Dear Brothers,

At the beginning of November, having just received my Visa, I was able finally to arrive in France! I had just enough time to unpack my suitcases, and then head to Limonest, to spend the week with our Solitaires.

The week at Limonest was a great blessing – a time of to share faith and fraternity!

I was able to give an overview of our Sulpician constitutions, drawing out some of the more spiritual and theological dimensions that underlie our practices. I was also able to give an overview of our structures, particularly focusing on the role of the Generalate.

In addition to the presentations, we had some other moments of prayer together and an evening where Monsignor Goulet and I were able to share a little something of our home country of Canada.

A big thank you to Fr. Daniel for his warm reception, and for all his ministry with our candidates!

Returning to Paris, I was warmly received by the confrères and all those who share in our mission here, all those who form part of our “Sulpician family”, and immediately made to feel at home! I appreciate the patience which others extend to me as I learn new customs and habits, learn to navigate the language, and familiarize myself with all that our confrères here are engaged with.

What I can say, already, is that I am inspired by the fraternity and faith of our Sulpician family, and the love of Christ and the Church that I see lived out daily, with all “Sulpician discretion”.

I closed the week with the Solitaires with an incident from the life of Monsieur Olier, an experience of prayer in which he was more deeply freed from himself and reborn as a child of God, an experience of liberty which gave him an audacity to truly trust in the Holy Spirit.

May that same experience be ours, in the service of the Lord Jesus, and of his Church!

Rev. Father Shayne CRAIG, Superior General of the Society of St. Sulpice