The Name of the Congregation
Our Lady of the Missions
Our title describes our spirituality which is both Trinitarian and Marian.
The name Euphrasie Barbier chose for her Congregation came from a deep contemplation and understanding of her own life in God as Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and Mary, whose life was filled with this gift of grace.
In her first Constitutions Euphrasie explains the name of the Congregation:
“By placing themselves under the title of Our Lady of the Missions, the sisters wish to honour in a special way the “Divine Missions” which were the object of Mary’s deepest aspirations.”
When requesting the approval of the Constitutions in 1890, Euphrasie was asked to explain the term ‘divine missions’ she writes:
“Regarding the expression ‘divine missions’, we do not have in mind our own poor missions but solely the mission of the Incarnate Word [Jesus], sent by God the Father to redeem the human race, and the mission of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son to bring the sanctification of Christ’s Church. This is the raison d’etre of the Institute and its special characteristic both interior and exterior.”
(Letter to Father Bruno, May 22, 1890)
God Trinity is an everlasting exchange of life and love open to all humanity and Mary lived her life filled with the grace of understanding this gift.
“Euphrasie Barbier perceived the unique grace given to Mary to welcome and to participate in the Divine Missions, in faithful love, silent contemplation and joyful service. She was inspired to choose for the congregation the title “Our Lady of the Missions”, a title that expresses, according to her own explanation, the congregation’s special charism and spirit.“
RNDM Constitutions No.6
Euphrasie explained to her Novices in Lyons that it is according to our capacity to receive the outpouring of love flowing from the Trinity so that we in our turn can become “instruments of the Divine missions”. More important than the works we undertake, mission is essentially the witness of a person who lives in God.
Our life is first of all, a loving contemplation of our God. In contemplating God Trinity, the God of Love and Communion, we will understand what love is and share in the work of divine love as Mary did, with fidelity and without counting the cost.
The Gospel is proclaimed in the first place by life witness – the personal witness of each missionary.
Major Feastdays
Pentecost
Euphrasie chose two major feasts to highlight the spirituality of our Congregation: Pentecost and Visitation.
Pentecost is the celebration of the outpouring of the Spirit of God. The disciples and Mary are gathered in the upper room after the resurrection of Jesus when the unpredictable Spirit of God comes upon them all. In this moment of wind and fire they are filled with courage and power which enables them to put aside their fears and confusion and go out into the world and spread the Gospel message of peace, justice and love wherever we may be.
It is this mission that Euphrasie asks her Sisters to undertake every day.
Visitation
Mary occupies a central place in the spirituality of the Congregation.
“The spirit of the Congregation “can be none other than that of Mary”.
[First Draft of the Constitutions in 1867]
Mary, under the guidance of the Spirit, “set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah” Lk 1:39
Mary of the Visitation is a messenger of joy, carrying out a humble but enthusiastic and generous service for Elizabeth. Together the two women rejoice in the miracle that God has touched their lives with a gift. Both are aware that the child Mary is carrying belongs to the whole world.