Some time
ago, I came across the list of the 42 poor countries which are
heavily indebted, drawn up in 2002. Reading it attentively, I noticed
that our Congregation is present in 23 of these 42 countries. Here
they are in alphabetical order: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central
African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, The
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mauritania, Mozambique, Tanzania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda,
Vietnam and Zambia. Other countries could be added to this list. Many
Spiritans are also living and working in neglected areas of countries
which do not appear on the list.
Daily and prolonged contact with people, men and women, children, and
the aged, who live - or rather, survive, - in extreme poverty and
insecurity, is a psychological and moral trial that is sometimes very
difficult to bear. Lest such a trial should crush the missionary, he
must be able to count on the dual support of a real community and an
authentic spiritual life.
Finding new approaches
In such extreme conditions of poverty, ordinary pastoral work becomes
more and more difficult, if not impossible: the insecurity of travel
on dilapidated roads, the lack of transport and fuel, not having the
finance to organise the meetings and sessions that are so useful for
the growth of Christian communities and the formation of their
leaders. Other pastoral approaches have to be found and methods
rediscovered which are simpler and less expensive. Spiritans often
find that just their presence is as efficacious from an evangelical
point of view as programmes which involve considerable financial and
material resources.
Like generations of Spiritans who went before them, those who are
living and working with exceptionally poor people show a great deal
of courage and ingenuity in bringing them the most necessary material
help. They know how to mobilize the generosity of distant friends and
organise the distribution of material help so that it will get to
those whose needs are greatest. Often at great risk to themselves,
they are not frightened of analysing the basic causes of so much
misery and poverty.
Preach and Heal
Here and there, one hears it said that as they are neither social
workers nor militant politicians, they should not get involved in
such things but confine themselves completely to announcing the Word
of God. I cannot hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in such words,
he who during his own lifetime so closely blended preaching and
miracles of healing, who gave such simple and straightforward orders
to his first missionaries - "preach and heal". Neither can
I recognise there the voice of Fr. Libermann, who in the Rule of 1848
recommended that his confreres should act as follows: "Having
been consecrated by their divine Master to the poorest and most
miserable of people, their particular care and concern will be for
those whose sufferings and rejection are the greatest. They will
treat them with a special goodness and love and bring them as much
help and relief as they can, without examining too closely whether
they deserve it or not" (ND X, p. 516).
So when we hear these voices which would like to divert us from the
real sufferings of people, we must have the courage to refute them,
because what they are saying is contrary to the Gospel, contrary to
the teaching of Fr. Libermann, and contrary to our long Spiritan tradition.
Welcome
to the site of the TransCanada Province of the Spiritans. We are a
Roman Catholic Religious Congregation of over three thousand members,
founded in 1703. Our missions are spread worldwide. While we may be
found involved in many diverse ministries, we have dedicated
ourselves to working with the poor and in those situations where the
Church has difficulty in finding ministers. We hope you enjoy your
visit to our site and that while browsing you will keep us in your
prayers. May God bless you.
