by Anthony J. Pogorelc, PSS

The Mois Sulpicien, an international Formation Program for  Sulpician candidates, was held at the Seminary Issy-les-Moulineaux from July 4 to 30, 2019. The seminary, just outside of Paris, is where our founder, Jean- Jacques Olier, lived and ministered. The  program included conferences on Sulpician topics, daily celebrations of the liturgy, as well as times for personal prayer. There were also opportunities for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the rosary, and Sulpician meditations. Participants also shared social time and meals.

In Paris, among the places participants visited were St. Sulpice and Notre Dame des Vertus, important places of pilgrimage for Fr. Olier.  There was a week of pilgrimage outside Paris to sites dear to Fr. Olier.

One U.S. participant reflected: “It was excellent to be able to visit sites important to Fr. Olier and the other early Sulpicians. Our pilgrimages put some real flesh on our history. It was particularly moving to meet the Dominican Sisters at Langeac, who pray for us daily.”

Participants from the Province of the United States included Fathers Simon Cheba and Neal Mulyata from Zambia, and Fathers Shawn Gould of St. Mary’s Seminary & University and Carlos Piedrahita of Theological College. Fr. John Kemper, PSS, Provincial, Fr. David Thayer, PSS, General Consultor, Fr. Larry Terrien, PSS, Superior General Emeritus, and Fr. Tony Pogorelc, PSS, Director of Initial Formation, also assisted in the Mois. From the provinces of France and Canada there were priests from Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Columbia, Congo, and Togo. The Sulpicians are indeed an international community. One U.S. participant noted: “For me, the most critical point of the Mois was the fraternity among the Sulpicians from the different provinces. The time together was important and edifying.”

One participant summed up the meaning of the Mois: “My take away is that every day we need to uphold and preserve our rich Sulpician history, tradition, identity, and charism so we assist the spirit of our founder, Jean-Jacques Olier, to live on.”