CICM celebrates founder’s bicentennial birth anniversary, was the title of the article I published in this paper last year [Sunday Examiner, 19 June 2022], in which I mentioned kicking off the celebrations of the 200th birth anniversary of Father Theophile Verbist, the founder of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary [CICM].
Born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1823 and inspired by the Holy Spirit to start a new adventure for the missions in China, Father Verbist left it all behind to be a member of the first ever CICM missionary convoy to China, having as its goal the conversion of non-Christians and the salvation of the many abandoned children in China.
This special attention to the abandoned and marginalised infants may have had something to do with his past mission as the national director of the Holy Childhood in Belgium. A man with a purpose despite the setbacks, Father Verbist “surely did not think of entering a religious congregation that sends missionaries to China.
He preferred the incorporation of Belgian priests into a vicariate in China.… incorporated into a diocese, they want to lead a communal life under the obedience of a Belgian priest, approved by the local bishop” [Nestor Pycke, Theophile Verbist’s Adventure, Ferdinand Verbist Institute, 2010, p. 35]. This simple fact can tell us how well he remained focused on the demands of his “new” vocation.
The story of the foundation of the institute and its early stages is a topic that filled books; existing studies and past researches have focused on the virtues and achievements of the founder and his companions; the current direction and developments in the life congregation shows how the institute remains faithful to its founding ideals while actively responding to the needs of the changing times.
Though the 200th birth anniversary of the founder fell on June 12, CICM-Hong Kong chose to combine it with the founding anniversary of the institute. To refresh our memory, it was on 28 November 1862 that Engelbert Cardinal Sterckx, archbishop of Mechelen, Belgium, approved the CICM’s statutes, and this date is traditionally recognised as the official founding date of CICM
Though the 200th birth anniversary of the founder fell on June 12, CICM-Hong Kong chose to combine it with the founding anniversary of the institute. To refresh our memory, it was on 28 November 1862 that Engelbert Cardinal Sterckx, archbishop of Mechelen, Belgium, approved the CICM’s statutes, and this date is traditionally recognised as the official founding date of CICM.
This year, the congregation is 161 years old, and it’s a reason to rejoice and to thank the Lord for his boundless support throughout the years. St. James’ Church in Yau Tong welcomed us to celebrate the milestone. On November 28, the Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha, ofm, of Hong Kong, graced us with his presence and served as the main celebrant of the Eucharist that was well attended by the faithful that were impacted in one way or another by the CICM Missionaries.
In his homily, the bishop reminded us to always remember what matters the most: “the personal or communal achievements of the CICM missionaries are something that we all should be proud of. However, what should not be forgotten at all is the unquestionable fact that Jesus is with us “always until the end of the age”, to recall the gospel chosen for the celebration [Matthew 28: 20].
Celebrating both events, namely the birth anniversary of the founder and the 161th founding anniversary of CICM, is a chance to also thank all the friends, benefactors and relatives for their support and presence throughout the ages. Without this support, mission would probably not be the same
In front of an audience full of friends and priests, the CICM superior in Hong Kong invited the faithful to learn from the life of Father Verbist and to dedicate themselves to the mission God has entrusted to each one of us. “We all have something of Fr. Verbist in us, CICM and Friends of CICM alike, for we all are gathered here thanks to the “yes to the missions” that the founder promised to undertake”, he said.
Celebrating both events, namely the birth anniversary of the founder and the 161th founding anniversary of CICM, is a chance to also thank all the friends, benefactors and relatives for their support and presence throughout the ages. Without this support, mission would probably not be the same.
While we thank you for the past endeavours, we renewed our call to continue this missionary journey together, fully aware that “our mission is to work with others and, together, deepen our relationship with God. Therefore, we need to be inspired by Christ, whose culture of love enables us to show respect, appreciation and care for the cultures that welcome us” [CICM, Witnessing to the Gospel in a changing world. Acts of the XVIth General Chapter, p. 13].
During the symposium organised at Fu Jen Catholic University to celebrate the 200th birth anniversary of the founder, I opined that “in Theophile Verbist, Belgium welcomed one of its greatest sons, the Church received a good and humble priest, missionary life benefited from a great and adventurous mind, and through his work and its new developments through the ages, some parts of the world came to know an international CICM religious and missionary community that strives to bring the Good News of salvation to the nations and journey together with the people in their God-given context.”
Let us thank the Lord for this wonderful gift to our world.
Father Dominique Mukonda, CICM
CICM-Hong Kong
