PASTORAL LETTERS(1744-1775)

LETTER 332

TO THE FATHERS OF THE CONGREGATION

Live Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Teresa!

CIORANI, 1744

In the first place, the Fathers shall bear in mind that they cannot go on the missions unless sent by Superiors. The latter, however, shall never send them out without the request of the bishops or of the parishes with the consent of the bishops; and they shall request that the permission and necessary faculties be given in writing. Subjects may, indeed, not only show themselves most willing to give missions, but likewise manifest an ardent though submissive desire to be so employed.

When they are about to depart they shall notify the bishop, or the archpriest, or the parish priest, of the time of their arrival at the city or town in which the mission is to be given, in order that the latter may inform the people, in case it should be necessary in the larger places even by means of bills, and see that the house, beds, and kitchen utensils are in readiness. This notification shall also be given so that upon the arrival of the missionaries, the bells may be rung as on festivals, and the Fathers be met outside the gates of the town by the clergy with the processional cross, which shall then be given to the Superior of the mission, as will be remarked later on.

Before their departure they shall recite together in the church the Itinerarium Clericonim. Then having received the blessing of the Superior, who shall designate the one whom they shall obey in everything, they shall set out. They shall employ the time of the journey in exercises of devotion.

On arriving at their destination and meeting the clergy, as was said above, the Superior shall take the cross, and all shall go in procession to the church, reciting aloud the canticle Benedictus.

When they reach the church they shall at once pay a visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament, and then to the altar of the Blessed Virgin, to the patrons and titular saints, and fervently implore their assistance in the great work. They shall also pay particular homage to the guardian angels of the place, of the church, and of the individual faithful, begging their aid in the conversion of the souls committed to their care.

When going to make the exhortations, the procession shall always start from the church. It shall be headed by the crucifix and lights, and announced by a little bell. During this procession, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary shall be sung. On arriving at the halting place, the little bell shall be rung, and in a loud voice the preacher shall say: “Praised be the Most Holy Sacrament and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary!” Then, in the exhortation of the first evening, the people shall be reminded of the mission already begun or to begin on the following day, and then the exhortation proper shall be given.

After the exhortation the people, who generally follow the Father, are led to the church, or to the space in front of it, and there an act of contrition is made, and the crowd dismissed with the benediction of the crucifix. The women should be told not to join this returning procession, but to retire to their respective homes after the exhortation.

The missionaries shall make great account of these exhortations, as they are usually productive of immense fruit on the missions. They shall, therefore, never be omitted, nor delivered impromptu. Before setting out to make them, the Father should prepare for them by fervent prayer.

Should the day after the arrival of the missionaries be a festival, and the mission not have been already opened with the first sermon, confessions shall not be heard in the fore noon. A very forcible sermon shall be preached instead on “The Efficacy of the Holy Mission to procure the Eternal Salvation of the Christian” or on “The Miserable Condition to which Christianity is reduced” or on “The Danger in which they are who have committed Sin,” etc.

On arriving at the church, the third part of the rosary shall be recited together with the mysteries. This shall always be done before the great sermon. Then the Father appointed shall ascend the pulpit, without surplice or stole, and preach the sermon, which he shall conclude with a fervent act of contrition elicited from motives set forth in the sermon.

If the exercises of the mission have not been announced in the morning, the announcement shall be made after this first great sermon, and the people shall be exhorted to attend all the exercises with the greatest diligence, and for this purpose, the hour of the various exercises shall be mentioned. The ecclesiastics, the magistrates, and the principal men of the place shall be requested to be the first in attendance, to give good example to the rest. Moreover, where it is possible, two Fathers shall visit the lord, the chief official, or other distinguished person of the place, and in the name of all invite him to the mission, and solicit his favor and assistance. Should the mission be in a city, they shall extend a similar invitation to the chapter when assembled in choir, either before or after Vespers, and in like manner ask them for their aid and favor.

All the exercises shall take place at the time specified, namely; the morning meditation at an early hour, Christian doctrine soon after dinner, the exercises for priests in a secluded place, and the great sermon an hour before twilight.

If, however, the people cannot assemble so early, as is generally the case in winter in those places in which there are laboring people, the evening sermon shall be postponed somewhat, provided the will of the bishop, or other reason able ground is not opposed thereto.

I. On the morning following the sermon, as soon as there is a sufficient number assembled in the church, the rosary shall be recited, provided this exercise does not cause disturbance to the Masses or the hearing of confessions. Then a Father shall ascend the pulpit, and after greeting the auditory with the salutation: “Praised be the Most Holy Sacrament and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary!” he shall say the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. He shall then recite the Christian acts, kneeling, and give a short and familiar meditation, the subject-matter of which shall be some point of the via purgative. He shall, however, avoid those subjects which are to be treated in the evening sermon, at least he shall not consider them from the same point of view, and he shall conclude this exercise with the suitable acts of contrition, without appealing to the crucifix.

II. In the afternoon, the instruction in Christian doctrine shall be given, and this the Superior shall confide to the Father whom he judges most capable for the work. The instruction shall be considered the most important and useful exercise of the mission.

III. At an hour most convenient for the people, the instruction on the Ten Commandments and the manner of making a good confession shall be given before the meditation. In case of scarcity of missionaries the meditation may be omitted, but this instruction never. When the instruction is given separately, suitable practical conclusions shall be made, and at the close the usual acts of contrition, etc., be recited. In small places, in which there is great spiritual destitution, it is better to give the instruction in the foregoing manner. After this instruction, the cleric shall bring the children together, and instruct them upon the manner of going to confession and holy Communion.

IV. Before the evening sermon, a Father shall recite the rosary of the Blessed Virgin, prefacing it with a short explanation or some example to inspire the people to say it with devotion. The mysteries shall be announced together with a brief reflection upon each, and care shall be taken that the entire third part of the rosary be always said. The principal reason for introducing this devotion, be it re membered, is to obtain the assistance of the Blessed Virgin for the success of the mission. When, however, the instruction takes place in the evening, it is advisable to say the rosary before it, because more are present at this time, and the interval between the instruction and the sermon may be filled up by singing a spiritual canticle. But these hymns shall never be intoned from the pulpit.

V. The evening, or great sermon shall take place at an hour most convenient for the people, as has been said, and the preacher shall wear neither surplice nor stole. Including the solemn acts of contrition, etc. made at the end before the crucifix and lighted candles, this sermon shall not last longer than an hour and a half. The Father shall bear in mind before the end of the sermon to urge the people to have recourse to the Blessed Virgin, for which purpose, he shall see that there be near the pulpit a statue of our Lady.

With regard to ceremonies that sometimes accompany the missions, the following are forbidden solemnly to curse anyone, to use chains or other instruments of penance unto blood, to burn one’s self with a torch or the like. The use of the discipline and of the skull, when accompanied with fervor, prudence, and moderation, may be permitted by the Superior.

A decree of the General Chapter enjoins that on all missions and other exercises, a sermon on the Blessed Virgin shall be preached, as this sermon has been found most productive of good results.

VI. Five or six times during the mission the discipline shall be taken by the men after the sermon; and on the last night they shall lick the pavement with the tongue. When the disciplines begin, the...