OYS Group Development weekend, Dublin

We came together as Oblate Youth Service (OYS) members of a few years’ standing from different parts of Britain and Ireland to look back at the mission statement and goals of our organisation which were put to paper last May; and to look forward, putting flesh on those goals and charting the development of the Service.

Our task over the weekend was facilitated by two Oblates from Aix-en-Provence, Fr Frank Santucci and Br Dominique Dessin, and their international perspective on this aspect of Oblate life was invaluable.

The weekend opened with a reflective, personal session on Friday evening, during which the group shared the motivation and impulse which had led each one to become involved with the Oblates, and to identify one instance which stood out for them as capturing the essence of the OYS. This was tied with reflection and prayer on Jesus’s washing of his disciples’ feet, and the face of Jesus only being seen in his doing so.

On Saturday the life and example of St Eugène de Mazenod was put before us in story and pictures, and by common consensus came alive as the enthusiasm and humility of the privileged young-man-turned-servant of the poor was made evident.

We had time individually and in groups in the afternoon to draw on what we had heard, our ideas of service and the expression of faith, and how these might relate to and impact on the OYS’s activities for the future. There was a convergence of ideas and themes from many of the groups that may have appeared repetitive at the time, but reinforced the common purpose that motivates us and underlies our thinking.

After dinner the conference/meeting room had been transformed by seating and lighting into a café-bar, and with a drink and relaxing craic in each other’s company our friends from Aix gave us an overview of the many other lay and professed groups of the Oblate family on all continents which are striving to follow the example of St Eugène in service of those who are struggling.

On Sunday morning Frank and Dominique took on observer status as the group met, chaired by our committee members, to outline the improvements we felt can be made to existing projects in Lourdes and South Africa. Many new ideas for projects at home and for forging links with other Oblate groups, inspired by the previous days’ discussions, were also put forward for consideration by the committee.

With the bulk of work done it remained only for us to conclude with a celebration of the Eucharist in which everyone contributed to the music, readings and prayers, or preparation of the liturgy.

The weekend was a valuable staging post in the life of OYS, allowing us to take stock and plan ahead. The help, affirmation and encouragement of other Oblates previously unfamiliar with our group was welcome and refreshing, and personally I felt the description of Eugène’s life was far beyond what could have been acquired from a book. We look forward to putting our plans into action and strengthening the foundations already laid.