The
members of the General Council of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (CJM),
also known as Eudists, were in the Philippines recently for a meeting. They also visited AVE COR community of the Eudists in the Philippine mission and several Good Shepherd Communities in Luzon.
Photo, from left, Frs. John, Pierre, Michel and Gustavo.
Fr. Michel Gérard CJM, Superior General, and his team, Vicar General Fr. Gustavo
Londoño of Colombia, the General Councillors Fr. John Howard of the United
States (North American Province) and Fr. Pierre-Yves Pecqueux of France, came
for their meeting held at Maryridge, Good Shepherd Convent in Tagaytay City
from January 5-11.
The General Council of the Eudists hold
meetings twice a year. In his September 8, 2009 letter to the Eudists, Fr.
Michel said that the meeting would
be held in the
Philippines, “… a long distance away but worth our while to acquire a better
knowledge of this first foundation in Asia, to meet the confreres and the candidates in
formation, and to discuss local situations with them... "
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| Fr. Michel Gérard CJM with Good Shepherd Sisters in Maryridge, Srs. Carmela Cruz, Jeanette Rimando and Rose Tapia. (Photos, courtesy of Fr. Gustavo Londoño) |
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| The Eudists during the Mass in Bukid Kabataan | |
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| The Eudists with Contemplatives, Srs. Celeste Engutan, Betty Therese Ramos, Maria Teresa Pomar, Laarni Bongato and Therese Veloso. |
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| In Quezon City, from left to right, Fr. John Howard, Sr. Cecilia Torres, Sr. Angelina Sanchez, Sr. Suzanne Sinense, Sr. Guadalupe Bautista, Fr. Ron Bagley, Fr. Gustavo Londoño and Sr. Regina Kuizon. |
The Eudists visited the Contemplatives, the various apostolates of the Good Shepherd
Sisters in Tagaytay, Bukid Kabataan, St. Bridget College in Batangas City, the
Provincialate and the different communities (Bahay Ugnayan, Euphrasian Community, Good Shepherd Community, Juniorate, Novitiate) in Quezon City. Sr. Cecile Torres RGS, province leader,
also accompanied the Eudists to the Heart of Mary Vila nursery that is located
at the Formation House.
Fr. Gustavo said, he and his brother priests, were grateful for
the opportunity to be in the Philippines and to meet Good Shepherd Sisters and
the people they minister to.
It was during the 64th General Assembly in August
2007,that Fr. Michel was reelected
leader of the congregation for another term (2007-2012). A new government
structure was also approved by the Assembly. The General Council of the Eudists
is composed of the General Superior, a Vicar General (who resides in
Rome), and two general councilors who do not live in Rome (in their provinces).
Founded by St. John Eudes in France in 1643, the Eudists, a
society of Apostolic Life, is a made
up of priests, deacons and laymen, incorporated or associates. Today, the
Eudists are working in France, in North America, in Latin America, in the
Caribbean, in Africa and the Philippines.
The Eudists began
their community in the Philipines in 2006 upon the invitation of Bishop Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle of
the Diocese of Imus. When
the Eudists were introduced to the Diocese, Bishop Chito mentioned the areas
they could be involved, collaboration in the work of the already existing seminaries, the
continuing formation of the clergy and
the formation of lay leaders.
The current
community of Eudists in the Philippines, AVE COR, is composed of Fr. Ron Bagley of the North American province, Fr. François Jourdan of France, Fr. Jose Angel Carrillo of Colombia, and seminarians/candidates for formation.
It was in September 2003 that Sr. Guadalupe
Bautista, outgoing general councilor of the Good Shepherd Sisters, scheduled a luncheon
meeting at the Good Shepherd Generalate in Rome with Bishop Chito and Fr.
Amadeo, then member of the Eudists General Council. The next day, Bishop Chito
who was in Rome for a meeting at the Vatican, was invited to meet with the
Eudist General Council. What followed were communications and visits of the
Eudists including Fr. Michel in the Diocese of Imus and the Good Shepherd
convents in Tagaytay and Quezon City. The General Council invited Eudist priests from the largest
provinces of France, Colombia and North America to volunteer to this special
mission.
Bishop Chito who was in Rome for the Synod of
Bishop in 2005, also met with the Eudists, including Fr. Raymond Vaillancourt, CJM, Provincial of North America, responsible
for the Philippine Mission.
The
pioneers of the Eudist Philippine Mission included Frs. Amadeo Pedroza
(Colombia), Pierre Marchand (France) and Ron Bagley (US, North America).
(RK)
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