The Friends of St. Eugene
We are all ministers of the mercy of God
Who are the Friends of St Eugene?
Friends of St. Eugene are people who wish to find out more about the life of St. Eugene and his gift to the church and how they can
live out his vision in their own lives. They support each other through Friendship, Prayer and Service to make a difference in their local area.
What do the Friends of St Eugene do?
Friends of St. Eugene usually meet monthly.
The Friends of St. Eugene learn about the life and mission of St. Eugene and how they can continue this mission today in their own homes, parishes and work places.
Based on their Oblate commitments, Friends of St. Eugene usually undertake a project during Advent and Lent to help poor and marginalised people either locally or abroad.
The Commitment made by a Friend of St. Eugene
- I seek to deepen my relationship with Christ by imitating the pattern of his life.
- I promise to live the day-to-day realities of my life as St. Eugene did, so that every event will be the occasion for a personal encounter with the Lord, who through us gives himself to others and through others gives himself to us.
- I will make every effort to act and make choices that bear witness to my belief in the dignity of each person and the compassion of God for all people.
- I will renew annually my commitment to promote the ethos and work of the Friends of St Eugene.
The story so far…
Since the canonisation of St. Eugene, founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, many people are seeking to know more about St. Eugene and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and share in the Oblate gift to the Church.
In Britain and Ireland, the Oblates are responding by encouraging the formation of Friends groups to help people answer their baptismal call by focusing on the dignity and sacredness of each person, especially those on the margins of Church and society. The Friends usually have a link with local vowed Oblates.
Nine Friends of St Eugene groups have been established in the UK since 2010, with an emphasis on Friendship, Prayer and Service. Currently, there are 80 members in the Friends of St Eugene groups, who represent a cross-section of social, economic and ethnic backgrounds, and who actively live the spirituality of St Eugene. Peoples’ social conscience has been awakened and acted upon both at home and overseas. Examples of this include:
- Providing Sunday lunch for lonely people
- Volunteering for food banks
- Fundraising for African orphanages
- Supporting prisoners of conscience
To find out more about the Friends of St Eugene please contact: Kirk Jacob
kirk.oblate.partners@googlemail.com
