On 2 February 2018, as in all other Spiritan communities, the Generalate House celebrated the anniversary of Fr. François Libermann’s death. To begin with, there was a conference given by Fr. John McFadden, community superior, about the pilgrimage of Fr. Libermann to Loreto, while he was seeking the approval of the Vatican for the Work of the Blacks. You can get the original text of this conference by clicking on the link below left.
We had several guests, including Fr. Anthony Gittins (CTU Chicago); Fr. Antonio Neves, Provincial of Portugal; Fr. Victor Silva, responsible for communications in Portugal and the spiritanroma.org website; Mr. João Fernandes, secretary of OPM in Portugal; confrères from the Palmarola parish; Fr. Guy Léandre Nakavoua and Fr. Siméon Akembe – as well as confreres studying in Rome from the Villa Notre-Dame, namely: Henri Dramou (Guinea Conakry), Elias Ruvahofi (Tanzania) and Lymo Matei.
Then concelebrants and guests entered the chapel in procession, with each one placing a small light before the altar, as the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem is also called the Feast of Light. As we hear in the prayer for the blessing of candles: O God, source of all light, today you revealed to Simeon your Light of revelation to the Nations. Bless these candles….
Fr. McFadden presided at the Mass.
Finally there was the festive meal.
Fr. Jean-Yves Urfié
