A small group of people like the members of the Irish Province of the Congregation of the Mission is constantly in danger of losing its identity under the bombardment of mass communications. We want to be different, to be ourselves, to be in some way recognisably in the tradition of St. Vincent, yet we find ourselves pushed into a good but dull and common mould by the forces of centralised religious bureaucracy and the stereotyped thoughts of the media. Colloque is an attempt to assert ourselves.
To use the name “Vincentian” implies a wish to share the ideal, the thought patterns of Saint Vincent. Regular contact with Saint Vincent through his writings is the normal way of doing this. In this first issue and in succeeding ones members of the Province will have a twice yearly renewal of their awareness of Saint Vincent. It is to be hoped that this will aid them both in personal piety and in preaching.
There are many ways of being a good member of the Congregation of the Mission. While this is already illustrated in the various community houses of the Province, each with its own individuality, in the life of Saint Justin and of the Beati of the Congregation there is a commentary on our Common Rules that has been tested by the authority of the Church. To enable us to draw value from their experience, aspects of their lives will be brought to our attention in later issues of Colloque.
The Irish Province had an existence before its affiliation to the Congregation of the Mission. Its history has always shown an interesting variation from the common norm. Solid pastoral drive and imaginative administration have been matched by electric clashes of personality and perversities that are humorous only in retrospect. From the archives of the Province, Father James Murphy has drawn a selection for the current issue and has promised to make this a regular feature of Colloque.
This journal is intended to be a means of communication within the Province. We hope that we will be able to add in later issues a Forum in which people can set out their ideas, particularly about the Province and its works.
Extract from Foreword by Colloque Volume 1 - Phillip Walshe CM
