Day 3 of OLAC2022: A new sense of mission

By Gerard Bennett

And with that, it was all over! For the best part of eighteen months and since our planning began for the participation of the Anglo-Irish Province – England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland – in the worldwide second Oblate Lay Associations Congress (OLAC), talking about an event taking place at the end of May 2022 always seemed like a long time away. Now, on Sunday evening, it is all over! How can that have happened?

It has been a remarkable event at every level. Just think about it – over three days, Oblate people from all over the world were brought together seeing and listening to each other in real time. That is what was actually happening, viz. people were connecting live from all over the world via Rome. And so, while we were sitting in Kokotek in Poland, there were groups together and connected live in South America, Texas, Philippines, South Africa, Hong Kong, all the major hubs. And beyond those continental meeting hubs, there were smaller groups connecting from so many countries, two centres in England – Crewe and London, in Kenya, Zambia, Namibia, in Senegal, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Italy, Spain, Germany, and many more. I don’t have the full list. And apart from the most minor of glitches on the first day, it went without a hitch. There was simultaneous translation, video presentations, the groups were addressed live by the Superior General, Louis Lougen OMI. It was an outstanding technical delivery of a great conference.

Of course, it was not about just showing off what technology could achieve and, in this way, too, the Congress was a remarkable event. As you will know from blogs on the two other days, our mornings are focused on local activities with all of those gathered in Kokotek and the afternoon is concentrating solely on the main Congress from Rome.

Over Friday and Saturday, we had heard so much, talked with so many people, listened to so many stories, and shared so many different experiences. All of this was in the context of understanding what it is to live as Oblate people and how we might go forward from here. And if I could just stop there before going on, before we came here, we took the opportunity to speak with many people about what it was, for them, to live as an Oblate person. The people were not strangers walking down the High Street, no! We were engaged with people who themselves are engaged with the Oblates in some way. Some through their parishes, others participate in the online Morning Prayer. For yet others, it is their work with the Oblate Lourdes Pilgrimage. And more than once, those being asked didn’t recognise themselves as an Oblate person – yes, they were living the charism, reaching out to the abandoned, the marginalised, the poor, all in so many different ways. And while so many would agree that it is because of their association with the Oblates that they do these things or see these values reflected in their lives, they didn’t identify that they are, in fact, Oblate people but just did not realise it.

Needless to say, the ultimate focus of the Congress has been more on what will happen after the Congress than on what happens just in the Congress itself. And this was today’s specific theme, viz. Commit! So we looked at this under the headings of formation (by which is meant, preparation and training – I don’t like the word ‘formation’ as it is too much of an ‘inside’ word!!), communion, about how we work and share together, and finally, mission, how we bring the charism of St Eugene to the world. The charism of St Eugene and of the Oblates is to be the voice and presence of God to the marginalised and the poor, to be their support in life, to show them through the charism that God cares more about them than all the riches in the world. This realisation won’t ever just dawn on someone unless someone brings that message to them.

There is no way in this blog to recount all of our conclusions. But to take those three points, viz. formation, communion, and mission. While we came from different countries, and cultures, speaking many different languages, it was a revelation to see how much we held in common on these topics. There is an appreciation that formation is needed, people who want to do something need help to know how, people want to know more about the charism so that they can live it more fully. The conclusion was that a programme of formation – in some form – is needed. This has no compulsory element, it is intended to provide a pathway for people to explore and know more about the charism and over time, allow them the opportunity to discover the extent to which they wish to live this in their lives. This awareness and knowledge will not drop out of the sky like drops of rain; something needs to be done to bring it to them and preferably through some framework.

On communion, across all the countries and groups, there was a very strong feeling that we need to come together more often and in different ways. In Kokotek, we were inspired by those we have spent these days with from other countries, we have been inspired when hearing about the work and experience of lay Oblates in places across the globe. And yet, while some research might have unearthed some of this knowledge, these days have made a fundamental difference and we leave here knowing that communion, sharing with others, creating stronger bonds, being in each other’s company whether in person or online, these are must-haves!

And mission, well this is where the rubber hits the road! How do we reach out? An American, speaking from San Antonio (Scott __ ) said that: “We have to go where it is uncomfortable.” Now there’s a challenge! Lay and vowed Oblates share the charism; it is now in the ownership of any one of us. And the future lies in partnership, working as equals, listening to, and learning from each other – the lay listening to and learning from the (vowed) Oblate and the (vowed) Oblate listening to, and learning from the lay. That can happen but can both be open to the possibility of that experience? We must move to a place where lay are not told what will happen next but asked: “What do you think we need to do next?”

We can only succeed in the mission if we do it by giving example, in our lives, in who we are, in what we do. And especially with young people, we need to make sure that it is relevant in their eyes. It is only if it is relevant that they might find the spark of inspiration and without a spark of inspiration, there can be no motivation to act.

There are so many other points and perhaps there will be another forum to explore these ideas further. However, there is a very important message that must be sent out today. We came here to Kokotek, carrying your voices and expressing to the wider European body those things that you have told us. There is so much richness in what we have experienced, there is, as one of our group put it this evening, great hope. We know that the charism is a message for the world today. There is a role for you in making this real. Perhaps, as I have written earlier, it never occurred to you that you are an Oblate person? There is so much more to be explored if you are open to doing this and, in the months ahead, our focus will be on identifying these options.

So already, some people have left, mainly the Polish people who live 100km, 200km away. The majority will leave on Monday including Oliver and Marilyn. The rest of us will leave on Tuesday. Tomorrow is a rest day and the four of us who remain, Kirk, Sr Lumay, Angel, and myself, are being loaned one of the Oblate community cars and we are driving to Krakow. Kirk is offering to navigate but after the difficulty with the immigration line at the airport, we may just leave it to the satnav (just kidding, Kirk!). Then Tuesday evening quite late, we will board our flight back to Dublin.

This has been an experience like no other. In common with most others, I had no idea of what to expect and therefore, came with no expectations. I was open to whatever happened. I leave Kokotek with a renewed feeling of what it means to me personally to be an Oblate person and of the great family of which I am a part. And I leave with a new sense of mission; the world of lay Oblates that I have experienced in these days has given me the incentive to want to share this, in some way, with others. The charism is, without a doubt, a message for these times and others will only hear it if we are, if I am, prepared to carry it.

Tags: Kokotek, Lay Congress, OLAC2022, Poland