CICM Spirituality (dedicated to the Incarnate Word Mary, Mother of the Incarnate)

Jesus the Incarnate Word was sent by the Father to redeem humankind. He washed the feet of his disciples to
give them an example of a life of service, on the night before he was to suffer death on the cross, his ultimate act of self-
giving. Jesus’ act of redemption does not only refer to saving from sin, but includes liberation from socio-economic evil
such as poverty, ignorance, discrimination, disease, etc. as dedicated to the incarnate Word, Jesus, these forms of evil
are addressed by the CICM through their various missionary involvements. The CICM is indeed dedicated to Jesus the
Incarnate Word, who lived a life of ultimate service.

John 1:1-8 (Scriptural Reading: The Word Became Flesh)

1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning
with God; 3all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4In him was life,
and the life was the light of men. 5The light sines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcame it.

6
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light,
that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

9
The truth light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was
made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12But
to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13who were born, not of
blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14
And the World became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of
the only Son from the Father. 15(John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after
me ranks before me, for he was before me’”). 16And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17For the
law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God; the only Son,
who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

The Word became Flesh

John theologizes in his gospel the incarnation of God becoming man. The idea of who God is in the Old
Testament was limited to the little revelation made to and through the leaders and prophets of the Jewish tradition. In
the New Testament, God became man and dwelt among us. Thus, the limited revelation testified in the Old Testament
becomes whole and complete not because of the leaders and prophets but through his only Son, Jesus Christ, who is
God himself.

What is peculiar in the Gospel of John is that Jesus Christ was identified as the Word. “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” It should be noted that the Father though Word, has
created the world. It was through the Word that he pronounced the “Let there be…” clauses. Hence, the Word was
already present in the very beginning and His essence as God is already existent.t he dawning of a new day of light and
salvation was the theme of the incarnation. Where the abstract idea, the invisible God, the unreachable God, has
become an actual present, a visible God and a readable god through his own will and desire. This is a fulfillment that God
is so in love with man, is willing to become lowly and vulnerable in the form of man yet in the essence of God. This is the
theology of the great mystery of incarnation, God becoming man, the Word becoming flesh.

With this, the heart of the CICM spirituality is “completely centered on the Incarnation of the Word, as its
principal source” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 44). That is the reason why the CICM is at the service of the work of
Redemption. Art. 12-16 of the CICM Constitutions of 1988 deal with this dedication to the Incarnate Word – this
constant reference to the Person of Jesus should profoundly characterize the whole life of a CICM missionary: he must
thus enter into the life and the mission of Him who “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7). Thus, the
Incarnate Word is his fundamental inspiration in all his missionary commitments (Pycke, p.19). be it in his educational or
parish apostolate, in caring for the environment or for street children, in Carlatan or in Mongolia, or even in a simple
ministry of presence; all these endeavors or related to the work of Redemption, directed towards the building up of the
Kingdom.

Dedicated to Jesus, the Incarnate Word (CICM’s missionary spirituality is characterized and oriented by our dedication
to the Incarnate Word (cf. CICM Constitutions Commentary, 8).

The CICM at the Service of the Wok of Redemption

We have seen that, during the foundation period of the Congregation, Theophile Verbist and his companions
wrote in the first Statues of 1862: “The Congregation is consecrated to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Art. 2).

How should this phrase be understood? Commenting on the same Article 2 (now in the 1948 Constitutions), J.
Vandeputte noted that in the oldest texts and in the first Statutes, we always find Incarnationi D.N.J.C.

However, in the decree of erection (1862), one reads salvatorem nostrum J.C. 16 Which is which then: the
“incarnation of Christ” (the Word Incarnate), or more simply “or Savior Jesus Christ”?

Let us look more closely at J. Vandeputte’s commentary on Art. 2.

Without the least doubt, since the beginning of the Congregation, as well as in the commentary of J.
Vandeputte, it is a matter of consecration to the Incarnate Word; but this consecration is understood rather as an
availability for the work of redemption – the members are entirely devoted to the service of Christ. In addition, it is a
matter of consecration to the Incarnate Word, i.e., “to Him from whom all redemption comes and to his incarnation
which is its foundation.”17 in elucidating J. Vandeputte’s commentary, Jacques Thomas rightly concludes: “In citing the
Incarnate Word, the accent is not on the incarnation as such, it is rather a title used to designate Christ.” 18

“What is the real meaning of the ‘title and patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary’ in the spirituality of the
Congregation? Mary reflects Jesus and his liberating mission.”

The CICM consecrated to the Incarnate Word

The provisional Constitutions of 1968, striking a different note, say that the CICM is consecrated to the Incarnate
Word, and we are invited to continue the mission of Christ by following the road that he himself followed until death,
which he conquered by his resurrection (Art. 7). Commenting on Article 61 on “Mission and Culture,” J. Thomas made
his observation: “For the first time, the incarnation of Christ as such is invitation presented as the model for our
missionary presence and as an invitation to a more effective intergration.” 19

In the Constitutions of 1988, there is a whole section dealing with the dedication to the Incarnate Word (Art. 12-
16). Article 12 says that CICM “is dedicated to the Incarnate Word.” According to Jean Lefebvre, “this means that we are
at the exclusive service of the Son of God made man and of the mission that he has entrusted to us. It is in reference to
the Incarnate Word that we are seeking to discern the demands of this mission. it means that this constant reference to
the person of Jesus should profoundly characterize our whole life.” 20 we must thus enter into the life and the mission of
him who “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7). Thus, the incarnation of the Word inspires all our
missionary commitment (cf. Art. 12). The Incarnate Word is our fundamental inspiration.
 In accepting God’s plan for the world, Jesus responds to the love of God who wishes to bring together all of
humanity, to unite them in a single family of brother and sisters (cf. Eph 1:10). In this way, the Kingdom of God is
progressively realized, a Kingdom of justice and love, of peace and joy. Our consecration to the Incarnate Word
demands of us, of the Congregation and of each of us, to be faithful servants of God’s plan as it is manifested in Christ
and as our Constitutions concretize it. This faithful service often brings with it challenges, even a kenosis, in following
Christ.

Is this why our Predecessors drew a cross on the CICM coat of arms (second stage of designing the emblem)?
The ‘cross’ means poverty, suffering, deprivation and failure that often mark the life of missionaries and their
enterprises. But the cross also always carries in it the seed of life and resurrection. The incarnation of the Son of God
“makes us aware of the fact that to evangelize, following the example of Jesus, means to accept the cross that results
from the proclamation and the inauguration of the Kingdom” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 37).

What I have just described is the heart of our spirituality, “completely centered on the incarnation of the Word,
as its principal source” (CICM Constitutions Commentary, 44). Those who would like to deepen their knowledge of our
CICM spirituality can read the whole article of J. Lefebvre (supra) as well as that of William Wyndaele. 21

Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate

Concerning the expression of apocalyptic origin, “surrounded by twelve stars,” let us the draw attention to the
following:

The text of Revelation 12:1-6 was introduced for the first time in the post-conciliar liturgy of the Feast of the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary. God make Mary participates, in soul and body, in the glory of his risen Son. Mary is the
Woman crowned with stars who “sines forth on earth, until the day the Lord, shall come as a sign of sure hope and
solace to the people of God in pilgrimage” (Lumen gentium, n. 68).

Let us now turn to the Constitutions: “God chose Mary to be mother of the Incarnate Word. In her, he reveals
himself as the One who exalts the lowly. She has a special place in our lives as missionaries of the Congregation of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. We turn to her, model of faith and total dedication to God and to her Son’s mission” (Art.
16).

On the CICM coats of arms, we see the tree trunk with the Virgin and Child. In the second stage of the coat of
arms, the Virgin Mary seems to be absent, but in fact the Heart surrounded by twelve stars is the symbol of the Blessed
Virgin. Biblically speaking, the heart is the center of the person. When C. Daems reintroduced the miraculous tree trunk
of Scheut in the CICM coat of arms, he also kept the Heart (from the second stage), as if he wished to say that the trunk
refers to Our Lady of Grace of Scheut and the Heat to the Immaculate heart of Mary.

The Heart with the twelve stars is placed in the center of the cross (second stage). In doing this, our
predecessors wished to show the link between Mary and her Son dying on the cross. It seems to me that J. Vandeputte
expressed well the idea of those who composed the CICM coat of arms: “The role that the Blessed Virgin played in the
work of redemption and her spiritual motherhood in the Church make us think of our missionary vocation. We find in ti
the example of the most sublime cooperation with the work of redemption and of the expectation of the Kingdom of
God in thsouls.”22 This explanation is also in line with what we have written above regarding our Congregation being at
“the service of the work of redemption.”
This article goes into the Marian aspect of CICM spirituality, but we will limit ourselves to the following points:

We reserve a special place to Mary in our missionary lives. We venerate her as the Mother of the Incarnate
Word. She is the first servant of the mystery of the incarnation. Because of her cooperation with the work of the
Redeemer, we recognize her as our Mother in the order of grace.

During the last forty years, in a good number of publications about Mary, the accent has repeatedly been put on
her faith at the moment of the annunciation: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your
Word” (Lk 1:38). This is her faith throughout her life, especially when she found herself at the foot of the cross. There is
an aspect of not comprehending, and especially of surrender to God’s will, but there was also progress in her faith as
God’s plan became more and more known to her. Our Constitutions invites us to turn towards Mary as “model of
faith and of total dedication to God and to her Son’s mission,” and “to follow the example of Mary in the way that she
deepened her own covations.”23
CICM Mission Statement (CICM Spirituality)

Mission statement is one of the most defined ways to express a cultural identity to others. The values, norms
and beliefs of an organization create a unique cultural environment, and mission statements provide an official method
for expressing that culture. The CICM mission statement has clearly reflected these values to guide the actions and
organizational initiatives of the missionaries. It has guided the missionaries to see the meaning and purpose of their
commitments.

To broaden this understanding, let's trace back the aspirations of the CICM founders in forming a unanimity of
purpose to the congregation and imbue a sense of belonging and identity.

One Heart, One Soul (A missionary Motto)

ln his book Sing a New Song (1999), Timothy Radcliff, Magister of the Dominican Order, writes about his
Vocation: "When I joined the Order I was drawn above all by the hunger to understanding my faith. The motto of the
Order Veritas attracted me. 8 Not so long ago, we visited a Benedictine monastery in Siena, Italy. We admired the Order's
motto Ora et labora chiseled in a large stone placed in the church choir. These mottoes reveal something about the
religious life project of the respective Founders. They have been chosen to express concisely the essence of their
vocation.

Our Founder Theophile Verbist, who died barely five years after founding the CICM, did not bequeath a motto.
C. Daems entrusted to us that task at a difficult moment in the CICM history. Let us have a closer look at this motto
taken from the Acts of the Apostles: “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul" (4:32). This sentence
expresses God's ideal about humankind, his creation.

What does it mean? Jesus came to reveal that God is our Father that he wants to be everybody Father. This is
the tore of the Gospel message. Ln Jesus, we are God's children through the Spirit's power. Consequently, we are
brothers and sisters of the same family.

ln the early nascent Church, this awareness of the revelation aroused joyful enthusiasm. The Christians were
aware of living God's life. They felt it as a source of intense communion, a source of joy and peace. C. Daems chose this
motto of brotherhood and joy that would become a missionary motto.

A Missionary Motto

From the sixties onward, the motto introduced by C. Daems will be more and more emphasized in CICM
documents and its content will grow considerably.

ln fact, the motto One Heart, One Soul appears in the provisional Constitutions of 1968 (Art. 4). Later on, when
referring to our missionary commitment, the 1974 Chapter declares: "we want to be signs and instruments of universal
brotherhood" (Kindling the Fire, 45}. Still later, the 1978 General Conference pays special attention to our vocation to
universal brotherhood in Jesus Christ. The report of this Conference is published under the title One Heart, One Soul.
Finally, the 1988 Constitutions also refer to the motto: "Religious missionaries of different races and cultures, we live
and work together as brothers. One heart and one soul we witness to the Father's will that all men and women be
brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a sign of solidarity among the particular Churches in their universal mission" (Art.
2).

It is remarkable that the motto is directly related to the words "witness to universal brotherhood." The view is
fairly wall summarized in a paragraph of the CICM Constitutions Commentary (1989: me ideal of the first Christian
community, one heart, one soul (Acts 4:32), has also become our missionary motto" (17). This is how our motto found its
place in our Constitutions' missionary manifesto (Art. 2). It expresses a fundamental aspect of our CICM vocation.
CICM Mission Statement

The CICM mission statement succinctly answers these questions.

What is a mission statement all about? One should be aware of the fact that it is not a summary of the
Constitutions, neither is it a synthesis of the individual commitments of the confreres. A mission statement is always
future-oriented and sharply focuses on the corporate commitment of the members of the institute. It does not
elaborate on the conditions required for its implementation such as an adequate formation or the indispensable
mobility of the members. The Criteria for Our Missionary Involvements deal with the practical implications of the
mission statement.

The specific commitment of CICM is in frontier situations, its basic approach is an encounter that eventually
develops in an in-depth interreligious dialogue and/or in first evangelization. World solidarity is a logical consequence
of this movement. CICM is not a lone fighter, it belongs to a larger community, the Church which is at the service of the
mission. the same holds for the CICM community: it is first of all at the service of the mission.

How does CICM understand its mission in the context of today’s world? How does it view its specific contribution to the
realization of the mission the Lord entrusted to his Church?

At the initiative of the Father,

sent by the Son,
guided by the Spirit,

Inspired by Theophile Verbist our founder,

who heard the call of the Lord
and left his county
to proclaim the Good News in China,

Enlightened by those who preceded us

And who-like our founder-
Left their familiar surroundings
To follow Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word.
By integrating themselves into a foreign culture,
And by living in solidarity with other people,

Enriched by those we serve,

Especially the poor who reveal to us the
Sin of the world
And who help us discover the true meaning of God’s plan of love,
We CICM missionaries of different races and cultures,
Live and work together as brothers
To bring the Good News of Jesus Christ
Wherever it is most needed.

We achieve our mission when we facilitate

The encounter between Jesus Christ and the ‘nations’.
Our mission includes enabling people
 To experience the coming of the Kingdom
Proclaimed by Jesus Christ in their God-Given context.

We, CICM missionaries of different races and cultures,

Live and work together as brothers
To bring the Good News of Jesus Christ
Wherever it is most needed.

We achieve our mission when we facilitate

The encounter between Jesus Christ and the ‘nations’.
Our mission includes enabling people
To experience the coming of the Kingdom
Proclaimed by Jesus Christ in their God-Given context.

The Foundational Assumptions of the Mission

o God’s Plan of Love

We believe that God plans to reconcile the whole of Creation to Him, in Christ, through the Spirit. He calls us
to proclaim salvation as His great gift which liberates from oppression and disruption. Salvation is not merely of
human persons, individually or communally, but the entire world. Mission therefore also comprises sharing in God's
care for the whole of creation. The goal of the mission is the Kingdom of God of which the Church is the servant.

o Our Commitment to Frontier Situations

We affirm that it is the specific charism of CICM to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most
needed, e.g., in frontier situations such as geographic areas where the Gospel is not known or lived, isolated areas
where people feel abandoned, large cities where the feeling of anonymity prevails marginalized groups, refugees
and displaced persons, people who live in extreme poverty, young people who feel there is no future for them. Our
direct involvement with these groups should be supported by a prophetic presence in the world of communications,
organizations that participate in the struggle for liberation, justice and peace groups, organizations committed to
safeguarding the created world associations which seek to influence international decision-makers.

o Our Commitment to First Evangelization

We are particularly grateful when people, through the action of the Spirit, open their hearts to the message
of the Gospel and express the desire to join the Church of Jesus Christ. We share with them the message of joy that
transformed our ow lives and invite them to share with us their faith experience. We jointly convert ourselves to
God and form dynamic communities that live and proclaim the Gospel within the God-given context of the people.
When these communities, in communion with the universal Church, reach maturity and become a local Church
assuming full responsibility for her mission in the world, we move on to other places where our presence is most
needed.

o Our Commitment to World Solidarity

We acknowledge with sorrow the growing gap between the Gospel vision of a new humanity of freedom,
fellowship, and justice, and the world where there is poverty, oppression, lack of freedom, inequality, injustice,
violence, and hatred. This is not a mere accident; it is a situation created by a powerful minority. We, therefore,
participate in the struggle of the marginalized to restore their dignity as responsible persons created in the image of
 God and called to fully participate in building a better world for all. As part of this commitment, we seek to challenge
the rich nations to adopt a more austere lifestyle, to abandon the old economic order based on unlimited growth for
the benefit of a few, and to commit themselves to a new model of global development based on global sharing

o Our Commitment to Local Church

We affirm that the mission of Jesus Christ in which we share is entrusted to the entire community of
believers coming from all cultures, rates, and nationalities. As a missionary institute, we are a visible sign of the
commitment of the whole Church to the mission of Jesus Christ in the world, especially concerning those who do not
belong to the Church. ln dialogue and cooperation with the leadership of the universal Church, we discern where
our presence is most needed. We loyally cooperate with the leadership of the local Churches while remaining
faithful to our commitment to frontier situations. ln doing so, we are a sign of solidarity among the local Churches in
their universal mission. As part of this commitment, we help the faithful of the Churches in which we are present to
develop a growing awareness of their missionary responsibility and gratefully welcome young people who in their
turn hear the call of the Lord and express the desire to join the institute.

o Our Commitment to Dialogue

We fully respect the freedom of people. “The Church proposes she imposes nothing” (RM, 39). We are
called to encounter people of all religions and convictions, and to establish a dialogue of life with them. As part of
this commitment, we acquire adequate knowledge of the language and the culture of the people who welcome us
and make every effort to insert ourselves in their life situation. Some among us nourish and enrich this common
commitment by engaging in an in-depth interreligious dialogue

o Our Commitment to Community

We believe that how we live and work together is important in fulfilling our mission. It is our task to foster
with the Spirit dynamic communities of praying and active believers. Since we cannot give what we are not, we live
and work as much as possible in intercultural evangelizing communities that foster values such as mutuality,
interdependence, a simple lifestyle in solidarity with the poor, conscious and respectful interaction with each other
and the culture in which we live, common prayer nourished by and oriented towards our mission

The Season of Lent

Anyway, we are only required to do these during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Two days only, while other
sects do not eat blood for the whole of their lives. Fasting and abstinence also means abstain from doing other
pleasurable things or from joyous moments during these days. “Nagfasting ka nga ng food pero naglaro ka naman ng
favorite mong games the whole day, e nawala na ang essence ng pagfasting mo! These two days are the official days for
us to practice fasting and abstinence Other Fridays of the year is just recommended but not obligatory. Why Friday?
Because Jesus died on a Friday. For your assignment, research on the exemptions or who are exempted from doing
fasting and abstinence.

“The Time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15
CICM Charism (Ad Intra | Ad Extra)

The mandate to evangelize is first entrusted to the disciples and such task is carried on by the Church as she is
born of the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the Twelve. This mission to evangelize is accepted and now, has expanded
to the whole world. Having been born consequently out of being sent, the Church in her turn is sent by Jesus.

God bestowed upon each one gifts that would help him/her in the service of God. As stewards of these gifts,
each one must cooperate in the spread of the Gospel for the building up of the Church. All these gifts are meant for the
promotion of the Kingdom of God. They must be lived in a spirit of service.

What are you really good at? Paining? Counseling? Maybe you’ve never met a car problem you couldn’t repair,
or you’re an amazing chef. Perhaps you just find opportunities to help people wherever you go.

Whatever your talent or skill is, guess what? God’s behind it! But he doesn’t bless us with talents or skills so we
can get noticed or earn lots of cash. Yes, that can be a result of it. But it’s so much bigger than that. God wants us to
honor Him with those gifts! He wants us to be “good and faithful servants” with our talents.

How exactly does God want us to use our talents for Him?

Two ways: blessing others and building His kingdom.

God wants us to bless others.

In 1 Peter 4:10, we’re called to use our gifts to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace. Now, in that
context, Peter was specifically talking about spiritual gifts, like prophecy and healing. Those are supernatural abilities
God given each Christ-follower, but the general idea of blessing others also carries over to talents. God doesn’t give us
anything just for our own benefit. After all, we’re blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2).

Just as with spiritual gifts, God wants us to use our talents and skills for the benefit of others.

God wants us to build His kingdom for His glory.

God made us all different. That’s great, because together, all of us make up the kingdom. In 1 Corinthians 12,
Paul compares the body of Christ to a human body: Each of us is unique, but together we make the body complete. And
Christ is the head of the body (Ephesians 5:23), so everything we do points back to Him. He directs it all! In other words,
God wants you to use your unique role in the body of Christ to glorify Him. So, if God made you an amazing singer, sing
for Him. If your talent is a little less conventional – maybe you’re good with numbers or with writing code – then find a
way to translate that into a job or volunteer work for a God-honoring company or ministry. Use our God-given abilities
to rach those who don’t know Him – and give Him the credit for our talents.

Jesus gives us two commandments: to love the Lord and to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-
40). And when we steward our talents to honor Him and to bless others, we’re doing just that.

Charism defined

“Therefore, by the Holy Spirit, who distributes the charismata s He wills for the common good (1 Cor. 12:11), He
inspires the missionary vocation in the hearts of individuals, and at the same time He raises up in the Church certain
institutes (2) which take as their own special task the duty of preaching the Gospel, a duty belonging to the whole
Church. They are assigned with a special vocation who, being endowed with a suitable natural temperament, and being
fit as regards talent and other qualities, have been trained to undertake mission; (3) or be they autochthonous or be they
foreigners: priests, Religious, or laymen. Sent by legitimate authority, they go out in faith and obedience to those who are
far from Christ. They are set apart for the work for which they have been taken up (cf. Acts 13:2), as ministers of the
Gospel, “that the offering up of the Gentiles may become acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:16).”
– Ad Gentes Chapter IV, #23

“Like Abraham, I too heard the promptings of God in the silence of my heart. I left my country and home to proclaim
God’s love in other lands.

I have climbed mountains, crossed rivers and met people form different cultures. I have learned to speak different
languages, tasted various kinds of exotic food, and danced to different tunes.

Above all, I have discovered that God journeys with me.

All of us are invited to go on a journey – the inner journey of the spirit – to find meaning in life.

We are all invited to discover God dwelling in our midst!”

– Fr. Peter Koh, Singaporean CICM Missionary

“…The church is born of the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the Twelve. She is the normal, desired, most
immediate and most visible fruit of this activity: ‘Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations.’ [37] Now, ‘they
accepted what he said and were baptized. That very day about three thousand were added to their number… day by day
the Lord added tot heir community those destined to be saved.’ [38] – having been born consequently out of being sent,
the Church in her turn is sent by Jesus.”
– Evangelii Nuntiandi #15

The response of the CICM is clear as indicated in their mission statement which says:

“…enlightened by those who preceded us and who – like our founder – left their familiar surroundings to follow
Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, by integrating themselves into a foreign culture, and by living in solidarity with another
people; enriched by those we serve, especially the poor who reveal to us the sin of the world and who help us discover the
true meaning of God’s plan if love, we CICM missionaries of different races and cultures live and work together as
brothers in order to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most needed.”

Etymologically, the word “charism” comes from the Greek charis, meaning grace, free gift. The word “grace” in
current spiritual language gives expression to the primordial gift that allows Christians to participate in the divine life – in
Christ. It is what makes a baptized person a child of God and a member of the Church.

The Second Vatican Council, in various documents, describes charisms as the Holy Spirit “allotting His gifts
accordingly as He wills (cf. 1 Cor 12:12) … also distributing special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts,
he makes them fit and ready to undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church, as it is
written, ‘the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit’ (1 Cor 12:7). (LG 12). The “spiritual gifts” termed
charisms, are gifts given for the benefit of the common good, for the building the Church. The Spirit distributes them to
many people. they are given to each and every one according to the needs of the community. All “charisms” or graces
come from the same.

Spirit and all charismatic gifts serve the higher gift of charity – the supreme charism: love of self and love of
others are united in charity. Charisms that serve the people of God are numerous. Given for the common good, charisms
must be lived out in a spirit of service (1 Pet 4:10-11).
 “All congregations are marked by their charisma. There is something of the fingerprint of the Founder that
continues to give the CICM its own face, and its own contribution to the CHURCH. If anything marks CICM, it is the call ot
leave everything for the sake of the mission.” – FR. Gabriel Dieryck, CICM.

From a theological perspective, the enrichment of faith hermeneutic implies the hermeneutics of ad intra and
ad extra. The hermeneutics of ad extra and ad intra are first used in reference to the Church. This approach was first
suggested by Cardinal Suenens. Ad intra refers to the Church’s own inner renewal within the contexts of faith, doctrine,
and God’s revealed truth, dealing with “the Church in itself, but with the aim of helping it better to respond to its
mission in the world.” Ad extra hence refers to the Church’s relationship with the world: “the Church as it faces the
world of today.”

The CICM is an international religious missionary congregation, dedicated to the Incarnate Word under the
name and patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is a missionary congregation founded in order to participate in
the mission that Jesus has entrusted to the whole Church. Every CICM missionary is called to follow Jesus, to share His
life and destiny, and to conform everything to Him in faith. The CICM missionary is called to go beyond geographical and
religious boundaries to share Jesus Christ with all those who do not know Him. This is the CICM charism ad-extra
(towards the outside): to go where they are sent…where they are most needed…in frontier situations. Like the founder,
Fr. Theophile Verbist, the CICM missionaries heed the call of Christ as they say with conviction; “we are sent to the
nations to announce the Good News, wherever our missionary presence is most needed, especially where the Gospel is
not known or lived. We leave our country to proclaim salvation as the great gift of God which liberates from everything
that oppresses and divides people.: Every CICM missionary then, is willing to leave behind everything, including his
family, culture and possessions. He is sent to proclaim in the Good News of salvation to all nations. This Good News of
salvation is a gift of God that liberates people form all forms of oppression and sin.

Throughout the years of its existence, the CICM missionaries are committed to the proclamation of the Good
News where they are sent. Its soul has been, and still is, the charisma that animated the Founder from the very
beginning, namely the all to leave everything and to go out and spread the Good News. Inspired by Father Verbist’s
example, other young men took up the challenge to evangelize in some of the most remote areas of the world and have
been among the first to bring the Good News of the Gospel to the peoples of China, eh Congo, the Philippines and
Indonesia. “CICM members leave countries, culture, and enter into the life and culture of others – the so-called ad extra
character of the CICM. Mission is self-giving.” (Fr. Jean Didier Badianga, CICM, 2017).

Another dimension of the CICM charism is the “ad intra”. This dimension is expressed in their mission statement
as follows: “…enriched by those we serve, especially the poor who reveal to us the sin of the world and who help us
discover the true meaning of God’s plan of love, we CICM missionaries of different races and cultures live and work
together as brothers in order to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most needed.” The phrase “to bring
the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most needed” does not necessitate the missionary to leave his own
country but to be where his service is most needed, may it be in his own country or anywhere.

Art. 3 of the CICM Constitutions states: “the missionary goal of the institute must inspire and motivate all our
commitments, both communal and personal. Wherever we are, we share in the same corporate commitment. We are
alert to new situations in the world as well as to new needs of the Churches. We regularly question ourselves about the
tasks we undertake. We willingly adopt the reorientations deemed necessary.

Also, Art. 13 explains: “through the Incarnation, the Son of God entered into the history of the Jewish people.
while sharing the life of his people, he took a prophetic stance in view of the Kingdom. His example is always before us
in our efforts to integrate ourselves among the people to who God sends us.”
 Similarly, Art. 4 also states: “We sincerely love and respect the people to whom we are sent. We adopt a
listening attitude and try to gain a knowledge and understanding of their socio-economic, political, cultural, and religious
realities.”

Ad extra, ad intra therefore expresses the reality of a CICM missionary vocation: to be a CICM is to leave one’s
home, family and culture, and even one’s country (ad extra) or simply one’s region, to learn a new language and a new
culture, to be with other people. the understanding/stress now is not necessarily therefore to physically leave one’s
country, but to respond to a situation where one’s missionary presence is most needed (ad intra).
Fr. Theophile Verbist, CICM (CICM Founder)

While it is both reflective and noteworthy to trace back the aspirations of something profound and beautiful, it
is with equal significance to honor the ones who inspired many others to make greater efforts to help millions of
suffering people. It is thus important to acknowledge not only the fruition but also the hardship of the congregation.
Now, let us get to know the men who ignited the flame of CICM's burning passion.

Father Theophiel (Theophile) Verbist, C.I.C.M +

Born: 12 June 1823, Antwerp, Belgium

Died: 23 February 1868, Mongolia
Nationality: Belgian
Organization Founded: CICM

The life story of our Founder, Fr. Theophile Verbist, is not long. He was born in Antwerp in 1823. He had a twin
brother, Edmond, who became a lawyer. Theophile studied in the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Malines and was
ordained a priest in 1847. During the first years of his priestly ministry, he was on the staff of the minor seminary. Later,
he became the chaplain of the military school in Brussels and concurrently served as chaplain of the Sisters of Notre
Dame de Namur. In 1860 he was appointed National Director of the Holy Childhood, a pious association that animates
its members to support the missions, especially children in need, and more specifically in China.

His work with this association, combined with his two other appointments, represented the first visible mark of
his orientation to the mission. It was not, however the beginning of his missionary vocation. According to oral tradition,
it is in the chapel of the Sisters that, whilst praying, Theophile Verbist set up his plan to become a missionary. The flame
was lit in his heart, nourished in gratitude for the faith so easily received in Catholic Belgium, and in compassion for the
many who had not yet heard the Good News. It took more concrete shape by his involvement in the work of the Holy
Childhood and by his contacts with the missions in this context.

In 1865, undeterred by many obstacles, he went to China with only four companions, arriving
in Xiwanzi (Chongli Xian, North of Zhangjiakou) in December 1865. CICM was invited by the Holy See to take over the
care for the mission of Inner Mongolia from the Vincentian Fathers. That included the whole of Inner Mongolia. Fr.
Verbist was the superior of the Mission. Xiwanzi, a small village with about 1000 Catholics was then the center of Church
activities in Inner Mongolia. Already since the 18th century Christians who escaped from persecutions in Beijing had
found refuge there. By the 19th century Xiwanzi had grown into the most important and flourishing Catholic mission in
North China.

Upon their arrival in Xiwanzi, even though they were not yet acquainted with the Chinese language Fr. Verbist
and his companions started to work immediately for the poor and needy, attending to an orphanage and school, as well
as a seminary. But they received the help of Fr. Matthew Xue (Xue Madou), Fr. Jacobus Zhang (Zhang Yage) and other
Chinese priests. Still they faced many difficulties. Already two years after their arrival one of the four CICM pioneers died
of Typhus. He had become sick while caring for sick Christians in Xiamiaogou（下庙沟）in East Mongolia (Jehol).

In Feb 1868, Fr. Verbist undertook his first long Mission visit to the Tiger Valley ( 老虎沟) near Chengde in East
Mongolia 300 km away. Just like Xiwanzi in Mid-Mongolia, also Tiger Valley became since the 18th century a refuge for
Christians fleeing persecutions.  In 1844 the Lazarist superior Msgr Mouly had bought a terrain there and since then
there was a little church community with church building in Tiger Valley.
 The founding period of CICM is very short, a mere eight years. However; looking at this period in hindsight, we
cannot but call it a kairos, a time full of God's grace and guidance, and also a time densely filled with the ideals of the
Founder.
The correspondence of the Founder and his first companions covering this period has been published in several
volumes, compiled by Verhelst and Daniels. These letters not only tell the history of these founding years, but also give
us some insights about Theophile Verbist. Knowing that it is not possible to do justice to all that happened and to all that
the Founder had to go through in these founding years, we also make use of a short personality sketch of the Founder
prepared by Fr. Albert Raskin in 1982, at that time archivist of the Congregation.

Fr. Raskin first sees Theophile Verbist as a wise superior.

“He went about his work with a level head,” Fr. Raskin wrote. This was manifested in the consultations that
preceded the founding of the Congregation. “He could take advice and follow it as well.”

Verbist wanted to found a missionary congregation, but he knew he could not do it without having experienced
the mission himself. In a letter of April 1866, Verbist writes, "Every day I thank the Lord that He allowed me to go
personally to the mission of the Congregation so that I would learn and experience what the demands of the missionary
life are in reality." At the same time, he also observed the mission critically. To his sister Elisa he wrote: "The missionary
would jeopardize the success of his efforts if, before attempting to reform the world around him, he would not first
study matters in silence, observe with care, and, above all, exercise an enduring patience." It is from this experience that
he would challenge the novices in Belgium to test their vocation well. They have to make sure their vocation is rooted in
a pure love of God.

As a Founder, Verbist was appointed pro-vicar of the mission of Mongolia. No matter how. seriously others
worried about the difficulty and extension of this mission, Verbist remained full of enthusiasm and dynamism. Even
though he was confronted with the difficult and sensitive take-over of the mission when he arrived in China, Verbist was
optimistic that something good would come out of it in the end. Because of his many responsibilities, Verbist had almost
no time to focus on the study of the Chinese language. Still, as soon as the could express himself somewhat in Chinese,
he got involved in direct apostolate in Hsi-wan-tzu.

Raskin singles out Verbist's tactfulness and sensitivity to the needs of others. "Authoritarianism was not in his
character. He knew that in the long run you could gain more through quiet dialogue than with force." For instance,
writing from China, Verbist advised the novice master of a young confrere who had just finished his novitiate and had
been ordained a priest to keep him in Belgium, if possible, for another year, "so he could recuperate from his studies
and his parents could enjoy having him nearby as a priest for some time." For the confreres in China, he proved himself a
leader of much understanding. "When two new confreres arrived and were assigned to West Mongolia, he insisted on
taking them there himself. In this way, he could see with his own eyes how they were housed and judge if their
appointment was good, according to Raskin, quoting from a letter of Verbist.

"Cor unum et anima una" (one heart one soul) is the motto of the Congregation. It was. officially introduced in
the coat of arms of the Congregation on October 5, 1933, but right from the beginning it was a reality lived among CICM
missionaries. The Founder had no equal in showing appreciation for the confreres and concern for their well-being.
When Father Van Segvelt (1826-1867), the close friend and first companion of Verbist, prepared to leave for Eastern
Mongolia, the Superior spent heavily and bought no less than seven horses, two mules and two wagons so that his
confrere would not suffer want. The grateful reactions of the confreres and many others are proof of his kind attention
and charity. For instance, when the stolid Dutchman Ferdinand Hamer receives a heavy and precious load from Hsi-wan-
tzu, that is from Superior Verbist, he turns lyric and writes in his 'emotion, "Ah, I should write you in verses. Oh Superior!
Oh Superior! Nimis amasti me!" (You spoiled me!) Hamer, who later became the bishop of South West Mongolia, died a
martyr's death in 1900 during the Boxers revolution.
The Final Legacy

Theophile Verbist died on February 23; 1868 in a small place in China. He had left Hsi-wan-tzu, the main mission
station, for a trip of five months to visit the whole Vicariate before he would go back to Belgium. The travel was done by
ox-cart which moved slowly, and shall we say "painfully" because it had no suspension, over the rocky roads and
through the mountain passes. He did not want one of the confreres to travel with him so as not to deprive one of the
Christian communities of their priest. After 10 days, on February 13, he arrived sick and feverish in Lao Hu-kou, a small
village with a few poor Christians. He was far away from confreres and Chinese priests. The villagers took care of him as
well as they could and a messenger was sent to look for assistance. The first priest who reached the place was a Chinese
priest, Fr. Mathias Chang Ching Hsiu. When he learned the news, he was at a distance of three days' travel from Lao-hu-
kou. He found Verbist on a Chinese heated bed-oven, already unable to speak. He showed Verbist the small violet stole
priests usually have with them to administer the last sacraments to the sick. Verbist nodded and the priest administered
the sacrament of the sick. Two hours later, Verbist passed away.

The Founder's task was finished. He left behind a legacy, not of words -these we find in his many carefully
written letters -but of a life given to the end in the service of the mission. The little flame that had been lighted in the
chapel of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur had continued to burn the candle till the end.
CICM in the Different Continents

Entering into the different strata of humanity is clearly observed by the CICM. Since the beginning, from the time
of its Founder, the direction is clear - that the missionaries go to where they are most needed. Their missionary work is
always carried in response to a need. Such commitment, like the Founder and the early members of the congregation
could even cause the loss of their lives yet, the zeal and dedication to serve the needy is never extinguished. "Unless the
seed dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it yields fruit a hundredfold." Drawing from the inspiration set by Jesus Himself,
the CICM commits to the same mission of bringing the Gospel to God's children in the different parts of the world.
"CICM missionaries are currently working in some 20 countries around the world. Their work continues to be sharing the
hope and comfort of the Gospel while relieving the suffering of our poorest and most neglected brothers and sisters in
Christ."

Inspired Word

Jesus the Good Shepherd

(Jn. 10:10)

“I have come in order that

you might have life-life in all
its fullness”
Jesus went from one place
to another…

The mission of Jesus is a mission of love and service to humanity and the whole of creation. It is a self-giving love
that entailed much sacrifice - his life. This self-giving is an unconditional caring that has the safety of His friends as its
core value. It does not turn back when trouble comes. In fact, Jesus dies so that His friends might live. This unbreakable
communion that is characterized by His total self-giving is the quality that makes Him the Good Shepherd. The shepherd
dies; the sheep are safe. The Father's life, which is essentially love flows into Jesus, and the life of the Father and Jesus
flows into Jesus' friends. So, the Father's self-giving into the Son results in the Son's self-giving into His friends. The
completeness and transcendence of this self-giving is revealed when the Good Shepherd gives Himself totally in the act
of dying. In His death, the love of the Father is revealed as sustaining and transforming the friends of Jesus through their
own death.

This is how the Father's life and love works in and through Jesus. Jesus freely enters into the realm of death. His
resurrection will be His continued life in the community of friends who have received His sacrificial dying into their
hearts. This is the father’s plan for the revelation of divine love and the unity of all peoples. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is
enacting it (Knox, lan, 2011). Drawing from the inspiration set by Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the apostles and the Church
continued the mission of bringing the Gospel to God's children in the different parts of the world despite difficulties. The
Church continues serving the world through her life-giving ministry, especially the poorest of the poor.

In the recent Magisterium of the Church in Vatican II. Evangelii Nuntiandi, Redemptoris Missio and recent trends
in Mission Theology and practice, the concepts of mission and evangelization have acquired a wider meaning and
contain new dimensions and emphasis.

This is clearly noticeable in the various initiatives mentioned in the responses which deal with promoting the
values of the Kingdom of God, human dignity and human rights, justice and peace issues, dialogue and sharing of
religious experiences, and collaboration in the struggle for a more just and humane society. All of these are seen as
essential elements in today's new evangelization, which is part of the service of life rendered by the Church in Asia.
Going further, Evangelii Nuntiandi states:

"For the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its
influence transforming humanity from within and making it new: "Now I am making the whole of creation new. " Strata
of humanity which are transformed: for the Church it is a question not only of preaching the Gospel in ever wider
geographic areas or to ever greater numbers of people, but also of affecting and as it were upsetting, through the power
of the Gospel, mankind's criteria of judgment, determining values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of
inspiration and models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God and the plan of salvation." (E.N. # 19-20)

Entering into the different strata of humanity is clearly observed by the CICM. Since the beginning, from the time
of its Founder, the direction is clear that the missionaries go to where they are most needed. Their missionary work is
always carried in response to a need. Such commitment, like that of the Founder and the early members of the
congregation could even cause the loss of their lives yet, the zeal and dedication to serve the needy is never
extinguished. "Unless the seed dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it yields fruit, a hundredfold." The CICM commits to
the same mission of bringing the Gospel to God's children in the most remote areas of the world - in Asia, Africa, Europe
and the Americas, living and working together in multicultural communities as brothers, continuing this long tradition of
caring for God's poorest and most neglected people in many parts of the world and of sharing the hope and comfort of
the Gospel while relieving their suffering. This is the actualization of the challenge to bring the Gospel of Christ to where
they are needed- into all the strata of humanity, leading to social transformation.

Therefore, all missionaries - priests, Brothers, Sisters, and lay folk - each according to their own state, should be
prepared and trained, lest they be found unequal to the demands of their future work. From the very beginning, their
doctrinal training should be so planned that it takes in both the universality of the Church and the diversity of the world's
nations. This holds for all of their studies by which they are prepared for the exercise of the ministry, as also for the other
studies which it would be useful for them to learn, that they may have a general knowledge of the peoples, cultures, and
religions; not only a knowledge that looks to the past, but one that considers the present time. For anyone who is going
to encounter another people should have a great esteem for their patrimony and their language and their customs.

It is very necessary for the future missionary to devote himself to missiological studies: that is, to know the
teachings and norms of the Church concerning missionary activity, to know along what roads the heralds of the Gospel
have rum in the course of the centuries, and also what is the present condition of the missions, and what methods are
considered more effective at the present time. (8) (Ad Gentes, Chapter TV# 26, on Missionaries).

Building up a community with all those who collaborate with the CICM in their work, their parishes, schools and
missions is always an important and enriching element of their life. Sharing the joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams of
those to whom they were sent brings them something precious: they learned to respect other cultures, to feel at home'
in other cultures, to join and walk side by side with people of other cultures. They are ready to leave their family, their
people and their culture in order to devote themselves forever to another people, to learn their language and integrate
themselves to the extent possible into their culture. Adopting their language, food and customs, they enculturate
themselves into the life of the people, participating in the day-to-day effort needed to achieve lasting spiritual and
material change. Their mission country becomes a second homeland for them.

A challenge that cannot be avoided by any missionary is clearly stated in the Church document, Ad Gentes:
"Announcing the Gospel to all nations, he confidently makes known the mystery of Christ, whose ambassador he is, so
that in him he dares to speak as he ought (cf. Eph.6:19; Acts 4:31), not being ashamed of the scandal of the Cross.

Following in his Master's footsteps, meek and humble of heart, he proves that His yoke is easy and His burden
light (Mat.11:29f) By a truly evangelical life, (4) in much patience, in long - suffering, in kindness, in unaffected love (ef. 2
Cor. 6:41), he bears witness to his Lord, if need be to the shedding of his blood. He will ask of God the power and
strength, that he may know that there is an overflowing of joy amid much testing of tribulation and deep poverty (2 Cor.
8:2). Let him be convinced that obedience is the hallmark of the servant of Christ, who redeemed the human race by His
obedience." (Ad Gentes, Chapter IV, # 24, on Missionaries)

"One of the basic reasons for the missionary engagement for the majority of the confreres is their concern to
serve the poorest, to struggle with them and for them, so that the poor may live a liberated life, in dignity and solidarity.
Christ was on the side of the poor and in their being with the poor, they meet Him. For many confreres, the joy of their
vocation is to live in the midst of oppressed and crushed peoples, with whom they feel very close and whom they deeply
love." (Silhouettes and Profiles, coll: "CICM Spirituality, no4, The CICM missionaries cherish the spirit of the radical
availability of the first generations of CICM missionaries who left their home country, often to never return, and placed
themselves at the service of the poorest and most vulnerable in Mongolia or Congo. They dare to hope that in any case
this radical availability will remain specific for the CICM of the future. It's a radical availability that could take even the
highest sacrifice of one's life for the cause of the mission which some of the confreres went through.

The accent of mission over the Continents

AMERICA EUROPE AFRICA ASIA

The accent is on There is a search for The accent is on The emphasis is on evangelization and
solidarity in the missionary communion and attempts to dialogue with the great
struggle for liberation integration solidarity religions of the region

Inspired then by Father Verbist's example, other young men took up the challenge to evangelize in some of the
most remote areas of the world and have been among the first to bring the Good News of the Gospel to the peoples of
China, the Congo, the Philippines and Indonesia. Today, the CICM missionary priests and brothers are found in the
different areas of Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, living and working together in multicultural communities as
brothers, continue this long tradition of caring for God's poorest and most neglected people in many parts of the world.
This reality is a clear proof that the sacrifices of Fr. Theophile Verbist and his companions are not in vain. In fact, after
the death of the founder, CICM missionaries continued the work He and his companions started. "He left a flame
burning that marks CICM. His death left a call for others to continue the mission with a total gift of self in different
mission stations worldwide. As was mentioned earlier in the previous discussions, after the death of Fr. Theophile
Verbist, the CICM had sent 74 missionaries to continue the missionary work in Inner Mongolia from 1865 - 1887.

The following are crucial dates in the history of the CICM from the date of the founder died:

o they breached the 100 mark and because of the demand for missionaries in other countries, the
1888 CICM expanded its missionary work
o Established its mission in Congo.
1907 o started the mission in the Philippines.
1931 o Singapore, mission for seafarers and promote inter-religious dialogue.
1937 o Indonesia, founded a Catechetical Institute, minor seminary and an agricultural school.
Durin o Fr. Ernest Dieltiens was sent to the United States to ask for financial support for the China missions
g WW and to find areas of ministry. Father Raskin, ordained in the congregation in 1910, and in the 1920-
II 1930's, a missionary to Inner Mongolia, was made a chaplain in the Belgian army and was a
personal advisor to King Leopold III. While he was operating under the codename Leopold Vindictive
200 for the Dutch Resistance in 1942, he was captured by the Gestapo, tried, convicted, then
sentenced to death and beheaded on October 18, 1943.
o The Scheutveld priests and brothers have faced severe perils, e.g., the Boxer Rebellion in China,
involving the massacre of Bishop Hamer, Vicar Apostolic of South-Western Mongolia, seven
missionaries and 3000 Christians; the even greater decimation of their numbers by the Congo
 climate, not to mention the persecution of the missionaries and their local congregations. In
connection with their missions the Fathers opened a number of benevolent institutions, for example
the hospital at St-Trudon, Upper Kassai, for those afflicted with sleeping sickness.
o Eventually it was decided to establish a permanent CICM mission in the U.S.
April o Father Dieltiens bought an eleven-acre property called "Lyonhurst," after its former owner, Mr.
1946 Lyons. Later on, the name was changed to "Missionhurst." Hence, the CICM missionaries are known
as Missionhurst missionaries in the US.
o after World War II, the CICM responded to the invitation of the Bishop of Osaka, and started
1948 ministering to the Japanese people. Among the different works of the CICM in Japan, inter-religious
dialogue is of utmost importance.
o the CICM sent missionaries to Haiti. Haiti is known as the poorest country in the Americas. Their
1953
mission is focused on family, youth apostolate, and JPIC.
o after the CICM was expelled from communist China, some CICM missionaries decided to go to Hong
1954
Kong and Taiwan. In that same year, the CICM also established its mission in Guatemala.
o Filipino CICMS were among the pioneering group of CICM missionaries that started mission work in
1958
Dominican Republic.
1963 o Brazil started to welcome CICM Missionaries.
1966 o The first team of CICM missionaries arrived in Cameroon.
1976 o Zambia and Senegal were added to the growing number of CICM mission stations.
1977 o Nigeria welcomed CICM missionaries.
1979 o Mexico also welcomed new CICM missionaries.
1990 o CICM missionaries embarked on a new mission in Chad.
1992 o The arrival of CICM missionaries started the Catholic Church's presence in Mongolia
1999 o Mozambique became part of the CICM missions
2012 o the CICM turns 150 years.

Aside from the challenges the Scheutveld priests and brothers have faced severe perils, e.g., the Boxer Rebellion
in China, involving the massacre of Bishop Hamer, Vicar Apostolic of South-Western Mongolia, seven missionaries and
3000 Christians; the even greater decimation of their numbers by the Congo climate, not to mention the persecution of
the missionaries and their local congregations.

In connection with their missions the Fathers opened a number of benevolent institutions, for example the
hospital at St-Trudon, Upper Kassai, for those afflicted with sleeping sickness.

Reiterating what has been mentioned earlier, there are almost a thousand of them present in Asia (Taiwan,
Mongolia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan), in the vast continent of Africa (Congo, Cameroon,
Zambia, Senegal, and Angola), in the Americas (Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico and the United
States), and in Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany) Going to these mission areas has not always
been easy to the CICM missionaries but their zeal, dedication, and enthusiasm to their ministry remain admirable,
drawing inspiration from their founder and Jesus himself, the greatest missionary. Such inspiration makes mission work
bearable and meaningful in their different mission stations in the world.

ASIA

Outside of the Philippines and East Timor, Asia is non-Christian. The first mission territory of the CICM, China, is
today a vast ocean of official atheism forced into folk religion/Confucian beliefs, and what remains of Buddhism. In many
parts of Asia, persons belonging to ethnic groups such as tribals, indigenous peoples and minorities based on race,
religion, culture, etc., are victims of the injustice of discrimination. In some countries, caste practices have isolated for
centuries whole sections of populations, leaving a consequent psychological, cultural and economic trauma on the social
conscience. Another concern brings our attention to the particular problem created by discrimination against women
and girl children. Obviously, a degrading and inhuman poverty, along with its consequent inequalities in many parts of
Asia, is also among the most glaring and saddening phenomena of the continent. A great source of hope comes from
many of the Church's religious orders and congregations who have made a major contribution to the growth of the local
Churches in Asia through their mission of evangelization. Religious sisters and brothers, by their love and unselfish
service to those who suffer from poverty in its many forms, have contributed to nourishing the faith of many in the
Church in Asia. It is in the context of the socio-economic realities, its political history and present situation, and in the
context of its multi-religious traditions that the CICM carries out its evangelizing mission. Indeed, the missionary
presence of the CICM is very noticeable, especially in the Philippines.

CICM missionaries spend their lives with their people, sharing in their hope and dreams as well as their
sufferings and privations. Adopting their language, food and customs, they enculturate themselves into the life of the
people, participating in the day-to-day effort needed to achieve lasting spiritual and material change. In response to
people's spiritual needs, CICM missionaries may staff parishes, administer sacraments, teach, preach, and engage in
special ministries to the youth, the sick and aged, prisoners and university students. In response to people's material
needs, CICM missionaries may help to build schools or orphanages, dispensaries or nutritional centers, or they may
engage in projects to improve a farmer's yield or to bring clean water to a village. This means the CICM missionaries take
upon themselves to bring the Good News of Christ to where they are needed - into all the strata of humanity, leading to
social transformation.

AFRICA

The continent of Africa borders the southern half of the Mediterranean Sea. The Atlantic Ocean is to the west
and the Indian Ocean is to the Southeast. Africa stretches well south of the equator to cover more than 12 million
square miles making Africa the world's second largest continent. Africa is also the world's second most populous
continent. Africa is one of the most diverse places on the planet with a wide variety of terrain, wildlife, and climates. The
continent is generally young and poor, most of the fifty-plus countries/republics emerged after World War II, and bad
governments are not able to deal with the vicious cycle of poverty. Aside from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(1888), the CICM is also in
Cameroon (1966), Senegal (1976), and Zambia (1976); there are three CICM Provinces in Africa.

The CICM call to Africa was to pioneer in terms of penetrating tribes in the area, catechizing and baptizing them,
and providing them with socio-economic infrastructure. The Congregation early on developed the native clergy, and
today sends African missionaries all over the world.

CICM missionaries like Fr. Oscar Nkolo lives and work among people living in dire poverty. Most of them have no
money to cover basic necessities, much less medical care. The elderly is frequently abandoned by their families, and sick
children are left to die. Little children wander the streets begging, looking for affection, scouring trash bins for scraps of
food.

Bright children-the hope of the country's future-drop out of school, because they cannot afford to pay tuition
and other school fees. CICM ministry in Africa revolves around the three specific domains as follows:
a. Justice, Peace, Ecology – The Church strives since her beginning for peace and justice. Only lately the Wholeness
of Creation has been added to this because of its necessity in the world of today. These themes are therefore
also our themes as CICM and we try to implement them wherever we work.
b. Reflections – Reflection is part of spiritual life. Taking your time to stand still and let your mind wander about
your thoughts and actions of the day, and to get inspiration from the Bible or other sacred and spiritual
literature is essential to live in this world without being caught up into it.
 c. In the Frontline – As CICM missionaries we love to be at the frontline of society, to answer to the needs of the
people and to see, discern, and act with them. There are many fields in which we are active, such as parish life,
education, youth ministry, inter religious dialogue, and so on.

AMERICAS

The Americas are an evangelized region; the North is mostly Protestant, while Mexico, Central and South
America are Catholic. The overall percentage of Catholics is 63.7%, according to latest Vatican statistics. The work of
evangelization then in Haiti (1953), Guatemala (1954), Dominican Republic (1958), Brazil (1963), and Mexico (1979) by
CICM missionaries, who make up one Province, takes the form of restoring the dignity of Indians and shepherding the
people in rural villages and towns, and in slums, working to eradicate poverty in the form of ignorance and malnutrition.

During World War II, anxious for the survival of our missionaries in China and hoping to provide them with Mass
stipends from the U.S., Father Ernest Dieltiens was sent to the United States to seek financial support for the CICM China
missions and to find areas of ministry.

Eventually it was decided to establish a permanent CICM mission in the U.S. In April 1946, Father Dieltiens was
able to buy an eleven-acre property called "Lyonhurst," for its former owner, Mr. Frank Lyons. The name was then
changed to "Missionhurst." The concentration of the CICM - US Province is doing apostolate among Mexican Americans
and Blacks, and in rural parishes.

In response to the people's most urgent need, Missionhurst missionaries may start a new farming project, build
a clean water supply line, work to improve nutrition and health, establish a loving home for orphans and abandoned
children, start a leadership training program or a sheltered workshop for the handicapped, or provide "seed" money to
village entrepreneurs struggling to start small businesses. Or they may build a new chapel, seminary, or school.

As trusted members of the communities in their care, they work in close cooperation with local churches to
promote Christian values, human dignity, self-reliance, and a decent standard of living, while sharing the hope and
comfort of the Gospel. Missionhurst priests and brothers are sent wherever our missionary presence is most needed.

The CICM - US Mission: Dedicated to sharing the hope and comfort of the Gospel, while relieving the suffering of our
poorest, most neglected brothers and sisters in Christ. This is expressed in their statement:

"We love and respect the people to whom we are sent. We adopt a listening attitude and try to gain a knowledge
and understanding of their socio-economic, political, cultural and religious realities. We foster attitudes which
reflect these values, and cooperate with initiatives which promote them. Through dialogue, we mutually purify
and strengthen our values and their expression. Wherever we work and whatever our specific tasks, we try to
respond to situations of misery, injustice and oppression and to understand their causes. In our work for a new
world, we are always inspired by the Lord Jesus and his Gospel."

EUROPE

Europe is the second smallest of the inhabited continents. It is part of the Eurasian land mass that includes
Europe, Asia, Asia Minor and the Arabian Peninsula. As many large islands east and south of Asia are usually included in
Asia, the Eurasian land mass extends from Iceland to New Guinea, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Arctic to
the Indian Oceans. Traditionally, the Ural Mountains in Russia have been used as a division. This line then had to curve
back through the Caspian and Black Seas to avoid leaving Turkey in Europe. The fact that this separated Christian Europe
from Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist Asia is not coincidental. With the creation of many new countries from the collapse of
the Soviet Union the division is more difficult as so many want to be included in Europe for economic reasons. In order
to show complete countries only we have included Russia in Asia, where most of its area lies, rather than in Europe.

Europe was where it all started, where the idea was conceived, in the neighborhood of Scheut in Brussels,
Belgium. Since the beginning Belgium has contributed much to the ad extra missionary effort of the CICM, proof of the
generous spirit of the country, and of the times. And these valiant men have made a difference in the life of the people
wherever they worked. Sadly, there was a general phenomenon in Europe, secularism has crept in. Hardly are there new
CICM missionary vocations in the country. In fact, Belgium has become a receiving country, of missionaries from
countries evangelized by Belgians. The "New Evangelization" aptly now fits the country.

To the CICM missionaries in Europe, personal and community prayer life and the daily Eucharist are for most of
them a lasting source of life and vigor. They know that all their labors and pains at the service of the Kingdom have value
only if the Lord of the harvest blesses them. And when all is said and done, they recognize that without Him they would
be useless servants.

Building up a community with all those who collaborate with the CICM in their work, their parishes, schools and
missions is always an important and enriching element of their life. Sharing the joys and sorrows of those to whom they
were sent brings them something precious: they learned to respect other cultures, to 'feel at home' in other cultures, to
join and walk side by side with people of other cultures. They are ready to leave their family, their people and their
culture in order to devote themselves forever to another people, to learn their language and integrate themselves to the
extent possible into their culture. Their mission country becomes a second homeland for them.

Availability for service to the local church is an important attitude for the CICM- Europe. Especially caring service
to the poor and the marginalized is seen and experienced as a priority since the beginnings of their Congregation. "One
of the basic reasons for the missionary engagement for the majority of the confreres is their concern to serve the
poorest, to struggle with them and for them, so that the poor may live a liberated life, in dignity and solidarity. Christ
was on the side of the poor and in their being with the poor, they meet Him.

For many confreres, the joy of their vocation is to live in the midst of oppressed and crushed peoples, with
whom they feel very close and whom they deeply love." (Silhouettes and Profiles, coll: "CICM Spirituality", no4, The
CICM missionaries cherish the spirit of the radical availability of the first generations of CICM missionaries who left their
home country, often to never return, and placed themselves at the service of the poorest and most vulnerable in
Mongolia or Congo. They dare to hope that in any case this radical availability will remain specific for the CICM of the
future.
Distinct Contributions of CICM in the World

The mission of Jesus is liberating, transforming, salvific. It liberates man from all forms of miseries, and evil. It
penetrates all dimensions and strata of life. Christ, our Savior, is an evangelizer, one who teaches and proclaims the
Good News of salvation. As an evangelizer, He proclaims the kingdom of God and the center of His Good News is
salvation, this great gift of God which is liberation from everything that oppresses man but which is above all liberation
from sin and the Evil One. The Church and all her members must participate in this evangelizing and liberating mission,
drawn from the very mission of Christ, the greatest evangelizer. Witnessing to the Gospel is always given importance.

The Mission Statement of Jesus (Lk. 4:18-20)

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has chosen me to bring good news to the poor..."

Jesus entrusted the mission of evangelization to His disciples and they accepted it. Preaching, teaching and
deeds of power (healings and exorcisms) are three expressions of the kingdom proclamation. The twelve, symbolizing
the twelve tribes of Israel are sent out primarily to form an alternative community based on the new teaching of divine
holiness.

It is this "new teaching - with authority!" that Jesus has given the twelve. This is what they have assimilated, and
this is what they are asked to share with others. In order to be successful, the new way of thinking and acting they have
learned from Jesus must be integrated. How they work with people to create a more inclusive sense of community is as
important as healing and exorcising. Therefore, Jesus gives them instructions which are both practical and symbolic.
They must go out as witnesses to the new way of life Jesus has inaugurated. Walking stick and sandals both facilitate
travel yet they were instructed to take nothing for the trip, and they are to spread the Good News from place to place.
They are not to settle down. Their single tunic captures this single-mindedness: they are men on a mission. Without
bread, bag and money, they become part of those in need. Their lack of provisions elicits the compassion that is the
cornerstone of the new community.

Such mission which Jesus entrusted to the disciples is liberating, transforming salvific. It liberates man from all
forms of miseries, and evil. It penetrates all dimensions and strata of life. Christ, our Savior, is an evangelizer, one who
teaches and proclaims the Good News of salvation. As an evangelizer, He proclaims the kingdom of God and the center
of His Good News is salvation, this great gift of God which is liberation from everything that oppresses man but which is
above all liberation from sin and the Evil One. This He did throughout His ministry, marked by service. Jesus served the
needs of the people of His time and He still serves our needs. As He serves our needs, so must we serve one another's
needs and carry on His work in the world (Knox, lan. 2011).

The Church and all her members must participate in this evangelizing and liberating mission, drawn from the
very mission of Christ, the greatest evangelizer. Witnessing to the Gospel is always given importance. Doing this entails a
personal conversion which begins from one's own heart, for such is the demand of the kingdom which Jesus
inaugurated.
What then, are the characteristics of the kingdom? Today, we can start reflecting on some questions that point to the
reality of the kingdom. Are the poor not discriminated by the society? Are the sick being tended to and cared for? Are
there people trying to make peace?

Are there people who promote justice and are prepared to die to see it accomplished? Are there people and
institutions committed to healing brokenness and alienation? In other words, are there people today trying to carry on
the work of Jesus? Do we give our share or contribution for the promotion of the kingdom? If we want transformation,
then it must begin with an urgency to change one's own heart first. "We cannot teach the demands of the kingdom to
others if we do not exert effort to live by its principles (Knox, lan, 2011)."
 It is therefore our duty to work for the accomplishment of such salvation for all peoples by eliminating poverty,
injustice and oppression, enslavement of peoples by war, exploitation of the powerless by the greedy. We have to make
the salvation offered by God a reality. Jesus has brought salvation; we are living in the new age of salvation. We should
be experiencing its effects now; otherwise, how could we possibly experience the grace of Christ, which makes our life
better now?

Reiterating what the Church documents tell us, "For the Church, evangelizing means bringing the Good News
into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new: "Now I
am making the whole of creation new." (E.N. 18)

The CICM, being an international missionary congregation, dedicated to the Incarnate Word, takes this mandate
as its primordial concern. This they realize in the different areas of the world where they are stationed. As missionaries,
they have their distinct contributions to the world: Pioneering/Daring Spirit, Multiculturality, Social Transformation.

Pioneering/ Daring Spirit

a. In 1888 Fr. Emerick Cambier, CICM explored the unknown and mysterious territory upriver on the Congo and
Kasai Rivers in Central Africa, in Kasai Province, and founded most of the large missions there. When the fierce
Batetelas tribe revolted in 1895, he saved the mission emboldened by his rifle, which he was not afraid to fire.
b. The above story exemplifies the pioneering and daring spirit of the CICM, who dare to go, and to do, where
others and what others do not, or did not yet. In the Philippines the CICM started and built many mission
stations in the Mountain Provinces, which was largely unreached by Spanish missionaries. Thus, the region was
opened to evangelization. But as the Church in that region grows, or after they have "planted the seed" the
CICM handed over the territory to the local Church.
c. Mongolia is a recent example; the CICM with the Filipino Bishop Wenceslao Padilla practically started the Church
in that country, and two years ago the first Mongolian priest was ordained. After a few more years when the
time is ripe, the CICM will once more relinquish leadership of that Church to the local clergy and hierarchy.

In such a contribution to the world, the CICM manifests the kind of leadership she assumes in the world. It is a
kind of leadership that is rooted in the tradition of "One Heart, One Soul." CICM leadership can be described essentially
as one of inner strength (interiority) and greatness of the soul (magnanimity). The strength that empowers the CICM
leadership comes from participating in the source of the mission itself: Dei missio, while the grace that sustains the CICM
leadership derives from unconditional service to others.

The heart as a symbol of the inner being of the human person expresses capacity for truth, goodness, and
beauty. Theophile Verbist rightly animates his missionaries to take courage in the face of tribulations and persecutions,
since they have a good and beautiful mission. Accordingly, the life-giving force that "ensouls" the universe truly inspires
a meaningful life when developed in the care of God's people and creation. Thus, with a wholehearted and animated
disposition, CICM missionaries continue to serve God's people with a brand of leadership that strengthens and gives
hope to the world for the coming of God's reign. They live as vanguards for change in the world.

Multiculturality
a. As the CICM motto espouses, the Congregation is of "One Heart and One Soul": "Internationalization as a
universal brotherhood is not a project the Congregation set for itself, but a call from the Lord." A fundamental
aspect of the vocation of a CICM priest or brother is to live in a multicultural community in a culture which is not
his own but which he must embrace, while endeavoring to work to unify humankind as children of the same
Father, thus making present the Kingdom of God. "One Heart and One Soul, we witness to the Father's will that
 all men and women be brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a sign of solidarity among the particular Churches
in their universal mission." (CICM Constitution, Art. 2)
b. Therefore, the CICM has advocacies directed towards intercultural understanding. For example, in Japan, in the
CICM Oriens Institute for Religious Research the students study and reflect on Japanese culture and religious
thought and are concerned with religious dialogue and contact between the different religious traditions in their
country.

Such 'mark' of multiculturality makes the CICM an inclusive community working for the promotion of
God's kingdom.

c. [st. Paul Agricultural School has been one of the best developmental projects that ever happened among the
Toradja mountain people in Indonesia. Founded in 1969 in Makale by Fr. Roger Leleu, CICM who had an
agronomist's degree from the University of Louvain, the school introduced new methods of farming to hundreds
of graduates who have been influential in improving the lives of thousands of farms who today harvest two rice
crops a year.]

In this work for social transformation, the Founder himself, Fr. Theophile Verbist recognized it necessary
for one to be transformed first to become truly an effective agent of transformation. To his sister Elisa he wrote:
"The missionary would jeopardize the success of his efforts if, before attempting to reform the world around him,
he would not first study matters in silence, observe with care, and, above all, exercise an enduring patience." It is
from this experience that he would challenge the novices in Belgium to test their vocation well. They have to
make sure their vocation is rooted in a pure love of God.

Furthermore, the CICM missionaries affirm their participation in the transformation initiated by Jesus as they
say; "Our initial 'yes' is only the beginning of the journey-not the end. We have all had moments of 'going about doing
good.' We have all had moments of suffering. We all will experience that final moment of our own personal death and
personal resurrection. But over and above all that living and dying, we have known transforming moments of grace, we
have been instruments of transforming grace for others. Little by little over the years, most of us have known fleeting
moments of grace, personal transformational moments that give promise of the fullness of our personal Resurrection
yet to come." Such missionary presence of the CICM priests and brothers in the world is therefore a clear manifestation
of God's liberating presence in the lives of people. It is a God who continues to journey with His people, liberating them
from all forms of suffering, oppression or dehumanization. Coming from different cultures, the CICM missionaries
embrace other cultures, bearing the inclusive character of the Kingdom proclaimed by Christ, the Incarnate Word, as
they work for social transformation.

Clearly, the CICM institute generously responded to this call to build the Church. From the writings and
examples of Founder Fr. Théophile Verbist and from the various official documents of the Congregation, the CICM
continually draws relevant insights for missionary directions in the face of new challenges. "The general purpose of the
Congregation is the conversion of the non-Christians, but its specific aim is the preaching of the faith to the Chinese and
the salvation of the many abandoned children," reveals Fr Verbist of the reason for the establishment of the CICM in
1862. That is, faithful to the inspiration of the Founder to dedicate lives and efforts as members of CICM communities to
the proclamation of the Gospel values and to the care of the marginalized and the poor.

Hence, at the core of CICM character are:

1. A Christ-centered spirituality for the mission;
2. A missionary activity integrated into the whole pastoral work of the Church;
3. The evangelization of cultures through quality education;
4. A proactive stance in support for people's natural and cultural heritage; and,
5. Solidarity with the poor through the establishment of an inclusive society.