A group of 49 Spiritans attended a Papal Audience on May 8, 2023, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the re-founding of our Congregation in 1848. Representing the Lay Spiritans were two U.S. Province members, Anne Marie Witchger Hansen and John Hansen. Fr. Jeff Duaime, C.S.Sp., First General Assistant and former Provincial of the U.S. Province, was also in attendance with the leadership from the Generalate. 

After presenting at the European Lay Spiritan Congress in Chevilly, France, Anne Marie and John spent some time in Rome, where they were invited to join the group that attended the Audience. 

“John and I felt so humbled to be among the Spiritan General Councilors as well as Spiritans from all around the world both at the Generalate and that day in the Vatican. We felt ‘unity in diversity’ within our Spiritan family.  What a blessing!” said Anne Marie.
       
The audience was held in Consistory Hall. Superior General Fr. Alain Mayama, C.S.Sp. read an address in Italian on behalf of the entire congregation. He briefly described the history of the founding and merging of the Congregation, the charism, and the position of the Congregation today.

“Holy Father, thank you for your prophetic leadership and zeal of a servant who goes beyond the confines of the Catholic Church, entering into dialogue with the whole world, a shepherd who is close to the flock . . . You continue to inspire us, despite all our human, physical and other limitations, to give the best of ourselves in the service of the brothers and sisters entrusted to our care,” said the English translation of his remarks. You can read the rest of the translated remarks, here. 

 He then presented two books: "Charism and Mission Since Vatican II: Superiors’ General Letters to the Spiritan Congregation, 1968-2020” edited by James Chukwuma Okoye and “LUSOFONIAS, De Roma para o Mondo, Dedicatoria Ao Papa Francisco, por tudo” by Tony Neves.

Next, Pope Francis addressed the group, speaking to the Congregation’s history and charism.

“Thanks to your willingness to change and your perseverance, you have remained faithful to the spirit of the origins: evangelizing the poor, accepting the missions where no one wants to go, favouring service to the most abandoned, respecting peoples and cultures, forming local clergy and laypeople for an integral human development, all in fraternity and simplicity of life and in assiduity of prayer,” said the Pope’s translated remarks. 

He also urged the community to prayer, saying “Please, this last thing is important: pray, do not forget prayer. And not just formal prayer, no, pray! Pray seriously! You thus realize what the venerable Libermann called the ‘practical union’ in service, fruit of a habitual docility to the Holy Spirit and the foundation of every mission.”

He also emphasized the importance of the Spiritan Charism in the Church and world today, urging our members to continue their work. 

“Your charism, open and respectful, is particularly precious today, in a world in which the challenge of interculturality and inclusion is living and urgent, within the Church and outside it. Therefore, I say to you: do not renounce your courage and your inner freedom; cultivate it and make it a living feature of your apostolate. There are many men and women who are still in need of the Gospel, not only in the so-called ‘mission lands’, but also in the old and tired continent. Look at every person with the eyes of Jesus, who wishes to meet everyone – everyone! Do not forget this: everyone – making himself close in particular to the poorest, touching them with his hands, fixing his gaze on them.”

This moment, when Pope Francis earnestly called for the Spiritans to reach out to everyone or “Tutti, tutti, tutti!” in Italian was particularly memorable to Anne Marie. 

You can read the translation of the Pope’s remarks, here.

The Pope then gave an apostolic blessing to the Spiritans around the world and greeted each attendee, shaking hands and posing for a group photo.
 
The Generalate’s account of the audience described, “It was obvious to us all that we had just been in the presence of a man of immense wisdom, courage and simplicity.” This was the third time in history that a Spiritan community has had an audience with a Pope.