The Superior General
Rome, February 8, 2013
Solemnity of the Heart of Mary
Letter to the Whole Congregation of Jesus and Mary
Very dear Incorporated Brothers, Associates and Candidates,
May the Heart of Mary be our elation and our joy! St John Eudes says it very well:
This admirable Heart is the perfect image of the divine Heart of Jesus; it is the
exemplar and model of our hearts: our happiness, our perfection and our glory is that
our hearts may be living images of most Holy Heart of Mary as it is the perfect image
of the adorable Heart of Jesus. (OC,VIII,424).
To be Eudist, this means learning to consider the Heart of Mary as our heart. To be
Eudist, this means loving with a very great heart! To be Eudist, this means to be a true
devotee of the Heart of Mary, as was St John Eudes: a devotion which is open,
explicit, deep, effective, and for Christian people! Such was the devotion to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary which led him to think, to love, to preach, to pray, to
celebrate, to propose it to the whole Church as a public and official devotion. St. John
Eudes was a lover of the Virgin Mary: he loved her with a mystical love, a sublime
love; he loved her with a total passion, a love that was open, clear, a contagious love
and also led many people to share in this great love.
This is why John Eudes wanted our heart, that of every Eudist and that of every child
of God, to be a “living image of the Holy Heart of Mary” because “this admirable
Heart is the perfect image of the Divine Heart of Jesus, it is the exemplar and model
of our hearts.”
Letter to all the Congregation of Jesus and Mary
Certainly, as Eudists, we are proud of St. John Eudes as “Father, Doctor and Apostle
of liturgical worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
However, I ask myself a few questions about our responsibility and our commitment
to learn, meditate, pray, release, promote, preach, and make it known... in short, to
honor it as we should, “the Heart of Mary, inseparably united to that of Jesus and
model of that union.” (Cst 4)
From time to time, I hear the comments of some brothers about the attribution to St.
John Eudes of the worship of and the doctrine relating to the Heart of Jesus and the
Immaculate Heart of Mary: they speak about the predominance taken from the
Eudists in regard to this devotion by other congregations. In this regard I also wonder:
1
are we lacking a greater effort to know and love such a sublime devotion, to which
our holy founder has dedicated a large part of his life and his writings? This is a good
question for a meeting of the local community
Let us remember some words of St. John Eudes, “to celebrate and honor the Most
Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin ... is, above all, to celebrate and honor in a special
way the immense love and ardent charity of the Mother of fair love for God and all
people, and all consequences such a love and charity have produced in its thoughts,
words, prayers, actions, sufferings and in the practice of all the virtues.”
(OC,VIII,433).
Love and Charity! These are in effect the words that our Father Founder repeats
throughout some 34 pages dedicated to the devotion to the Most Holy Heart of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. (OC, VIII, 411-444). John Eudes is inspired by Ecclesiastes
(24.24) and translates from Latin to French “Mother of love and of charity. » But in
Spanish we have translated it “Mother of love.” And the saint continues: “it is a
beautiful quality and this glorious title of Mother of love and charity, we want to
honor and praise the very amiable Virgin Mother and this admirable Mother.” (OC,
VIII, 432).
Therefore, to celebrate and honor the Heart of Mary, very amiable Virgin and
admirable Mother is to honor and celebrate the immense love and ardent charity of
the Mother of love. It is immense love and ardent charity! Therefore, to be Eudist is to
keep the Heart of Mary as our own heart and then to teach it to the People of God: a
heart with an immense love and an ardent charity. Thus we will «adore the most
loving Heart of Jesus which reveals God's love to all people.” (Const,4).
Immense love and ardent charity. What beautiful words, what a great motto for us
Eudists, in the year 2013. We are in the Year of Faith and it is a time to deepen and
live each article of our Credo. Certainly, the faith, united to an immense love and an
ardent charity, which comes from our Eudist heart as it came from the Heart of Mary,
permits us to project ourselves without fear into the future with great hope for the
CJM.
Therefore I invite you to celebrate with great joy and with an immense love and an
ardent charity, this celebration of February 8, the Heart of Mary, as a real Eudist
solemnity, a celebration which begins in the intimacy of each Eudist heart, and which
is made visible through our witness to the people, groups and communities whom we
accompany through our pastoral ministry. Let us ask the Lord again in the
approaching season of Lent to give us this immense love and ardent charity so that we
may accomplish our apostolic ministry with great fidelity.
As I said in my Christmas letter, let us enter into the contemplative dimension of our
Founder: let us contemplate the Heart of Mary as on fire with love for the Heart of
Jesus.
Mother of love, love Jesus for me who is yours and mine and, grant me to participate
of the love that you have for him.
2
1 – 370 years of the CJM and 30 years of the new Constitutions –
Next March 25 our Congregation will have achieved 370 years of life. I invite all the
local communities to organize a nice celebration in order to give thanks to the Lord
for his goodness and his mercy: which have permitted us to serve Christ and His
Church with a generous heart and a willing spirit.
In addition, this year we also celebrate the 30th anniversary of our new Constitutions,
approved by the General Assembly of 1983. Since our Constitutions have undergone
a few changes in the last three General Assemblies (2001, 2007, 2012), during the last
Council of the Congregation held in San Diego, we decided to print a new edition of
the Constitutions and Practical Rules, as they have been approved ad experimentum
by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
(CICLSAL).
Therefore I ask the Provincial Superiors to encourage the local superiors so that we
may reread the Constitutions, have an exchange on the subject and renew our promise
of Incorporation in our beloved Congregation. I think with a spiritual reading of the
Constitutions, we will renew our immense love and our ardent charity for the CJM,
we will take a new look at our apostolic commitments and we will correspond better
to the challenges of the new evangelization, the Church offers us.
2 – New ordinations
Last December 15, in Mexico, which is part of the Province of Colombia, our second
Mexican priest, Enrique Alejandro Ramírez Treviño, received the sacerdotal
anointing. And by the grace of God, this January 26, a third Mexican Eudist was
ordained a deacon, Miguel Cervantes Santamaría. These two new Eudists join Fr.
Ulises Morales, our first priest from Mexico. What joy for the Congregation of Jesus
and Mary to have three Mexican priests! Of course we give thanks to God for so
many Colombian Eudists who worked in Mexico and for those Eudists who chose to
take Mexican citizenship so that CJM Mexico would become a true reality. We ask
the Lord to grant us the grace to continue to strengthen our Eudist roots in this blessed
land of Mexico, under the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
In the Vice-Province of Africa, at the end of the year and on various dates, six new
Eudist priests were ordained: from Bénin, Sylvain M. Ahouhankon, Omer Gratien
Da Silveira, Marc Roland Toochenali; from Togo, Rodrigue Boafo K. Y; – and
from Ivory Coast, Eric Kouamé Koyet et René Serge Tieki. With the Vice-Province
of Africa, we rejoice that the Lord has strengthened our Eudist presence in Benin and
Ivory Coast, with the hope of going to Togo and Burkina Faso. New Eudistes come to
help build the Kingdom of God.
In the Province of Minuto de Dios, on this day four ordinations will take place: two
incorporated deacons: Jimmy Alejandro Gutiérrez and Miguel Angel Soto will be
ordained priests, also Henry Sierra, the deacon in probation will be ordained a priest.
And an incorporated candidate, Libardo Pantevez will be ordained a deacon. Thanks
be to God for the blessings that the Heart of Mary has given us on this Eudist
solemnity.
3
3 – Special Time of Eudist Formation
At the end of last year, the brothers of the Special Time made a pilgrimage to Rome.
This was a nice occasion for sharing with the thousands of young people who
participated in the days organized by Taizé in the Eternal City. This was also a chance
for them to come to know the General House. CJM News has already given that
information. During the month of January, in addition to continuing their formation
and enduring the cold of winter, the candidates continued their studies, visited
Brittany in the footsteps of St. John Eudes in order to soak up his spirit. Thank you for
your prayers for our candidates and their formators.
4 – Commissions and ideas
The Commissions on Seminaries, Eudist Spirituality, the Doctorate of St. John Eudes,
Eudist Publications, Communications – all created by the General Council last
December – have begun their work. I thank all the Eudists who have accepted to
participate for their generosity and commitment to the CJM. I know that we are all
very busy with the various pastoral services we have assumed. This is why
participation in these committees deserves the recognition of the General Council: a
thousand thanks to you on behalf of the CJM.
It seems important to me to share with you a dream that I have already confided to the
General Council. I am thinking about many Eudists who could make a direct service
within the CJM in order to promote the development and the strength of our own
congregation.
Let me explain: as Eudists we know that our natural mission is to serve the Church,
and specifically serving dioceses. This mission implies that almost all the Eudist
pastoral power is currently concentrated in around 70 parishes which we administer
for dioceses, more than 8 seminaries, numerous chaplaincies and a few other diocesan
ministries. From all this it follows that a great percentage of incorporated Eudists
work in the service of dioceses.
I dreamed it would be desirable and important for the sustainability of the
congregation, that some Eudists could work directly for the CJM in order to reflect on
what we do in our own works or those entrusted to Eudists and offer the Church new
elements and new ideas, which may arise from a great love and an ardent charity.
So, I think 4 or 5 Eudists could devote themselves full time to Eudist spirituality to
keep alive throughout the CJM the spirit of our Founder and produce materials on
Eudist spirituality that are urgently needed in all our works. Another option could be
that 4 or 5 Eudists would work full-time to create and develop a Formation Center for
Formators of Priests, which could also be organized with our “cousins” the Sulpicians
and Vincentians. Here is a third option: start with 4 or 5 Eudists who totally invest
themselves in the development of Friends, Associates and Laity in the CJM: surely,
creating a great movement lay people in the CJM requires the best of ourselves!
Perhaps many of you must think their Superior General has beautiful dreams! It's true
... I think we have to dream about the future in order to have a better future! I dream
4
that many Eudists, in addition to those teams in our houses of formation or provincial
and general administrations, can take time for reflection and for the development of
the Congregation. With the blessing of Jesus and Mary which fully belongs to the
Congregation and with the decision of some Eudists who are able to give their time
for a few years in the service of the CJM, I believe that we could certainly arrive with
joy and hope at the celebration of our 400 years of life in 2043.
5 – Center of Formation for the New Evangelization –
As a fruit of the Synod for the New Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella,
president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization (PCPNE)
sent a communication to the University Minuto de Dios and the Eudists: by means of
a covenant we will create a Formation Center for the New Evangelization with
headquarters in Bogotá and projected to Latin America,. We have already held several
meetings in Rome and Bogotá to do some surveys. In March we will hold another
meeting in Bogata in order to present to Archbishop Octavio Ruiz, secretary of
PCPNE the first working paper. Let us place under the protection of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary this initiative, which is completely in line with the Eudist mission of
forming good workers of the Gospel.
6 – Parish of St Marceau –Orléans
The Province of France has asked the General Council for authorization to assume the
parish of Saint Marceau in Orléans. The reason is the organization of the formation at
the major seminary of Orleans, led by Eudists with a mixed team which includes
diocesan priests. All Eudists render weekend services in the various parishes of the
diocese and even some priests are in solidum. So the local community and the
Provincial Council felt it was better to take charge of a parish to allow better pastoral
integration among the Eudists. The General Council gave its authorization.
7 – Dialogue with our Sisters of Our Lady of Charity (OLC) and the Good
Shepherd Sisters (RGS)
On Saturday January 26, the teams of the three general administrations met for prayer
and sharing on the principal projects of each congregation, celebrated the Eucharist,
and had dinner together. The atmosphere was very fraternal and full of hope.



For OLC the important point was the next General Chapter to be held on
August 2013, where they have to make a very important decision: regarding
the future of OLC with regard to RGS. All Eudists ought to pray for this
General Chapter so that the Holy Spirit may illumine and guide this
decision!
The RGS presented their dream for the canonization of Blessed Maria
Droste (1863-1899), a German religious who worked at Porto, Portugal. We
hope that her cause will be ready for 2014, because a miracle already
happened in New York in 2011. Let us pray for this cause and that the Lord
will give us more saints in the Great Eudist Family.
The CJM made an overview of the Congregation and spoke of several
projects. In particular the cause of the doctorate of St. John Eudes was
5
presented; the support and participation of the OLC and RGS was solicited
because of the repercussions for the Greater Eudist Family.
We thank God for this beautiful meeting. In another letter we hope to share with you
the life and the projects of OLC and RGS in greater detail, so that we can better pray
for each other and strengthen our fraternal bonds. We will also give news about the
other congregations of the Greater Eudist Family.
8 – The House of Rome
Our community is moving forward with peace and joy. After Christmas and the
beginning of the new year, Luc and I have continued work daily, moving forward on
the work left to us by the 65th General Assembly., and we are busy with the project of
renting our house on la Via dei Querceti as well as our moving to via San Giovanni
Eudes. Alexander continues the organization of the Archives, the new portal and
newsletter Eudist CJM NEWS. During the month of February, he is in Angers for
courses in French. Sylva continues his studies at the Biblicum and has successfully
passed his exams. Edgardo always serves as local bursar in his friendly way. The
community continues to meet every Tuesday.
To all the brothers of the CJM, and on behalf of this community, I send my
affectionate and fraternal greetings for the New Year. Thank you for your prayers.
9 – Visits, Meetings, Events
9-1 The canonical visit to the province of France will be March 9 to April 9. Fr.
Laurent Tournier finishes his mandate this year. We thank Fr. Laurent for his
dedication and we pray that the Lord would bless all the Eudists of France, the
Mother Province of all the CJM.
9-2 Visit to the Philippines to reflect on the future of the CJM in this country.
Perhaps also a trip to China in response to an invitation from a congregation inspired
by the Heart of Jesus and which has links with the Province of France.
9-3 Council of the Congregation and General Council, in Fortaleza, Brazil, April 23 30. In addition to the reports of the Provincials, we will present reports from the
various commissions, the projects of the congregation, and important events to come:
WYD Rio 2013, the World Congress on Mercy, and the international Congress of
Eudist Associates, Friends and Laity. We will also examine the tasks presented to the
general administration by the 65th General Assembly and surely take decisions
concerning the life of the CJM.
9-4 Canonical visit of the Province of Colombia. Due to the extensiveness of this
Province, the visit will take place in three periods: May, June, July. We thank Fr.
Gustavo Londoño for his dedication to the Province de Colombia.
9-5 Visit of delegates of the Vice-Province of Africa to Minuto de Dios, in May.
9-6 Economic Council of CJM: in Québec, Canada, in June.
6
I end this letter by recalling once again that we are in the Year of Faith. The Holy
Father told us in his letter for this Lent: to believe in charity arouses charity. Faith
and charity walk together: faith has priority and the charity has primacy. Faith enables
us to know, and charity to love and transform.
Faith knows the truth and adheres to it. (I Tm 2,4); charity is the way that leads to
truth (Eph 4,15). With faith we enter into friendship with God, with charity we live
and cultivated the friendship (Jn 15,14). Faith makes us welcome the command of our
Lord and Master; charity gives us the joy of putting it into practice ( Jn13,2-17). By
faith we are begotten as children of God (Jn 1,12) ; charity makes us persevere in
this divine link and gives us the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5,22). Faith leads us to
recognize the gifts that the good and generous God gives us; charity makes them
grow (Mt 25,14-30).
Heart of Mary, teach us to live a faith that creates an immense love and ardent
charity.
United in one Heart, in Jesus and Mary,
Camilo Bernal Hadad, cjm
Superior General
7
Superior General
Agenda 2013
January 23, Return to Rome
26, Meeting of General Teams of OLC, RGS, CJM.
February 01, Meeting with OLC General Team.
05-07, Visit to Germany to research funding for projects
19 -01, Visit to the Philippines (and China).
March
09 to 09 April, Canonical Visit of France.
18-22 , Participate as formator during the Special Time of Eudist
Formation, France.
April
10, Rome
19-21, San Salvador de Bahía, Brazil, Canonical Visit.
22-30, Council of the Congregation and General Council, Fortaleza, Brazil.
May
01-02, Canonical visit , Fortaleza.
03-31, Canonical visit , Colombia (1st part).
June
July
02-08, Visit to Canada, Economic Council of CJM.
09-15, Rome.
16-23, Visit, Africa.
24-01, Rome.
02-31, Canonical visit tp México, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Rep.
August 01- September 30: Rome.
Oct.
02-30, Canonical visit to Ecuador and Peru ; visit to Paraguay.
Nov.
01-08, Rome.
09-17, Visit in Africa.
18-26, Rome.
27-29, Union of General Superiors - Rome.
Dec. 01-07, General Council – Rome (?).
20,
Rest – Christmas.
8