July 25th, 2008
Golden Jubilee Celebrations in Boston, Massachusetts.

The 50th Anniversary of the Missionary Society of St. james the Apostle Held in Boston on the 25th of July, 2008.
by Msgr. Finbarr O'Leary
Taken from friends, August, 2008
It is highly significant that the fiftieth anniversary of the Society coincides with the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul and this autumn’s Synod entitled the “Word of God in the Life of the Church.” All three events are associated with the mission of the Church. Lest we forget, we are reminded “that the Church is of its very nature missionary.” However the meaning we give to that term has changed over time. Indeed the Concise Illustrated History of the Society which will be published later this year on the occasion of the annual banquet will reflect that changing face of mission. A golden jubilee celebration provides us with the opportunity to remember the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

The memory of our founder Cardinal Cushing comes alive as we listen to our senior missionaries recall stories of those early pioneering days. Anyone who ever met the Cardinal will always remember his deep rather hoarse voice and penetrating eyes, but behind the formal exterior of the Prelate there was an enlarged heart which contained a special love for the poor. He enjoyed his many visits to Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador where he felt at home with God’s special people. He lived the gospel message of giving out of his poverty, in putting the needs of his brother and sister before his own comforts. We also remember with gratitude the work of our Golden Jubilarians who were the forerunners in establishing the beginnings of the Boston Archdiocesan missionary outreach in some of the most unfavorable conditions.

Reaching fifty years of service to the missions is no small achievement particularly in this day and age when priests are fewer in number. Over 300 priests have answered the call down through the years. There are currently forty on mission with two more joining this year. A small number have become long term missionaries which has served to ensure the continuity of the Society, while the majority have been on loan for a period of five or six years. God’s call to become foreign missionaries is given to some, which however pressed should not be equated with the relative shortage on the home mission. Increasingly the Lord is calling priests from foreign mission countries to serve in the home mission of the United States and Europe. Perhaps this exchange of cultures is the truly Catholic image of the Church that the Lord desires.

The celebration of our Golden Jubilee began with a concelebrated Mass of over sixty priests and three bishops. His Eminence Cardinal Seán O’Malley our president was unable to be with us due to travel arrangements for the world day of prayer in Sydney, Australia. He was represented by his auxiliary Most Reverend Robert Hennessey and was joined by Bishop Thomas Daily and Bishop Daniel Reilly as the principal concelebrants. Bishop Robert, himself an alumnus of the Society spoke from the heart so that everyone in the congregation was moved by his words. He made special reference to his friend Fr. Milton Eggerling, recently deceased, whose love for the people was communicated by his actions, rather than the fluency of his use of the Spanish language. Indeed, most missionaries who were present could identify with the experience of such poverty in different degrees.

Any realistic planning for the future will need to embrace the collaborative ministry of priests, deacons and lay people. The Society of St. James has traditionally been reserved to priests unlike other missionary organizations like Maryknoll who include a lay missionary component. We have instead focused on training local personnel for ministry. Recently nine candidates have journeyed from Ecuador, accompanied by one of our priests to the Maryknoll center in Cochabamba to undertake a formation course on ministry. Many of our priests and catechists have taken advantage of courses in culture, justice and peace provided by Bartolome de las Casas in Lima.

The St. James Golden Jubilee celebration ended with a buffet dinner at the Coastguard. There we were entertained with Peruvian Music by Inkas Wasi. The meal was provided in Peruvian culinary style by “Machu Picchu” of Somerville. All agreed that it was a memorable celebration.

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