One group that Eugene considered abandoned was the youth of the nation. Education was strictly controlled by the State following the French Revolution and did not give attention to religion. Following his vision to reach out to the most abandoned, Eugene decided to form an association through which young people could deepen their faith and live it. This action was indeed dangerous, because it meant he was going counter to the law, a law which he considered unjust.
He wrote: “It is a difficult undertaking and I fully realize what it entails. .. However I have no fear because I am putting my trust in God and am seeking his glory and the salvation of souls redeemed by his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ “. He named the group the HOLY ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN YOUTH.
Six youngsters attended the first meeting and eventually the number would grow to 300. Two of the original group became Oblates. With membership of this association growing so fast, there was always the problem of finding a place big enough to gather. Thus in 1815 he bought the old Carmelite convent with its desecrated church, which they restored and used for their meetings. This became the founding house for the Oblates.
Reflection Questions
- St Eugene took steps to change things when he saw an unjust situation. How do we respond when we see something unjust? What stops us from acting to change things?
- There is a fine line between breaking the law and contesting it in order to fight an injustice. What are some of the factors differentiating the two? How does God fit into this?
Br Joshua Nash OMI
Fr Christian Fini OMI
Fr Andrew Chen OMI
Fr Christian Fini OMI
