Father David Ullrich OMI
Provincial of the Western Province USA

Summary of Main Presentation

Your provincial and I got in late last night rather ragged and battered, after many flight delays and we ended up in a bar. I know that sounds shocking to those who know your provincial...

The events that have shaped my life begin in this city. I was 5 years old, and the folks were driving us around on Thanksgiving day with my grandparents, and we saw this big red building and started to explore the area, and approached the statue of a man called D-e-M-a-z-e-n- o-d. I didn't know then what all this involved and there was nothing else here at the time.

I went to Sacred Heart school for 4 years and remember being in a procession for the Oblates centenary. I must have been 11 years old when I met up with Jim Smith omi. My Dad was his altar boy and he used to come and visit our home with the scholastics, and they would come and overtake our kitchen, and we always looked forward to their coming. Herbert Hooks was also another Oblate that influenced me. He would play chess with me, but he never let me win once until after I was ordained. So Saint Anthony's school here was what gave me my foundations as an Oblate.

I went to the novitiate in Sarita in 1962-3 and then went to seminary classes which were merged, the Central and Southern provinces had joined their classes and that was very enriching to be part of that process. I had 3 years of philosophy in the Central Province and theology here in San Antonio. I was here when I started to get interested in Japan and the exploits of missionaries like Matteo Ricci and the missionary approach of the Jesuits who, unencumbered by the European cultural forms, were able to take the Gospel to a foreign land. I wondered if you could still do that?That's why I went to Japan. I had to join the Eastern province technically, and finished my theology in Tokyo. I was ordained here in 1971 and returned to Japan to work in parishes for several years. 7

Account of Matteo Ricci's mission

While I was there, I started to re-evaluate what does mission mean? And I came to the conclusion that there was a great need to make the church work in our own country. I noticed the way people in Japan looked at our way of living the Gospel in this country. 7

So, I came back in 1975 in something of a vocational crisis, and met up with Ron Carignon, who was in what he calls his "body snatching" mode, and I became part of the Californian province. While there, I had an experience working with the Latinos and the question for me was no longer about what was my vocation, but rather, what was the people's vocation. All that happened through my encounter with one Latino family in particular. They were a big part of this process. 6

Since 1975, I have been involved in Latino and parish work. I lived in Mexico and saw how their Communitates de Base worked and we have set that up now in our work in California. I was also part of the formation team in Oakland and was able to do a D.Min course in Berkeley. That course taught me about what is termed "situational leadership" where there is no one right leadership style, but rather a style that depends on the situation and the need to understand how that works.  11

As far as the restructuring, I find it very difficult to comment because I find it is a very personal response. For me, it is inspiring and challenging. I was not on the Council at this time, but OCUS invited me to attend as a provincial candidate. When I went to these meetings, I thought that we would end up with two provinces, and I was surprised at the enthusiasm for one province. Later on, I saw how this posed a threat to others and how others found it very difficult.

I see it as a new beginning, and that to carry out the Oblate mission more effectively, we need to be one. 11

What are my hopes? I see the next three years as basically working on ourselves, or what someone termed, "The Internal Mission." That we need to learn to live the Gospel ourselves. 10

Next, we need to discern how we are to outreach to the poor in a clearer way, especially to the youth. For me, it all  comes out of how we live the Gospel. 7

Third, that we share our spirituality with the laity who love the Oblate charism and us, believe it or not.

Fourthly, we need to re-examine what we are doing with parish ministry-so much of our work is done here, so that we need to be doing it in an Oblate and missionary way. 10

Additional Excerpts from Fr. David Ullrich's answers to one small group’s questions:

"The crisis is what produces the creativity..." 11

"Things will get worse before they will get better..." 5

"As to the Provincial headquarters in DC, there are some limits we have already set as to what that will involve for us, for example, costs etc..."

Q: "Where is your energy for mission-here or overseas?"
A: "I look at our youth here and see them as so un-evangelized. They are the "ad gentes" like we used to see the people of Zambia. These people now look at how the Gospel works with us, and so I see the prior need  for us is to learn how to be a missionary in a first world country. We talk about mission, but we do not get into the harder missionary issues. In some ways, it is much easier to preach to the poor than it is to preach to the rich. The primary mission field is us. How to do that- it's all in the rule and what we have written about apostolic community. It's all there, but we haven't unpacked it." 7

Afternoon responses to Group concerns:

"I would like to address the question that asks, 'How we will make the decisions as to where we are to put our energies and use our resources?' I believe that there are four questions we need to ask when we make any decision about the mission. First- Is it promoting our Oblate unity? I think that this is not just an extra, but that it is basic to us. Second- Is it with the poor in a reasonable way? Third- Is there a possibility of our outreach to the youth? And fourth- Does it help us relate to the laity in a new way?" 7

"I want to address people’s concern over our commitment to Zambia. I think that we are all in this together and that we depend on your leadership too. The question for me is, ‘Do we have people who can be sent?’ And that becomes, when we ask ourselves,’Am I send-able?’ "Am I call-able?’ These are pretty serious questions. This is a spiritual question here, more than structures or strategies. Are we too entrenched in our lifestyles? We need dialogue and interactivity. It has also struck me how in the Acts of the Apostles, the quality of the community life depends on the quality of life of the missionary. There, the quality of life of the apostles was their most potent missionary tool. They are not two separate issues. I would hope that our response to a mission like Zambia is part of our response to our inner mission, our inner call-ability." 3

Final Words:

"I find this exciting, and I have never  been part of a process like this before, and it's great  for Oblates to be talking about this. I think it  all means we make a leap of faith and hope together, and I am happy to make it with you." -- Father David Ullrich OMI

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