“Living” in a Regional Council, a commitment to serve companions in a specific role for three years, as that of secretary, was an extraordinary challenge for me to surpass myself and be open to everyone unconditionally.

I had to work as a team with the other members of the Council. As secretary, I saw myself as the one who had to connect the Council with each of the members in the Region. I had to establish a network, a kind of ‘safety net,’ so that each link was connected to another, and communication could be established to foster life among us, to better live our Oblate vocation in our environment. Our Region being bilingual, I had to take up the challenge of language and improvise as a “bilingual” (French-speaking and English-speaking) to reach everyone. I sought to motivate the team leaders to be “relays” so that the meshes of the net would not come apart and that information, news, event announcements, holiday greetings, invitations to gatherings, etc., would reach everyone, in their own language, at the same time, as quickly as possible. For me, I had to communicate life in order to bring everyone into communion with the life of our Institute. I can say that when the “Net” lit up, all the companions formed a multicoloured “web”, each in the colour of their own environment, and one could see that the Oblates were living our values with other people (secularity obliges!), involved in common challenges.

For me, the constant challenge was to put the “technology” in the service of life. In this sense, I salute the companions who also took up this challenge! For some, it was almost “heroic”! We succeeded in holding virtual meetings, with simultaneous interpretation, that will go down in history. Well done! Proof that there is no age limit for learning new things! Thank you to the Council and to the companions who placed their trust in me and helped me to fulfill this commitment...

But this could not have been achieved without the “complicity” of the One who always gives us what we need to accomplish the missions He gives us. “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Co. 12:9), Father Parent often said, quoting Saint Paul, and this is still true today. The God of Life always invites us to surpass ourselves. To live out our mission, I believe we must constantly strive to improve ourselves in order to serve better. The skills we have acquired over many years are only a foundation. There is always a call to improve ourselves in order to go further with Him and with others. The joy of discovering new horizons is part of the abundant life promised by Christ to those who decide to follow Him. We may sometimes stray from the path, but He will always be there to bring us back on track and thus better fulfill the mission He has entrusted to us! I have sometimes experienced a lot of “stress” because of my lack of faith!!! In those moments, I would repeat to myself, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,” as St. Paul said to the Philippians (4:13), and I would forge ahead! Afterwards, I would experience great joy: the joy of having surpassed myself with Him...

Ginette Faubert, former secretary of the Council and the North America WEST Region
November 15, 2025