales, Fr. Peter Marie Mermier and the history of the MSFS and its internationalspread; the beginnings of the MSFS in the Caribbean and growth in Trinidad and Tobago.

In his concluding remarks, Bishop Llanos complimented the MSFS missionaries for theirhard work within the Archdiocese, encouraged parishioners to follow their example andinsisted that fear should not keep people from being missionaries. He challenged the MSFSmissionaries to “dream even greater things” as they go “forward in the years to come, notjust to the Church of Trinidad and Tobago but for the Church of India” and abroad. Rev. Fr.Shijo Panthalanickal proposed the Vote of Thanks on behalf of the MSFS and used thisopportunity to express his gratitude for the support he has received during his tenure inTrinidad.

- Fr. Antony Baskar Jayaseelan

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Foundation stone for the Church at Surampalli Village, Nunna Parish

The 10th of July 2015 was a joyous day for the faithful of Nunna parish, especially for theCatholics of Surampalli village as the foundation stone was laid for the construction of thenew church. The ceremony began at 11:30 am with a short prayer service led by Fr. DolaVelangani Rao, the parish priest. Very Rev. Fr. Chinnappa Reddy, the provincialsuperior, blessed and laid the foundation stone. Among those present at the ceremonywere - Rev. Frs. Dhaman Kumar, the councilor in-charge of missions, Mendem Bhaskarthe provincial Bursar, Ganji Bala Joji Reddy, Bonthu Prasad, Sisters of St.Ann’s of Luzern,Brothers of the Missionaries of Charity and the faithful. The village elders felicitated thedignitaries and expressed their happiness. The ceremony ended with vote of thanks followedby refreshments.

- Report by Fr. Lourduraj msfs

Blessing and Inauguration at SFS School, Pamidi

On 16th July 2015, Very Rev. Fr. P. Chinnappa Reddy, our new Provincial of Visakhapatnam,blessed and inaugurated the first floor of the of the new block at SFS School, Pamidi. Itconsists of two class rooms, a science lab and a computer lab. A warm welcome wasaccorded to the Provincial with a welcome dance, performed beautifully by the school children.Fr. Abraham Vettukattil, Correspondent and Fr. Kishore Babu, Superior & Principal felicitatedhim in the presence of the staff and the students. Speaking on that occasion, Rev. Fr.Provincial appreciated the Confreres for their hard work and commitment and thanked the

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staff for their cooperation. He also encouraged the students to do well in studies and maketheir parents and the school management proud with their success.

- Fr. N. Kishore Babu msfs

Bible Diary 2016

Liturgical Diary titled as JOY OF THE GOSPEL 2016 is published and marketed by SFSPublications, Bangalore. It is released and copies are available for sale at Stella Maris, RossHill Shrine, Shanthinagar etc. So, please try to grab a copy and make use of the reflectionscontributed by the eminent persons of the Congregation. In this context, I congratulate Rev.Fr. Benny Koottanal msfs and his team at IIS, Bangalore and all those who have workedhard to make this a reality.

Visitation to Kerala

I had the pleasure of meeting our confreres working in Kerala from 12th to 17th August. Thisvisitation enabled me to complete successfully the Vision-Mission Report of the Provinceand also fulfilled my desire to meet each confrere and visit every mission personally. It wasa very enriching and informative visit. I had the joy of celebrating the Independence Day withthe staff and students at MSFS Seminary, Vadakkencherry. I am grateful to our confreres atMSFS Seminary, Mermier Bhavan in Vadakkencherry, Nemmara, Vandazhi Estate andNelliyampathy for the welcome they accorded to me, for their sharing and their valuable timethey had spared to make my stay in Kerala very comfortable. I wish all of them God’s blessings.

Appointments

Fr. Simon Paicatt – Parish Priest at R.C. Church, KaramcheduFr. G. Shantha Kumar – Keewatin The Pas, Canada Mission

Welcome Back

Fr. Gade Kishore Reddy, returned to the Province after successfully rendering his servicesat Reischach, Germany (in the diocese of Passau). We thank and appreciate him for all hisservices. He is now appointed on the staff at SFS School, Pamidi. I wish him all the best andinvoke God’s blessings upon him.

For Studies

Fr. Nelapudi Bala Raju is sent to do Diploma in Printing Technology at SIGA PolytechnicCollege at Chennai.

Fr. Jacob Reddy is doing LLB studies in Hyderabad.Let us wish them good success.

CongratulationsFr. K. V. S. Prasad passed M.B.A with distinction. He has secured the first rank in theCollege. Let us congratulate him.

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Fr. Kondala Joseph is elected as the Vizag Local CRI President. Congratulations andBest wishes to him.

Prayer for the Sick

Mariamma, 102 years old, grandmother of Fr. Y. Jacob Reddy.

Let us pray for the DepartedFr. John Bosco Khakha, 53 years old, of North-East India Province died of cardiac arreston 9th July 2015 at Udalguri, Assam.

Mrs. Lekha, 43, niece of Bro. Thomas Malappuram, died of heart attack on 27th July 2015.

Fr. Baptist D’souza, 53 years old, expired on 19th August at KEM Hospital Pune.

Rev. Fr. Ladir João Brondani, 48 years old, of Brazil Province, expired on 01st August,2015.

May their souls rest in peace!

I request you to fulfill the suffrages at the earliest. (Const. No.118; General Directory No.98)

Tentative Programme

September 6 SFS Church, Chinna Waltair

September 10 Council Meeting (morning)

September 10 Preparation Committee and Core Committee Meeting (afternoon)

September 13 Khammam (Morning), Ajithsingh Nagar (Evening)

September 14 Ibrahimpatnam

September 15 Kondadaba Feast

September 20 Palasa

September 23-26 Provincial Congress

Yours fraternally in Christ,

Fr. P. Chinnappa Reddy msfsProvincial Superior

Salesian Thought

“As often as you can during the day, recall your mind to the presence of God…. Consider what God isdoing, what you are doing. You will always find God’s eyes fixed on you in unchangeable love. Ourhearts should each day seek a resting-place on Calvary or near our Lord, in order to retire there to restfrom worldly cares and to find strength against temptation. Remember frequently to retire into thesolitude of your heart, even while you are externally occupied in business or society.

Introduction to the Devout Life

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KEY NOTE ADDRESS BY REV FR. EMILE MAYORAZ MSF

(At the Meeting of the WUG, May 13th – 14th 2015: Major Superiors of

Western Provinces, USA, GAH and General Curia)

Father General asked me to address to you, on the occasion of your meeting, in openingyour session, with a “key note address”. I simply replied to him: why not? Yes, why not havethe joy of meeting you again, after many years, and with you take a look at the situation ofour congregation, always sent into a rapidly changing world, most particularly during the last25 years. And that is in view to respond better to what the Lord expects of our congregation,within the Church, for today’s world. If it is necessary to look back, it is only to better understandthe present and to realize what the Lord expects of us today, and to move forward inconfidence, more exactly in hope.

Our congregation of MSFS is still a young congregation. Its present strength and itspermanence are the ones we are able to offer it today. In these past 25 years, our Congregationhas met precisely problems of growing, that the last General Chapters of 2001, 2007 and2013 very well understood and took up, especially remaining that our Congregation is verydeeply rooted in Annecy, by our Founder, Fr. Peter-Mary Mermier himself tells us: It’s fromAnnecy, as from its centre, that the Congregation will be expanded, if it pleases God to blessit and to protect it”.

A young Congregation, as Father General has pointed out, in his circular letter of July 9,2014. “The year 2015 is an important year for the MSFS: 5 Provinces, Franco-Swiss, England,Brazil, Visakhapatnam and Nagpur, will celebrate their Golden Jubilee, 50 years of existence,as a Congregation fully constituted in Provinces. Since the foundation of the Congregationin 1838, until 1966, there was only one central Administration in Annecy, with only Missions,especially in India. The creation of the Provinces in 1966 has been a new beginning. For itspart, the Franco-Swiss Province also had to build up itself, with the inevitable frictions toachieve its autonomy, legal and financial. I can speak of it knowingly, since I was the firstProvincial of Franco-Swiss. In a very precise way, the two Provinces of Visakhapatnam andNagpur, in India were the starting point of an extraordinary development of the Congregationin India.

A Congregation still to build up: yes, it is obvious, if we are thinking Church, where there isthe Ignatian Tradition, the Dominican Tradition the Franciscan Tradition, and many others.The Tradition MSFS, MSFS-ness, is still to be built. It is our responsibility today to continueto build up our MSFS Tradition, firmly rooted in Annecy through St. Francis de Sales andthrough Fr. Peter-Mary Mermier.

Since 25 years, we must deplore the lack of vocations in Europe. However, there is somethingto thank God, for the extraordinary development and missionary expansion of our Congregationin India and from India. In the years 2000, a survey was done to indicate the increase ordecrease in the number of different religious congregations, between the years 1966 and1999. Regarding our Congregation, we have the satisfaction of seeing an increase of 13 %: in1966, the number of MSFS was 397, in 1981 of 491; in 1999 of 916 and at present of 1300.

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At the present time, our Congregation is well established in India. But a first evangelizationis still needed in many places in India. However, where our communities are staying now, inIndia, inside the established local Churches, what it is asked to our MSFS Congregating isa mission of consolidation of the faith of the people. Then, at the present time, ourCongregation must remain very much present in Europe, in North America, in South America,always to consolidate the faith in the spirit of Fr. Peter-Mary Mermier, our Congregation isvery much committed to Africa, where the proclamation of the Gospel is particularly linkedto the service of the poor and of the abandoned children and to the training of young people.

The “I want the Missions” of Fr. Peter-Mary Mermier is entrusted to our MSFS Congregationtoday. So, the question, put before us is very simple what would do Father Mermier, today?

The first MSFS, who joined father Mermier, with the consent of their bishop, have simply leftthe parish and diocesan structures, as MSFS, along with Father Mermier. These first MSFSwere personalities of great human value, like fathers Martin and Neyret, whom Father Mermierdid not hesitate to send to India. Along with Father Mermier, the first MSFS were “renovators”,since Father Mermier himself was the “Renovator of the Pastoral Mission in Savoy”. To be“renovators”, it is even part of the very nature of our MSFS Congregation. At the time ofFather Mermier, at our Foundation, we have been called “Missionaries”, because of theurgency of the missionaries activities, to which Father Mermier responded. For FatherMermier, in a religious situation, in France, of indifference and unbelief, the return to Godcould only be obtained through the preaching of the word of God, and very concretely by the“Parish Missions”. In the very intuition of Father Mermier, a profound missionary intuition togive a pastoral response to the urgent missionary needs is a component of our mission, asMSFS: to be “renovators. It means, as engaged we are in the pastoral activities of thedifferent local Churches, that the role, the Mission of the MSFS is particular. We have to actthe part of leaders, of formators, of guides, of counsellors in a total fidelity to the Church.This particular role, which is ours as MSFS, includes special and exigent requirements, towhich the local Superiors, the Provincials, Father General, should try to respond.

Community life is an essential part of the life of a MSFS. The Mission, as desired by FatherMermier, is realized from a community. After his first vows, in September 24th 1838, with fiveof his confreres, Fr. Mermier says: “I desired only one thing, and I asked it to the Lord, that isto live with brothers”. In the mind of Father Mermier, religious consecration is a constitutiveelement of our life and of our charism as MSFS. Community life is expressed daily byconcrete steps. Hence, the importance, in each Province and Mission of the localcommunities. The role of the local Superiors is important.

By our life of MSFS, for the Mission of the Church, we are called to be renovators, formators,leaders, experts? It also requires a Formation beyond the average: human formation, doctrinalFormation, spiritual Formation, according to the Charism of each person and at the level ofeach person. Each one has its place in the Congregation, because the first quality requiredof each MSFS, first and foremost, is the personal holiness. The training of the heart is themost demanding.

I am delighted that, in India, where we find the largest number of the MSFS, are constitutedmore and more communities of Confreres, to whom precisely is entrusted the Mission to be

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“renovators”, at the service of the different local Churches, and according to the particularcharism of each Confrere.

Since the very beginning of our Mission in India, in 1845, the territory of Mission, originallyentrusted to our congregation, gave birth to more than 14 dioceses. In these same localChurches, it is our duty now to be “renovators “of the faith of the people, according to thecharism that is ours, as MSFS as disciples of Father Mermier. I am very happy that one ofthe General Councillors is the secretary for Mission planning and taking up of new Missions.In the present situation of the Church and of the world, it is up to us now to decide and to dowhat Father Mermier would decide and would do. But it is also up to us to hold, for anagainst all odds, certain values, which Father Mermier always holds, and which qualify us,even today, as MSFS. Values transmitted to us by Father Mermier, and they still qualify ustoday, as MSFS.

Let me mention to you three of the most important values:

1. To proclaim love and to live from it.

To proclaim the incarnated love in Jesus, and to live from it. God is love,and he became incarnated in Jesus. In living in Jesus, we become, eachone of us son of God; then we become ourselves the Incarnated Love ofGod. All this, though and this is what we have to announce, as MSFS, asdisciples of Saint Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Love of God. To proclaim,in Jesus, the humanity of our God, and at the same time to proclaim thedivinity of man. Yes, to proclaim the incarnated Love in Jesus, and to liveform it. Our characteristic as MSFS is to live from the Love of which SaintFrancis de sales is the Doctor of the Love of God. To proclaim in Jesusthe humanity f our God and at the same time to proclaim the divinity ofman. Yes to proclaim the incarnated Love in Jesus and to live from it. Ourcharacteristic as MSFS is to live from the love of which Saint Francis deSales is the Doctor of the Church.

All that is not of God and of Hi love is nothing to me” (SFS). The will of God, the will to createand to save, merges itself in God with love. The History of our Salvation is the same historyof the Love of God for us. Tirelessly, Saint Francis de Sales admires the “All Mightiness”, the“All Knowingness”, the “All Lovingness of our God.

2. A second value to which Father Mermier holds and that characterizesus as MSFS is the apostolic zeal.

The apostolic zeal is the same life of our Congregation. It is precisely bythe word “zeal” that at the time of our Foundation, the Bishop of Annecy,Bishop Rey, characterized Saint Francis De Sales, at the intention of FatherMermier and of his missionaries.

At its meeting in Morogoro (Tanzania) in May 2014, the General Council decided that theyear 2015 would be, for the Congregation, a Missionary Year. This is a reminder to theCongregation that the apostolic zeal is a value that constitutes the very nature of our life, as

MSFS. As proposed by the General Council, it is for the Congregation to mobilize humanresources, for missionary presence among the poor, especially in rural areas, as well to theperipheries, where a New Evangelization is vital. The love of God and the apostolic zeal.

The zeal is nothing else than the ardour of love. First and foremost, zeal for our ownsanctification, then for the sanctification of others, as Father Mermier wrote to a missionaryin India, in May 2nd 1853: “it is absolutely necessary that the truly apostolic man be convincedthat the zeal more ardent is not zeal, when it does not start for himself. How to be good forothers, when we are not taking care of ourselves?

3. The third value: an ongoing Formation according to the samerequirements of our vocation as MSFS, missionaries for the worldof today.

On February 24th 1849, Father Mermier, from Les Allinges, wrote to FatherPhilippe Gaidon, indicating to him the requirements of our mission “it seemsto me that it’s time to be holy, blameless, separated from the sinners,exalted above the heavens. Our ministry demands from us that we presentourselves to the world as other St. Francis de sales, perfectly disinterested,burning with zeal for the salvation of others, full of compassion at the sightof evils which afflict the people avoiding all unnecessary declarations, witha legitimate Mission, an impeccable doctrine and above all a holy life.

These are the requirements, explicatively desired by Father Mermier, and which ask fromour part an ongoing Formation, that is to say, a personal transformation of ourselves, allthroughout our life. Inside of each Province and Region, the Formation of the candidates isvital for the future of the Congregation. Each Province, or Region, is greatly aware of thecandidates, our future missionaries. Here, on my part, for the reflection, that I dare to proposeto you, I do want to mention only one point, which concerns all the MSFS, throughout theirlife: that is to say to form in them true men, and to train them to be saints. It is a personalresponsibility left to each MSFS. This concerns every MSFS, and it takes a lifetime. To formsaints in forming true men. The spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales, who was “as nothingmore than man”, commits us to that and it helps us to that. It is a process of daily conversionand of a continual personal transformation, to become ever better what we are called to be,under the marvellous action of the Holy Spirit.

“The glory of God is man fully alive” (Saint Irenaeus). The Word of God itself, especially inChapter 5 of Saint Matthew, makes us understand that Jesus did not come to abolish but tofulfill. He has not come to destroy but to build. “Let your speech be yes, if it is yes. Let it beno, if it is no; anything more than this comes from the evil one” (Mt5, 37).

The human values constitute the essential foundation for our vocation as MSFS. They arethe condition of our apostolic effectiveness. I would like that the Formators, in the differentProvinces, take this into account, as our elderly MSFS Confreres have always taken thisinto account, giving a significant place to the Human Formation.

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If we had to make a list of these human values, I would venture out in mentioning the following:

- Loyalty and love for truth

- Personal discipline and acceptance of daily work

- Acceptance of self and desire for progress

- Selflessness and ability to welcome the other

- Freedom of self and psychological stability

- Persistent optimism and equanimity

- Discretion about self and the others

Only a missionary, united in its deepest being, free of self and open to others, sincere andtrue, can become an MSFS, in the spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, totally given and capableof bringing peace and serenity. This is what Father Mermier desires for us today, as hewrote to Father Philippe Gaiddon, “to be fully of compassion, to avoid unnecessary talks, tohave a perfect doctrine, to lead a holy life”.

Conclusion

In his time, Father Mermier was the “Renovator of pastoral mission in Savoy”. May he inspireus what the Lord expects of us today, so that, in Congregation, in our turn, we become the“renovators” of the pastoral Mission, in the Church of today. Some possible calls may beaddressed to us:

- To give the witness of a religious life lived in truth. “The consecrated life is at theheart of the Church, as a key element of its Mission” (John-Paul II, Vita Consecrate3).

- To consolidate the families, as an urgent missionary task. “The future of the humanitypasses through the family”(John –Paul II)

- To be present where young people meet

- To resolve to carry our charism to the frontiers of the world and to the peripheries ofthe society (SG-AB-05)

- To take advantage of the particular charism of each confrere, for preaching, forteaching, to lead and guide the youth…

The situation of the western Provinces, with the lack of vocations makes the work of theProvincials very difficult. This can be lived only in faith, and in remaining united with theProvinces, who still have vocations, and to the Missions, which are beginning to have vocations.

Since our Foundation, the spirit and the identity of our congregation have never changed.Our new constitutions wonderfully express the spirit of the congregation, and they definewell its identity and its Mission. Our new constitutions are for us a blessing: blessing of ourfidelity to the spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, and to the missionary intuition of Father Peter-Mary Mermier, our Founder.

The chance of our Congregation is to be defined by two words that will never get old:“Missionaries” and “Saint Francis de Sales”.

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“Seek only God. In our deeds, less there is of us, more there is of God” (Father Peter-MaryMermier).

Father Emile Mayoraz, MSFS May 13, 2015Former Superior General La Roche, France

LIVE JESUS!

My dear Fathers and Brothers,

Fr. Emile Mayoraz, our Superior general for 24 years, has been a great influence in thegrowth of our Congregation and his leadership has immensely contributed to the spreadof MSFS in the world. Father Mayoraz delivered a powerful message during the lastWUG Meeting with the General Curia in La Roche, France in the month of May 2015. I amsharing his message with the entire Congregation for our information and inspiration. Wegratefully remember and pray for Father Mayoraz. Thank you FatherMayoraz for all whatyou are to all of us.

United with you in prayer,

Live Jesus!

Father Abraham, MSFSSuperior General

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