16. The order of Saint Peter

And to some, his gift is that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-12

The Congregation of the Mission, according to the tradition set forth by Saint Vincent, carries on its own apostolate in close cooperation with the bishops and diocesan clergy. For this reason Saint Vincent often said that the Congregation of the Mission is secular, although it enjoys the autonomy which has been granted either by universal law or by exemption.
Constitutions, 3,2

“We are of the order of Saint Peter”—this phrase which Saint Vincent used on several occasions when talking about the Congregation clearly sets forth the fact that the Company was not recognized by the Church as a religious order, but rather as a Secular Institute, as an Institute of the Apostolic Life. This is not simply a juridicial distinction, but rather a distinction that carries with it specific spiritual and pastoral demands.

1. A Holy Invention

The Congregation of the Mission is not a religious order, but that does not mean that the Company is less religious. “We are not worthy to be religious”, Saint Vincent wrote to Mother Chantal¹. To say that the Congregation is not a religious body does not mean that the Company does not demand an equal perfection, “We are”, Saint Vincent said, “in a state of charity, i.e., we are devoted to the constant, concrete practice of love.”²

Is the Congregation of the Mission an order? No, we are secular priests, who live in the state that Jesus chose for himself, renouncing earthly possessions, honors, and pleasures… Even though we are not religious, we do pertain to an order—no, not that of Saint Francis, nor Saint Dominic; instead we are members of the Order of Saint Peter. And for greater stability, we have assumed the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience³.

Writing to Monsieur Portail, Saint Vincent summed up his thinking on the “secular nature” of the Congregation of the Mission:

The providence of God has inspired the Congregation with a ‘holy invention’ which, by the profession of simple vows, places us in a state whereby we enjoy that which is best in religious life. Yet, at the same time, we are secular priests, and as humble priests of the diocese, we remain obedient to the bishop⁴.

2. Faithful Servants of the Bishop

The Church is not a conglomerate of individual churches; rather it is a complete presence of the one sacrament of salvation. Each local ecclesial community is a gift to the whole Church and opens itself to give to and receive from other local communities. The Congregation is conscious of its universal vocation to serve the local churches. In conformity with the teaching of Vatican Council II, we consider ourselves members of the diocesan family⁵.

Saint Vincent expressed the same feeling when he wrote a bishop and said:

We are completely under the direction of the bishops, in going where they wish to send us… In the presence of the bishops, we are like the servants of the Gospel. When they say go, we are obliged to go; when they say come, we are obliged to come; when they say do this, we are obliged to do it. Even more, as pastors and vicars in the countryside, we accept their fraternal correction and welcome their visits. To preserve, however, a uniformity of spirit, the missionaries should obey the Superior General in those matters related to internal discipline⁶.

3. Intimate Collaboration with the Secular Clergy

Close collaboration with the diocesan clergy is demonstrated in that attitude of missionaries which accepts the pastor as the one immediately responsible for pastoral activity:

Missionaries ought to honor and respect the pastors and vicars of the places where they preach missions; they ought to do nothing against their pleasure, without their approval, or without first speaking to them, especially in important matters⁷.

• Frequently among ourselves we say we are not religious—what do we really mean when we use these words?
• How do I conduct myself with the diocesan clergy? What is the attitude of our local house toward the diocese in which we live and work?

Prayer:

Let us thank God for the birth of this Company and for its members. Let us give thanks for having found ourselves in the Order of Saint Peter, or better, that of Jesus Christ. We pray in your name, Lord Jesus, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen⁸.

1. O.C., ii, 85.
2. “On Charity,” May 30, 1659, O.C., xi, 564.
3. “On the Vows,” November 7, 1659, O.C., xi, 643-644.
4. O.C., iii, 224.
5. Christus Dominus, October 28, 1965, 34.
6. O.C., i, 341.
7. Chapter of Faults, October 29, 1638, O.C., xi, 30.
8. “On the Vows,” November 7, 1659, O.C., xi, 646-647.