Optional Memorial of St Peter Chanel: Missionary zeal

Readings and homily from Mass celebrated this evening by Fr Richard (Mass for the repose of the soul of Tony Power)

Readings: https://universalis.com/20200428/mass.htm

Today the Church honours two great “Marian” saints – St Peter Chanel and St Louis Marie de Montfort. The first was a missionary of the Society of Mary (Marists) who was martyred on Futuna Island in the 19^th century. St Louis was one of the early writers in the theological field of “Mariology”, writing significant works on devotion to Mary.

Faced with a difficult decision about which optional memorial to celebrate at Mass, I’ve chosen St Peter Chanel as we have a parish in the Diocese dedicated to him that also takes care of the University of Hull Catholic Chaplaincy. We pray for Fr William and Fr Peter and for all the parishioners there in Hull. Up until recently, the parish was under the care of St Peter Chanel’s order, the Marist Fathers, some of whom taught me and guided me when I was younger. We pray for all of the Marist community today also.

Homily: Missionary zeal

Listen here

There are lots of parallels between St Peter Chanel and St Stephen, whose martyrdom we hear about in today’s reading. They were both zealous preachers of faith in Christ. Both encountered mixed reactions to their evangelisation efforts. In each of their times, many didn’t accept the saving message of Jesus they were spreading. In St Peter Chanel’s case, very few natives were being baptised. Both St Stephen, the protomartyr for Christianity, and St Peter Chanel, the protomartyr of Oceania, were brutally killed by authorities who saw them as a threat. Stephen was stoned, while Peter was clubbed to death.

However, the famous quote attributed to Tertullian rings true: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Within two years of St Peter Chanel’s martyrdom, the whole Island of Futuna became Catholic. Similarly, St Stephen was seen as an icon of Christian sacrifice and faith in Christ.

The fearless zeal and witness of these two martyrs inevitably draw our attention to the Sacrament and grace of Holy Orders. St Stephen was a deacon and St Peter Chanel a priest. Both their lives show us that deacons and priests are indispensable to the work of salvation. Deacons preach the Word of God and to practice works of charity. Priests, who’re always ordained deacons first, are conformed to Christ the Head and Shepherd at their priestly ordination. They bring the living Christ to the people of God through the Sacraments.

We pray especially on this day for vocations to the priesthood which we so desperately need in our Diocese.  As one priest I know says: “Priests to not fall from trees!” They are fostered and nurtured by parishes and by families. So we pray today that the lives of young men will be inspired by St Stephen, St Peter Chanel, and St Louis Marie De Mortfort. We pray they will be filled with zeal for the mission to bring Christ to the people of our Diocese.