Archival Ponderings II
by Roger Mercurio, C.P.
Father Morgan has kindly asked me to continue my "Archival Ponderings" for The Passionist Heritage Newsletter. I deeply appreciate his invitation.
Forty years ago in 1952 we American Passionists celebrated our centenary in this country. Father Gordian Lewis, of happy memory, mentioned to me one day that someone should have published a list of all our missions and retreats given during those hundred years.
A list of all our missions and retreats! What a volume that would have been! It would testify to the zeal of our missionaries. How many people have been spiritually inspired by Passionist missionaries! Above all it would have offered each of us a way of appreciating the truly tremendous role Passionists have had in establishing the Church in these United States! Even we today in reading of the dioceses and parishes all over the country in which Passionists had preached would feel a humble pride in our beautiful heritage.
Many times I have thought of Father Gordian's suggestion. Now that I am working in the archives his dream does at times seem possible. For in the archives there are books entitled "Missions and Retreat." In these books our missionaries recorded the missions and retreats they had given with the dates, name of the parish, the pastor's name, the city, fellow missionaries, etc. At times they added some comments on the mission. These records were kept faithfully in our province until about 1965/1967. Somehow during those same critical years, the religious everywhere in our province ceased recording their work and the provincials no longer signed the book at visitation!
Feed