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Fr. Bernard Schoepfer CM appointed new Director General of the Daughters of Charity

Toma — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 23:10:33 +0000

Office of Communication of the General Curia in Rome announced, that on Friday, January 24, 2014, Fr. G. Gregory Gay, C.M. Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity, has appointed Fr. Bernard Schoepfer, C.M., a confrere from the Province of Paris as the Director General of the Daughters of Charity. He will serve in this position for a three-year term. In a letter to Daughters of Charity Visitors, the Superior General noted, that after informing of the resignation of Fr. Patrick Griffin, C.M., due to health concerns which no longer allow him to carry out his ministry as the Director General of the Daughters of Charity, he “consulted Sr. Evelyne [Superioress General] and her Councilors, as well as Fr. Patrick himself to find someone to replace him in this ministry. Today, after having considered the suggestions I received, and with the consent of the General Council, I have appointed Fr. Bernard Schoepfer, C.M., as the new Director General for the three year term. He generously accepted the nomination counting on your prayers helping him in his new mission”.

Fr. Bernard Schoepfer was born on March 16, 1962 in Bâle, Switzerland and grew up in the Alsace region, Eastern France. He is a member of the Province of Paris, admitted into the Congregation on September 10, 1984, and was ordained priest on May 4, 1989. In his quarter century of ministry, Fr. Bernard has fulfilled a number of varied ministries. Right after ordinatation e has engaged in pastoral work in rural areas of the Diocese of Amiens; in 1998, after completing formation at CIF (International Formartion Center) he was assigned to animate the ministry in the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Chapel at Rue du Bac, Paris; in the same time as a member of formation team he accompanied seminarians preparing for priesthood from the Congregation; 2000 – 2007 worked as spiritual advisor to the St. Vincent de Paul Society SSVdP in France; since 2004 he serves as Superior at the Maison-Mère – Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission; and since 2007 he is national chaplain of St. Vincent’s Teams (Equipes saint Vincent – AIC France). Additionally, he has been member of Provincial Council of Paris for 10 years.

Fr. Gay addressed similar Letter to Provincials of the Congregation of the Mission in which he expressed gratitude to Fr. Bernard Schoepfer for his generosity in accepting this assignment as well as offering thanks to the outgoing director Fr. Patrick Griffin: “I thank Fr. Bernard for his willingness to serve, and I assure him of our prayers and fraternal support in his new ministry. I express my deep gratitude to Fr. Patrick Griffin for his tireless devotion to duty as Director General these past three years. We pray the Lord grant him good health, so that he may continue for many years to “serve the Lord with gladness”. (Ps. 100:2)

Fr. Bernard is scheduled to assume his new duties in late March. At the end of his letter to the Vincentian Provincials, Fr. Gregory Gay exhorted confreres: “Let us entrust Fr. Bernard’s mandate to our Blessed Mother, because as St. Vincent told us, “When the Mother of God has been invoked and taken as patroness of important matters, everything can only go well and accrue to the glory of Jesus, her Son.” (SV: XIII b, p.3)

Read the full text of the Nomination Letter for the Provincials

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An exclusive interview with Superior General – part two

Toma — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:02:16 +0000

On occasion of his visit to Paris in May 2013 Fr. Gregory Gay CM, Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission met Thomas Zielinski of Famvin.org (also a webmaster of cmnewengland.org) for a wide-ranging conversation. This two part recording is result of the meeting held in very fraternal and friendly atmosphere. This is part two.

In part two you Fr.Greg

In part two Fr. Greg shares his reflection on Pope Francis after concelebrating a Holy Mass in Vatican; recalls his recent stay in Poland; brings details of his visit to Vincentian mission in Tanzania; reflects on other foreign missions ff the Congregation of the Mission and finally addresses the Vincentian Family.

shares his reflection on Pope Francis after concelebrating a Holy Mass in Vatican;
recalls in details his recent visit to Vincentian Province of Poland;
brings details of his visit to Congregation of the Mission and Daughters of Charity mission in Tanzania;
reflects on development of other foreign mission run by the Congregation;
acknowledges involvement of Province of Poland in the new mission in Benin, Africa;
addresses the worlwide Vincentian Family with best wishes and blessings.

The interview was recorded live in the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission in Paris.

An exclusive interview with Superior General – part one

Toma — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:24:10 +0000

In part one Fr.Greg speaks of

his activity during the formation session for Sisters Servants of the Daughters of Charity from around the world;
new initiative in formation of Vincentian leaders focused on developing collaboration between branches of the Vincentian Family (VFCAP);
motives and goals of so called Vincentian Endowment Challenge, a project for supporting Provinces of the Congregation which are in need and leading some branches of the Vincentian Family that currently depend on the Superior General toward their self sustainability;
a mission he conducted in his home parish Bradshaw, Baltimore, MD;
Holy Week and Easter spent together with Daughters of Charity in rural Bolivia.

The interview was recorded live in the Motherhouse of the Congregation of the Mission in Paris.

27 September 1660 – Saint Vincent de Paul dies

Toma — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 07:45:39 +0000

350 years ago today, September 27, 1660 at 4:45 a.m., after long time illness Monsieur Vincent de Paul died peacefully in his room in Maison St. Lazare, Paris, France. He was a priest, reformer of the Church, founder and first Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, Father of the Poor. Have a look at how historians report on his death:

Pierre Coste describes last moment of St. Vincent de Paul “In Paris, at a quarter to five in the morning, in his room, on his chair by the fireplace, and dressed, without effort or convulsion, Monsieur Vincent dies. And his face, his face of eighty years, is at once a majestic beauty, everyone is surprised. Although since the beginning of the year, Monsieur Vincent has not left his room, he was still busy with matters until September 14, and always with the same lucidity. But on 14th, his old legs have started to flow: their ulcers have grown to the size of a finger. Then from 19, exhausted by his suffering, deprived from sleep for many nights, the dear old man fell into a state of slumber, and he came out intermittently. On September 26, at half past six in the evening, the last rites were administered.

Then, he himself did a noticeable effort to recite the Confiteor. Since that moment, Monsiur Vincent has had the strength to utter, from time to time, one word, one syllable. And Monsieur. Gicquel who, at about two o’clock in the morning on 27th, with well-intentioned zeal which was also untimely, he suggested, without stopping, pious invocations, the holy Founder who, for eighteen years, is preparing two times a day to death, replied: “Enough …” He repeated, however, one last time: “Jesus”, before being seized by the agony hiccups. And so, without historical words, “plainly and simply” Monsieur Vincent died, worn out by his fifty years of total dedication to the service of total Charity” (SV III, pp. 445-455).

Monsieur Gicquel, who was present at the time of his death writes in his diary: “Around four his face was covered with the brilliant and pleasing flushness. It seemed that his face was on fire. Then a little later his face became white as snow. As he experience the nearness of death he repeated the words ‘Deus in adiutorium..etc”. He repeated these words never closing his lips but just moving them: Deus in adiutorium, etc. Those present said: ‘Jesus’ and he repeated the word, again just moving his lips. The attack became more severe and around four-thirty he began his final struggle which lasted for another fifteen minutes. There were no convulsions or gasping for air. He died, handing himself over to the hands of the Lord. He died seated, very majestic and appeared calm and peaceful as never before.”

General Assembly – closing homily by Superior General

Toma — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:08:30 +0000

“To do or not to do” is one of the hihlighted themes in the homily which Superior General, Fr. Gregory Gay CM gave during the Eucharist closing the 41st General Assembly. The other developed theme is derrived from the text above the silver coffin holding the body of St. Vincent de Paul – “Pertransit Beneficiendo” (“He went about doing good”). The Eucharist according to the liturgical text of Mass of Saint Vincent de Paul began at noon in the chapel with relics of St. Vincent de Paul at Maison Mere. Fr. Gregory Gay CM, the Superior General presided and all Assistants General concelebrated. Here is the full text of the homily, which one can recognize as Superior’s General exposé for another six years of his mission as the leader of Vincentians Family and Congregation of the Mission:

Homily closing the General Assembly
by Superior General, Most Rev. Gregory Gay CM
July 16, 2010

Missal Readings: Is. 52:7-10, Ps 95, 1Cor 1:26-31, 2:1, Mt 25:31-46

«download the homily in PDF»
«watch the closing Mass (with recorded homily)»

“To be or not to be, that is the question?” so wrote Shakespeare. And what is our question? From the perspective of this General Assembly, from the motivation of its theme Creative Fidelity to the Mission, I would dare to say that our question is to do or not to do? Yes, that is our question, my brothers, to do or not to do the mission that the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted to us as missionaries, priests and brothers, in the Congregation of the Mission.

“He went about doing good” (“Pertransiit benefaciendo.”) Our historians claim that this is the first motto that Saint Vincent de Paul chose for the Congregation of the Mission. In imitation of Jesus Christ, focused on the Word of God, Vincent de Paul was struck by this phrase from the Act of the Apostles. It was Peter who proclaimed how God had anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and “he went about doing good.”

My brothers, “doing good” is what we have focused on in this General Assembly: how we have done good, how we can be better at doing good, and in what ways we might be able to accomplish that good, being faithful to our heritage and yet ever creative in its expressions. In my report to the General Assembly on the state of the Congregation of the Mission in these past six years, I said simply but clearly that one of the most important developments, not only for the Congregation but also for the Vincentian Family that we had worked on with much intensity, was and is the question of systemic change. Systemic change, as I said, is a contemporary way that we live out that which motivates us to do good, the charity of Jesus Christ crucified.

Fears have been expressed, saying that such a focus on systemic change we might become like another NGO. Such is not the case when we have clear what it is, Who it is that motivates us to do what we do. The need is for us to make that connection, that integral relationship between contemplating the goodness of the Lord, deepening our knowledge of His love for us, and transforming that to loving action for the poor both by word and by deed, through evangelization and service of the poor.

Gentlemen, let me recall for you what Saint Vincent has said to the Congregation about the Common Rules Chapter 1, Art. 1. “If there are any among us who think they are in the Mission to evangelize poor people but not to alleviate their suffering, to take care of their spiritual needs but not their temporal ones, I reply that we have to help them and have them assisted in every way, by us and by others, if we want to hear those pleasing words of our sovereign judge of the living and the dead: ‘Come, beloved of my Father; possess the kingdom that has been prepared for you, because I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was naked and you clothed me; sick and you assisted me. ‘ To do that is to preach the gospel by words and by works. That is the most perfect way. It is also what our Lord did, and what those should do who represent Him on earth.”

The basis of our renewal, that is of our Creative Fidelity to the Mission is tied into: our love of God, being men of prayer: our love of the Congregation, being men who work at community life, that is participative and unifying: and men who draw close to the poor in order to listen to them, to be moved by their requests of us, being their servants: with a desire to be obedient to them as our lords and masters and therefore to open our hearts to that transforming experience of God’s love that takes place in our interaction with those who are poor. And we do so as a community. We do so motivated by God’s love.

As we are nourished by God’s word let us be nourished by God’s Body and Blood and go forth bearing the Good News. Let us do so as bearers of peace with a humble confidence that it is God who works in us, He who gives us the courage to break with our fears, being made afresh and moving forward, being only concerned to do what Jesus Christ did, “going about doing good” for these the least of our brothers and sisters. So be it for the Congregation of the Mission as it embarks upon a new era, a new period of six years of following Jesus Christ, evangelizer of the Poor.

Eucharist concluded the 41st General Assembly

Toma — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:15:26 +0000

The Eucharist sang at noon of the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Friday, July 16, 2010, in front of the body of St. Vincent de Paul lead the 41st General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission to the end. Chaired by Superior General, Fr. Gregory Gay CM and concelebrated by all Assistants General. Fr. Eli Dos Santos arrived in Paris yesterday. Liturgy was enriched with beautiful music creating fraternal and joyful atmosphere of prayer. Whatch the video presenting the closing Mass. You may listen to Fr. Greg’s closing homily (starting at 2’22″).