FOR a someone who lived in a tropical country his whole life, La Mure can be a daunting experience.  I literally had a cold reception when I first arrived here, the summer of August, with the fog and the morning chill greeting me at the town's threshold.  But that was soon exchanged with the warm welcome of the SSS community at Avenue du Docteur Tagnard, composed of Pere Jean-Claude Cuennet, the Cure of the Paroisse de Saint Pierre-Julien Eymard, Pere Manuel Barbiero, the community's expert on the life and writings of our Founder, and Pere Dominique Dat Tam, who is very fluent in French.

La Mure, a small bourg in the mountainous region of Isere, was once a bustling mining town during the 19th century until the supply of its natural carbon deposits were depleted, and is thriving today through agriculture, livestock and its hiking and skiing resorts.  La Mure figured in the history of France as part of the historic Route Napoleon.  But I guess, this place has a deeper meaning for us, religious of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament because this little known village has witnessed the birth and death of a saint, our beloved Founder, Saint Peter Julian Eymard.  

The SSS La Mure community was born September 1st, 2007 when Pere Manuel joined Pere Jean-Claude to become pastors of the Paroisse de St. Pierre-Julien Eymard, at the invitation of the Bishop of Grenoble-Vienne, Msgr. Guy Kerimel.  They were later joined by Pere Dominique on april, 2008.  Guided by the diocese's vision of "Paroisse Nouvelle," the community now serves 44 other churches scattered around the mountainside, some can be as far as 50 kilometers.  It is also in charge of the upkeep of the original house of Pere Eymard and the welcome of the pilgrims who came to pay homage to the Saint.

It came to me as a surprise but I didn't realize that as a response to the Rule of Life No. 3, I would literally follow the footsteps of Pere Eymard in his beloved birthplace.  Two things came to me as a challenge here in Isere: the bitter cold (the famous La Mure Welcome) and the complexity of language.  But as I struggle with my broken French and with the layers of fabric to keep the warmth, I am no more happier than to belong to the community of La Mure, even for a just short time.  Ours is indeed an international community, composed of a Swiss, an Italian, a Vietnamese and me, a Filipino.  Crossing the barriers of language and culture, we found ourselves to be truly brothers: few but always available for the service of the people whose soil our founder has once thread upon, hidden but always united in prayer with the Church, especially in the Eucharist and finally, newly born but lives closely to the ancient memory of our Founder who first felt the call in this obscure town to heed a spirituality which is bound to change the world.