Fr. John Rybolt, CM lays out an ambitious project for writing a history of the Congregation of the Mission and invites collaboration.OVERVIEW OF THE VINCENTIAN HISTORY PROJECT
1. In 1992, the first volume of a projected five volume series on the history of the Congregation of the Mission was published simultaneous in Spanish and Italian. The authors were José María Román Fuentes and Luigi Mezzadri. This volume was subsequently translated into French and Polish, and probably into other languages. It covers generally the history of the Congregation in the seventeenth century.
In 2000, there appeared Volume II/1 in Italian, written by Luigi Mezzadri and his collaborator Francesca Onnis. This volume basically copied another volume by the same two authors, published the year before, Missione e Carità. La Congregazione della Missione nel Settecento. (Rome, 1999) This was projected as the first of two volumes. To complete this work for Volume II of the general history of the Congregation, the authors added a section on the Missions “ad gentes” of the Congregation on the eighteenth century.
To complete Volume II, [II/2] there is still needed an account of the extensive history of the Congregation in Poland as well as the history of the first century of the Vincentians in Spain.
2. At the death of Father Román, the project was suspended. Father Mezzadri asked for volunteers to help continue the project. The undersigned agreed to work with Luigi Mezzadri, and the superior general and his council decided to provide an annual budget for the costs of research, if requested.
3. I began my work in 2004, with the support of my visitor and De Paul University in Chicago, where I am stationed. A detailed outline of the work has been completed, along with a preliminary bibliography. For the FamVin website, we have posted a summary outline of the remaining four volumes. This will be also translated into Spanish and French for the respective websites, in order to invite comments and suggestions from the Congregation.
4. Six single volumes have been projected. The remaining volumes are: Vol. III: From the French Revolution to 1843; Vol. IV: 1843-1878; Vol. V: 1878-1915; Vol. VI: 1915-1984. We conclude at 1984 as the year of the approval of the new Constitutions. The authors foresee three to five years as a probable period in which to complete the work.
5. Each volume will have two major sections: (1) the general government of the Congregation: superiors general, assemblies, legislation, relationship with the Holy See, etc.; (2) the provinces of the Congregation, including the major figures of Congregation (saints, blesseds, and other confreres of importance for their sanctity, achievements and reputation, whether good or bad.) Each century will also have a special chapter dedicated to a general analysis and evaluation of the Congregation: its style of government, exercise of authority, influence, theology, formation, spirituality, recruitment, finances, lifestyle, and the like. The difference between this approach and that of other histories of the Congregation of the Mission is that previous works concentrated mainly on the general government of the Vincentians. The rich histories of individual provinces have in some cases already been written, but many have not, or are at least scattered in various sources.
6. Father Mezzadri and I invite comments and suggestions from anyone about the outline. Should someone wish to see the more detailed and developing outline, I will be happy to forward it by e-mail. In addition, if someone wishes to contribute something already written or in the process of being written, it will be gladly accepted for evaluation.
7. To help contributors, we have attached separate materials to explain our hopes for contributions.
John E. Rybolt, C.M.
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois, USA
jrybolt@depaul.edu
