Anniversaries are not only a remembrance of past events—they are also an invitation to renew the commitment we made on that significant day. Whether it’s an anniversary of a Perpetual Profession, an Ordination, or a Wedding, it is customary to renew our vows during its celebration, expressing our desire to recommit ourselves to what we embraced on that day. In many ways, this renewal of vows carries deeper meaning than the initial profession, because now the person better understands what the commitment entails—and still chooses it wholeheartedly.
Celebrating our MSSP Foundation Day holds a similar significance. It is not only a remembrance of the courageous step our dear Founder took 115 years ago, but also a renewed call to become co-founders of our Society in today’s world.
If the Founder were alive today, what choices would he make? How would his passion for Christ and for his people — especially as expressed in his love for the mission ad gentes — find expression in our time?
In past years, we often heard about the need for religious congregations to enter into a process of refounding—“a process of personal and communal conversion initiated in response to God’s call to choose life,” involving “a transformation of consciousness regarding a community’s charism and its relevance for today’s world”, to use the words of an author quoted in one of the talks given to us during the last General Chapter.
This perspective places on us a great responsibility. The most authentic way to honour what the Founder has handed down to us is by ensuring that it remains relevant to the Church and the world of today. We must ask ourselves: “If the Founder were alive today, what choices would he make? How would his passion for Christ and for his people — especially as expressed in his love for the mission ad gentes — find expression in our time?”
No one can answer these questions alone. No Superior General or General Council can do so on their own. The answers will emerge only if we commit to a process of ongoing communal discernment—seeking together God’s will for us as a Paulist family.
We are blessed to be living in a time when the Church, particularly through the guidance of the late Pope Francis, has been rediscovering the value of Synodality—the path of walking together. It is only by embracing Synodality as a Paulist family that we can better understand what God is asking of us today.
I think you’ll agree with me that, even before Pope Francis brought Synodality to the forefront of the Church’s agenda, we Paulist Missionaries were already engaging in it by sharing our charism with our lay brothers and sisters. We have a rich history of partnership in mission—one that has been a blessing both for us and for those we served.
However, walking together as consecrated brothers has, at times, been more challenging. If I may say so, our greater struggle has often been Synodality ad intra rather than ad extra. This should not surprise us—even Jesus said, “A prophet is not welcome among his own.” It is often easier to walk alongside those outside our community than with those with whom we share our daily life.
After one year in office, I can clearly see how important it is for us to keep engaging with this challenge. I am encouraged by all the efforts being made. I rejoice when I witness brothers choosing to be together, choosing to pray together, to work together—to walk together.
Maybe something that can help us grow in this area is the way we view conflict. I was greatly challenged recently when, listening to some talks, I was invited to view conflict, not as something that I must avoid at all cost, but as an ally, as something I need to befriend. “Conflict is very necessary in congregational life for transformation and for attaining spiritual maturity and becoming Christlike” was one of the quotes shared in these talks. “Conflict disturbs our normal awareness and creates disequilibrium, but leads to new understandings of ourselves and our world” was another. Truly, the way towards deeper communion requires us to learn how to befriend conflict.
Let us pray that we may be renewed in this gift of communion, a gift so dear to our Founder’s heart. I am convinced that only through this communion can we allow the Spirit to guide us, enlighten us, and inspire us to truly become co-founders of our Society today.
Your brother,
Fr Martin Galea mssp
Superior General.