“The evangelization of the ‘poor’ is our purpose. Therefore we go especially to peoples, groups, and individuals who have not yet heard the message of the Gospel or who have scarcely heard it, to those whose needs are the greatest, and to the oppressed. We also willingly accept tasks for which the Church has difficulty in finding workers.”
(Spiritan Rule of Life, 4)
Our rapidly changing world impacts on our mission: We recognize the great diversity of missionary activity in all parts of the world; Fields of evangelization change and so do methods and partners.
More than ever, evangelization is seen as the living incarnation of the Word of God: It penetrates different cultures and finds a home in the hearts of the people; It is always a source of new life which leads people towards the Father.
Spiritans are committed to the renewal of evangelization in a healthy and respectful manner, going to meet other people and religions without seeking to dominate them. We must first – through education and community service — help the oppressed and disadvantaged overcome the problems that make every day a struggle. This service becomes our witness to God’s love for the poor. From our witness and service, we then hope to introduce people to the Word of God.
The spirituality of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit springs from a profound openness to the Holy Spirit and from the missionary zeal of our founders, Claude Poullart des Places and François Libermann. Their vision shaped a community entirely dedicated to the poor and to those most in need, and continues today to inspire our way of living and serving.
We seek to keep this tradition alive at the heart of our communities, nurturing it as a gift for the whole Church. Recognising in our founders and in other Spiritan figures luminous witnesses for our time, we also work to promote their causes for canonisation, convinced that their example continues to enrich, guide, and strengthen the Church’s mission.
To understand JPIC in concrete terms, we must look to the pastoral practice of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Gospels. The disciples of Jesus of Nazareth saw, felt, and lived the message he conveyed. Living Jesus’ message creates a new way of seeing the world, the person, and even the very image of God. It has a direct influence on politics, the economy, religion, culture… It is absolutely essential that the faith we profess in the God of Jesus of Nazareth lead us to understand the human society in which we live and to strive to spread the Kingdom of God. The Church, as a community of disciples, cannot ignore this dimension of the Master’s plan. It is within this perspective that the choice of JPIC as a priority element of the missionary work of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit is situated.
JPIC is the prophetic expression of the Church in the world. JPIC is the voice of God on behalf of the excluded. JPIC is a tool for understanding reality based on faith in Jesus and his message. Without JPIC, our apostolate would lack a fundamental element.
Interreligious dialogue is an integral dimension of the Spiritan mission in today’s world.
“We engage in dialogue and collaborate loyally with the leaders and believers of other religions, as well as with those who do not believe in God; and we trust in the Holy Spirit who leads us all towards the whole truth” (cf. Jn 16:13). (SRL 16.3)
“We consider as a constitutive part of our mission of evangelization: the integral liberation of man, action for justice and peace and participation in development.”
This conviction lies at the very heart of our identity as missionaries. Evangelization, for us, is not limited to proclamation in words alone; it is embodied in actions that promote human dignity, restore hope, and foster integral human development. Inspired by the Gospel and attentive to the signs of our times, we understand development as a vital expression of God’s love in action, transforming lives, communities, and structures.
Spiritan founder, Claude Poullart des Places, felt called by God to found a community dedicated to educating poor seminarians. Today, in our missions in Africa and elsewhere, the Spiritans continue to live out the vision of Claude Poullart des Places. Apart from formal education carried out in our schools, Spiritans see education as vital in all our ministries. Basic education is the first step out of poverty and toward the Gospel.
Spiritan formation is a lifelong journey that enables the aspirants/candidates to Spiritan life and members of the Congregation to acquire necessary knowledge and “savoir-être” in becoming the witnesses of the Gospel according to the Charism of our founders Claude Poullart Des Places and Francis Libermann. It is divided in two major parts namely: the initial and ongoing formation.
In a global context where there is a strong focus on situations of domination and abuse (of power, sexual, spiritual) committed against individuals, whether children or adults, the Catholic Church and our Congregation have undertaken reforms that are as urgent as they are essential. This work is underway (guidelines and recommendations, appointments in each province of persons responsible for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, support for victims and handling of allegations received, initial and ongoing training, etc.), but it will take time to bear full fruit. Our aim is to work towards genuine cultural change, to promote unconditional respect for every person, and to ensure safe environments for all.
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