The Vision of Bishop Melchior De Marion Bresillac on Mission and Its Implementations in the Third Millennium
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Date
2001-02
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
like telling stories. So, I begin with a story. The leader of a certain Indian tribe
encamped at the base of a mountain was dying. The chief summoned his three sons and said, "I
am dying and one of you must succeed me as head of the tribe. I want each of you to climb our
holy mountain and bring back something beautiful. The one whose gift is the most outstanding
will succeed me".
After several days the sons returned. The first brought his father a flower which grew near
the summit and was extremely rare and beautiful. The second brought his father a stone which
was colourful, smooth and round, having been polished by the rain and sandy winds. The third
son's hands were empty.
He said: "Father, I have brought nothing back to show you. As I stood on top of the holy
mountain, I saw that on the other side was a beautiful land filled with green pastures and a crystal
lake. And I have a vision of where our tribe could go for a better life. I was so over whelmed by
what I saw and by what I was thinking that I could not bring anything back".
The father replied: "You shall be our tribe's new leader, for you have brought back the
most important gift of all - the gift of a vision for a better future".
A vision of a better future for humanity is what 'Mission ad Genies' is all about. It was
Melchior de Marion Bresillac's vision of a better future for the Indian Mission and its people
which caused him so much frustration. He could not over come the challenges that he met during
his time in India. For, "He was preaching a Gospel which championed the equality of everyone
before God". Eventually, he found that he could no longer carry out his missionary vision. So,
he resigned and came back to Rome. I will explore further these issues in chapters first and two. Even then, he did not give up his vision, -to proclaim the Gospel to the most abandoned".
This vision of a better future for Africa and its people was to led to the foundation of the Society
of African Missions in the middle of the 19th century. Though it cost him, his own life as well as
that of his companions. his vision lived on and spread all across the vast continent of Africa.
That's what my third chapter is all about. My fourth chapter is about the validity of de Bresillac
vision on the Society and how the SMA is faithful to his own vision of mission.
'Mission ad Genies', is at the core of SMA activity. It is a vital step in our effort to be
true and faithful to the missionary calling and charism of the Society, in the view of our founder.
It is always present in different contexts, in villages, in cities, in people of various social
conditions. Mission is always -Frontier". Through our missionary presence, we are bearers of
the Good News wherever we are.
I link this concept of 'Mission ad Genies' with Bishop de Bresillac's desire to go to
"most abandoned".
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Keywords
Melchior De Marion Bresillac, Vision, Missionary