SALESIAN LITERATURE

Missionary Spirit of SFS:

Apostle of the Chablais

by Fr. Midathada Mariadas MSFS

(This is the second part of his Doctoral Dissertation in Pastoral Theology)


This book is on the missionary spirit of St. Francis de Sales and his mission in the Chablais, highlighting the apostolic zeal which burned in the heart of St. Francis de Sales. It is this characteristic virtue that we, endeavour to imitate and use as a sign of our particular identity. It is precisely this word “zeal” that, at the time of the foundation of MSFS Congregation, Mgr. Rey had cited as being the special characteristic of St. Francis de Sales, for the benefit of Fr. Mermier and his Missionaries.

St. Francis de Sales, Apostle of Chablais, has been a zealous missionary because his heart was overflowing with God’s love and, as he said it himself, “zeal is nothing else but the ardour of love.” A Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales is someone whose heart has to be entirely filled with God’s love in the example of the heart of St. Francis de Sales: “I desire either to die or to love God; either death or Love of God, for, life without God’s Love is worse than death.”

In this book, we learn about the methods devised by Francis de Sales for evangelization, of the spirit and zeal that animated them, thus getting an insight into the mind and heart of a great saint, whose example remains as valid today as it was in the XVIIth Century. This is not just an exercise in archaeology, but, in spite of the changing times, it provides us with a warm and practical inspiration for our own work of evangelization.

This part of the thesis dealing with the missionary zeal of SFS was published on the occasion of the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Fr. Pierre-Marie Mermier, the Founder of MSFS, who was above all a “zealous missionary.” We learn from Fr. Mermier that this zeal which burns in our hearts, calls for renouncement and generosity and urges us onwards to apostolic heights.

Table of Contents

  1. Dedication

2. Preface

3. Introduction

4. Biography of St. Francis de Sales

CHAPTER II: REALIZATION

A. GENUINE ECCLESIASTICAL VOCATION

1.Prophecy

2.Prolongation

(a) Reasons

(b) An astounding sign

3.Resolute Will

(a) Prospect of most desirable marriage

(b) Polite refusal from an undivided heart

(c) Firm determination

4.Accomplishment

(a) Difficult decision

(b) Good opportunity

(c) Fruitful solution

5.Sacred Orders

6.Sense of the Sacred

(a) Sacred dignity

(b) Sovereign duty

(c) Courageous acceptance

7.Authentic Vocation

B. ECCLESIAL DIMENSION

1.Spirit of the Provost

(a) Spirit of justice

(b) Spirit of humble servitude

2.Double Perspective

(a) Ministry for the faithful flock

(b) Ministry for the separated flock

3.Spirit of Pentecost

(a) Spirit of love and communion

(b) Spirit of renewal

(c) Spirit of reconciliation and peace

(d) Spirit of Mary

CHAPTER III: MISSIONARY APOSTOLATE

A. MISSIONARY VOCATION

1.The Sad State of Chablais

2.The Unique Volunteer

B. MISSIONARY SPIRIT

1.Zeal unto Death

2.Spiritual Priority

(a) Charity

(b) Prayer, penance and alms

(c) Good example

C. DIRECT APPROACHES

1.Proximate Preparation

2.First Contacts

(a) Spirit of poverty and sympathy

(b) Spirit of cordial respect

(c) Difficulties and dim of perseverance

(d) Spirit of suffering

D. INDIRECT APPROACHES: THE LITERARY MASS-MEDIA

1.“Meditations"

1. Origin

2. Nature and characteristics

3. Theological contents

4. Religious pedagogy

2.Other Polemical Works

1. A brief meditation on the Apostles’ Creed”

2. "Defence of the Standard of the Cross”

D. DIVERSE WAYS OF EVANGELIZATION

1.Dialectical Preaching

(a) Active presence among the people

(b) New form of preaching

2.Familiar Conferences

(a) Intimate interviews

(b) First-fruits

3.Catechumenal Dialogue for Youth

(a) A new method

(b) A model lesson

4.Personal Encounters with the Protestant Ministers

(a) Indirect encounters

(b) Direct encounters

(c) Personal encounters with Theodore Beze

(d) Success and failure

F. PROGRAMME FOR PROGRESS

1.Restoration of Catholic Cult

2.Overall Missionary Project

(a) Personnel

(b) Finance

3.Spiritual Aid

(a) Spiritual centre

(b) Spiritual encircling

(c) Spiritual celebration

(d) Special permissions

(e) Spiritual power

4.“The Apostle of Chablais”

(a) A well-merited title

(b) Salesian missionary pedagogy

REFERENCES