With Gaudium et Spes on Presbyterorum Ordinis...

       My reflections On the Ministry and Life of Priests - Presbyterorum Ordinis were  so many that rather than pouring them out there, I chose reminisce on clergy who have elevated the priestly life in ways they themselves might have dreamed of, but never imagined. Why? Because He, Our Lord, whom we adore is the One we glorify because it is only with his Power working in us that infinitely more than we can ask or imagine is done (Eph 3:20 NJB).

     It is rare today to see in societies being more and more secularized priests' praised on national TV unless it is a Catholic Channel. Rather, you will hear the sinful lives of a few exposed which stains the holiness of the many who've chosen to do it well. You'll hear about the one who was taken to the diocesan tribunal for child abuse, or the one who left the priesthood many reasons, or the one who joined a sect or the one who suddenly realized that priesthood was no longer for him and either found a woman and left or left for pursuit of another vocation. You will rarely hear about clergy who celebrate 25 years anniversary, or 50 years of celibate priesthood. You will rarely hear that the Catholic Church is so rich that she actually has married priests, legit! I mean sacramentally married with children. 

You will rarely hear about the one who loves the people of God so much so that His very love will heal, such as St John Mary Vianney who was such a doctor of the soul  that he was reputed to spend hours in the confessional hearing his parishioners to mend the wounds of their souls. His holiness grew so much so that it is said that bars and liquors store shut down, and Sundays were renowned to be dedicated to the Lord with the people of God filling the sanctuary to hear the Word of God.

Or even about St Pio of Pietrelcina who I grew up knowing as a faithful apostle of Christ, in whose name many of children met to intercede for his Canonization and whom we referred to in those days as Padre Pio. Another one who was not just blessed with the visible Stigmata, the open wounds of Christ crucified. Yes, he suffered with Christ taking flesh in him for the salvation of souls; stigmata he bore for 50 years. As well, regardless of the disbeliefs or crosses he bore, in regards to the Lord working in Him, it did not stop the long line ups of souls coming to Him, or those whose prayers the Lord answered through his intercession for the gift of a child; naming them Pia  if it was a girl or Pio if it was a boy. Regardless of the persecutions as many saints before Him, the graces from heaven grew ever more as he was graced with the charism of Bilocation;

one who could be in two places at the same time. Indeed, sounds pretty freaky! but there are gifts we receive by the power of the Holy Spirit, and they tend to look similar to gifts given by other spirits. One must learn to make the difference. Ignorance might say only witch can do that, but in Christ, there is much that we can do and be through Him who strengthens us that surpasses all things. And so these are just holy men now saints who saw that their priestly role was to sanctify the faithful.

~Sisters of St Pio & the children @Lunch Time~

 Lo behold, inspiring many other young men to rise to the call of the priesthood and do marvel for the Church; such is the case of the Reverend Father Gilbert Dagnon who was the founder of  two religious order. First, came the Brothers of Jesus - Christ while serving both as a professor and as a rector in Ouidah at St Joan of Arc Seminary and then came the Franciscan Sisters of St Pio  in Benin, and spreading its wings across Africa to Togo, Gabon and the future will tell us where next... But this is me jumping ahead in excitement. As one who embodied the words spoken over him during his anointing, there was indeed no boundaries to him being Priest, Prophet and King (Gaudium et Spes). Next to that, He was truly was recognized as one of the exorcists  of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, this holy man who many throughout their life dream to see was the one who wrote the national anthem that is sung nationwide in the Republic of Benin. Rather than letting culture compromise him in his priestly life, he demonstrate to us that culture is not the end, but that culture can indeed conform itself to the Gospel (Gaudium et Spes, par. 51). 

~Me being blessed by him in his last moments~

Myself, I got to witness how the Members of his congregation established in a parish that had the school annexed to it would welcome the students during lunch, feed them and have them nap before the return to class in the afternoon. They were uniforms 'Khakis', so no one can tell the rich kid from the poor kid. This religious order has also orphanages, so rather than telling people how many kids to have as mentioned in Gaudium et Spes, he chose the road that will potentially make things better, not just with the children and orphans, but as well by using farming in the rural areas where his ministry led him to relieve villagers from their miseries that they may become self sufficient. Dear Reverend Gilbert Dagnon, intercede for us that we may one day be among those who shout Saint. 

Fanny Magnificat, MZRB.

for more, find me on Google, Twitter, Youtube.

On Apostolicam Actuositatem and Ad Gentes

                            It is incredible how rich the Church's teachings and liturgical wealth are lived from one continent to another. Although we have seven sacraments worldwide, there are administered different as we venture ourselves through the Ritual Churches or from nation to nation. I could not help but reminisce over my last year before moving to Canada when covering Vatican II's document on the Apostolate for the Lay People - Apostolicam Actuositatem.

@ former classmate. Same promotion.

~ Different generations ~

Let me put things into context; It is an all Girls College run by religious women determined to maintain high educational standards. We are the first promotion, and it is my second year before our good Lord ships me to a new land; Canada.  Sacraments are still offered in the school context along with the regular curriculum. But in the midst of the seven sacraments, there is, in Benin, this step between the Sacrament of Confirmation and the last one (Holy Orders, religious Life or Marriage) called Engagement Solennelle (Solemn Engagement). It is quite taken seriously for it for you can  call that year where the challenge to think about your vocation begins, if you had not before. For others, it is to let the Holy Spirit dig your heart and reveal to you what your apostolate is to be. Looking back, you could call Our Entry in Society. Here, it is from faith perspective, but it would not be much different from what you witnessed during the period of the Renaissance in Europe. Matter of fact, were we not learning British English as a 2nd official language. I recall it being a strenuous exercise for me. By then, I did know my vocation, but my apostolate? My life had been so enriched spiritually by then that, I did not know what to choose. See we were told, you say only one thing! So as the days got closer, one thing became clearer that all complemented each other. And Lo behold, the day came where just like the many young ladies, I stood before the assembly and with palpitations in my heart, spoke loudly in the microphone handed to me and with conviction the words that would continuously remind me that I was to be Catholic bound. And indeed as mentioned in the decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, whatever He calls us too , he will give us the grace to live out that vocation.  So the Holy Trinity, by the power of the Holy Spirit has been granting me the grace to see my life in Christ refined, making me worthy in my unworthiness to grow as co-heir of a rich kingdom, meanwhile being led to others in this same kingdom who through their testimonies fortify my faith.

@ St Bernard Parish with foundress Marie-Josette Bonneval & local sisters.

Thus, it was that I was blessed one evening in my parish to meet the co-foundress of a religious order that found home in our diocese from Brazil that same year by Msgr Alberto Taveira, and among the parishes that welcomed them, our shepherd did open to them the doors;The Seeds of the Word  from the Portuguese Sementes do Verbo. Not only among the orders we had welcomed that year, I confess I had been intrigued by them, but my holy curiosity began to be fed when it was slowly taken to their roots. Yes, this lay woman by whose side I have the privilege to stand in this photo started this community in Europe. If someone would have ever told her so, she would not have believed it. Upon an ill caught by her husband, co-founder and now Deacon Georges Bonneval of the same community, she promised our Lord that if He was to heal him, she would consecrate her life to him. Lo behold, our sweet Lord Jesus loves such deals, so at the surprise of the doctors in the early stage of their married life, the miraculous healing came to pass.  Their apostolate went beyond the parish apostolates (often referred to as ministries as clarified in Apostolicam Actuositatem. As their community grew, she narrated to me how they were invited to start a community in Brazil by one of the Monsignor. Today, they've planted their seeds not just in Europe, in the Americas (Canada, Brazil), but the door has now opened for them in Africa through Cameroon. As reminded to us by Father John Trigilio in regards to Apostolicam Actuositatem, par 7 that "the whole goal of the laity is to sanctify the world", thus through this apostolate they have, and today the Seeds of the Word Community has religious women, priests, lay people. It offers lay people the opportunity to take a Sabbatical Year based on three pillars; a season of formation, a season to practice living out St Benedict Rule of Ora et Labora, and a season for vocation discernment. 
Through their apostolate, they've become a  light to the nations reflected for the greater glory of the Heavenly Father the decree on the Church's missionary activity (Ad Gentes). During that same visit, in our exchanges, I also learned that she was among those who laid hand on the deceased Jean Pliya, 

one of the pillars and leading faces of the Catholic Charismatic Movement in Benin. This was a man who was a professor, wrote on countless subjects, was on the point to retire when the Lord called him forth and busied him further. For a Catholic Layman, he was a zealous predicator of the Holy Spirit who took the Good News to all continents. He did start any order, but meanwhile wearing additional hats to those cited (husband, writer, father), he paved the way not just by living out that call of Vatican II in Ad Gentes to be missionary by offering Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, but He formed the next generation of Charismatic Leaders in Benin. Among them were my mother, now Dr. Kossou Leocadie, a biker working at the Ministry of Finances, who wanting nothing to do with the gifts of the Holy Spirit initially was swept away by His power and the patience of this Holy Man who saw much more in her than a government worker. Over the years, she was seen releasing the Chaplet of Love with the imprimatur (approval) of Msgr Blais in Quebec, Canada;  one that distributed to nations in these four continents so far (Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa).

 By then, I was witnessing how the Catholic Missionary world in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit  was getting smaller as I stood before foundress Bonneval, bringing not clergy, or religious but lay people from one continent to the other together. It was another experience of Christ's actions two thousand years ago going from town to town to pick disciples and apostles. Here, He was moving from nation to nation, continent to continent.

Fanny Magnificat, MZRB.    
find me on Google, Twitter and Youtube