Reflections on the

Immense Hope Project

by Fr. Richard Sudlik, OMI

 During the month of October, Fr. David Ullrich and I crisscrossed the country to be present at the six Area Meetings that were attended by over 200 hundred Missionary Oblates. Our purpose was to help them enter more fully into the Immense Hope Project that the world wide Oblate community has begun. This is a time of renewal during which we will look at our life and mission in order to be more faithful to our call.

             Each meeting began with a review of the work already done at the local level. Nine challenges that we face as Oblates were raised at local meetings throughout the spring. Four dealt with our culture (changing cultural values, the needs of families and youth, just and humane economics and immigration issues), and five dealt with the Church (the credibility of the clergy, lack of priests and the need for lay leadership, renewed efforts at evangelization, the response to immigrants and polarization in the Church). Each Oblate was asked to respond to these challenges in three ways

1. Did the Oblate think that these challenge were important?

2. Did the Oblate feel competent to engage these challenges?

3. Was the Oblate willing to engage these issues?

 The following presentation was then given to help Oblates to understand where we are, how we got here and what our present situation calls us to do.

From Expansion to Diminishment to Enlivenment

 Oblates in the United States Province who were with the community before 1970, have known two realities-expansion and diminishment. All Oblates  are now called to experience another-enlivenment.

 Before 1970, our experience was one of growth. A look at our institutions gives us an insight into  that reality. Each of the 5 Provinces was able to build huge structures for the training of future Oblates. These are structures that we would not even contemplate today. The chapel at Oblate School of Theology, for example, is larger than many Churches and it was built for the seminarians of just one Province. Ordination classes of 15-20 were not uncommon. One Province would ordain in one year a greater number than are now in our total post-novitiate formation program. Retreat houses and shrines were built, Oblates were sent to study for advanced degrees so schools could be staffed. Parishes were accepted; chaplaincies were filled. We not only staffed a ministry, we “over staffed” that ministry. It was not unusual for a parish to have three or four Oblates and each one had a “young priest”. It was a time of unlimited possibilities. We could do anything we wanted and we did. A provincial at this time was like the old woman in the shoe, “she has so many children she didn’t know what to do”. All that mattered was that what we were doing was good.

 Then came 1970 and with it a time of diminishment. Our numbers began to be depleted. Those entering our community became a trickle. Those leaving became a flood. At this time we lost some of our best and brightest. We found ourselves seeking to do more with less. We could barely staff our ministries. Often men of advanced years were called upon to do a young man’s work. Instead living in community people were isolated because of the ministry. Ministries we valued were relinquished because of lack of personnel. We found ourselves taking on the responsibility of bishops to offer the ordinary pastoral care of the people of a diocese, and the fear of leaving the people without a priest haunted us.  Instead of unlimited possibilities, we found ourselves faced with forced choices. We began to argue about what ministries were more worthy of our men. We were unable to respond to new challenges and initiatives because we had so much already on our plate. For over 20 years, we have felt that we are on a river and the current is pulling us along. The control we had over our future seemed gone.

 We believe that in this time, we are called to an Immense Hope. We know that things are changing and that our numbers are shrinking still. Even though our Vocation and Formation programs are promising, in the near future they cannot hope to replace the Oblates who will be unavailable for ministry because of age or death.  But if these changing times are like a river, we believe that the Immense Hope project can be a rudder to give us a sense of direction. It is our belief that the Immense Hope project will allow us to make not forced choices but Enlivening Choices. We call upon the Oblates of the American Province to make choices that will enhance the quality of our life and ministry-the quality of

                  Our relationship with God

                  Our relationships with one another in community

                  Our solidarity with the poor

                  Our ongoing formation as Religious and Priests

                  Our ministry as Missionary Oblates.

 At these Area Meetings we invited each Oblate to reflect privately on his relation with God and on his relationship with his brothers in community. We asked him then to share his reflections with two other Oblates and then finally with the entire gathering. This faith sharing was very moving and showed the hunger that we experience to be one with God and each other. We also asked the men to reflect on the helps and hindrances to a relationship with God and with other Oblates that they experience. In meetings to come, we will look at our ministry and reflect on what choices we should make to ensure the quality of that ministry as Missionary Oblates.

 What impressed David Ullrich and myself was the seriousness and generosity which characterized our meetings. We both sensed that we are at a grace moment. Even though we have been brought low by the diminishment of our numbers, we are at a moment in time when we can ask who we are and where we need to go in order to be true to our call and the charism of our founder, St. Eugene DeMazenod.