In The Footsteps of Montfort Pilgrimage Saint-Laurent-Sur-Sèvre

The international meeting of Montfortian associates, at Saint-Laurent-Sur-Sèvre, during the year of the 350th anniversary of the birth of Father de Montfort, on the initiative of the general councils of the Company of Mary, the Daughters of Wisdom and of the Brothers of Saint-Gabriel, responds to an expectation already expressed more than 20 years ago. The universality and the presence in more than 50 countries in the world of members of the Montfortian family, allows us to think that we all have reasons to hope that our differences will only be shared and developed wealth. This will be all the more true if we cultivate our common heritage together: the spirituality of Father de Montfort, his life, his teachings, his strong accents, his writings, the mission entrusted to him and which he bequeathed to us somehow. To best live the time of this encounter, unique and therefore initiatory, it is perhaps good to prepare ourselves for it in order to draw strength, hope, courage, audacity and confidence for the future. For this, we need to discover each other, to get to know each other, to recognize each other and to have common time of formation or sharing on our roots linked to Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort and Blessed Marie- Louise de Jésus, without forgetting Father Deshayes whom we rediscover day by day. We will have to share our experiences and create or cultivate links to be stronger in the mission of evangelization that is open to us. It is in the Church, priests, religious, consecrated and lay people that we are called to spread the spirituality that makes us live and makes us happy. To help us, in our sharing, during our meeting, it seems useful to us to allow you beforehand to prepare for it by giving you the possibility of noting important elements of your journey.
We suggest a few questions that can help you reread your experience and your convictions, wishes, expectations and thus enter naturally into the theme of the meeting.

– How did I discover Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort and the Montfortian family?
– What attracted me and made me want to go further in the knowledge and life of Father de Montfort?
– What do I find important for my life in this Montfortian family?
– What would I put forward in the spirituality of Father de Montfort, to characterize him?
– In what way are Louis-Marie de Montfort, Marie-Louise of Jesus, Gabriel Deshayes, those who preceded us, useful to us today for our own life in a world so different from theirs?
– What tracks do I see to move forward on the path that is mine and that of the world in which I live?
– What conviction can I share with others for today’s mission where I am called to live?

Extracted from PREPARATION TO LIVE THE INTERNATIONAL MONTFORTAN MEETING “MISSIONARY DISCIPLES IN THE MONTFORTAN FAMILY”