On Thursday, Feb 17th 2024, Elders (kihtehayak) Jerry and Jo-Ann Saddleback from Maskwacis First Nation were presenters for The Star of the North’s Reconciliation Through Justice session in St. Albert. Jo-Ann is Elder advisor for the Edmonton Public Library, the City of Edmonton, Canadian Research...
We are entering the threshold of another season of Advent. This is a time full of promise and newness, an opportunity for deeper conversion, held in a posture of hope and joy, in pregnant anticipation for Christ’s light to be born anew through us. We...
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new Spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19. Last December I decided to make our two daughters and five granddaughters heart...
It is just over a year since the conclusion of the 37th General Chapter. For some months now, we have had the Acts of the Chapter available and have been encouraged to take time in prayer and discussion to reflect on the document. While the...
Pope Francis, in this latest Apostolic exhortation, calls a spade a spade. He states, ‘Climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community… And to express bluntly that this is no longer a secondary or ideological question, but a drama...
It was a beautiful, late summer day, as I sat on the park bench at the De Mazenod Farm enjoying some time of tranquility with the company of one of our kittens. I love spending time there, enjoying nature and God’s creation. This particular day,...
We never know how our ability to love and bless can affect others around us. Recently, as I was being evacuated out of Yellowknife after a workshop in Deliné, NWT, I found myself halted on the bridge boarding the plane, right behind a father, mother and...
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And they, took off their outer robes … and washed the women’s feet! Sitting around the kitchen table at Dan and Joanne Friedt’s home last summer with Fr. Mike Dechant, OMI, the three of us (Mary Kieftendbeld, Joanne Friedt and Debbie Doornbos) told him about a...
“For us in this Chapter, the two outstanding issues of hope in these times are the calls to care for our common home, and to grow in interdependence or communion.” Very recently, I received a surprise visit at The Star of the North Retreat House. On...
# 6. As a Chapter, we invite Oblates to respond to the call of Pope Francis to recognize that we are first and foremost a people advancing on its pilgrim way towards God (Evangelii Gaudium (EG) 111). #20.3 In communion, we listen intently to the...
In the Acts of the 37th General Chapter, the theme of ‘Our Common Home’ is given focus several times and with various emphases. The Acts refer to the common home of the Oblate community in which we find ourselves, as well as the common home...
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark...
This proverb has been attributed to a number of sources, one being Martin Luther. It has often been tied to the temptations that we all experience. Each year we enter the season of Lent with the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Each of us...
“Communion signifies relationships that permeate our soul and create paths of healing and reconciliation within our communities and with the world. In communion, we nurture the bond of fraternity among us as Brothers and Priests, calling us to live out our consecration in apostolic community,...
Spiritual Reflection - Archbishop Emeritus Sylvain Lavoie, OMI There is a saying, “When a drop of water falls in the ocean, the ocean has changed.” This Lent, may we be that drop of water bringing healing to our world. Any even casual look at the situation of our...
As his eyes swept over the filthy mess, amongst which were bodies propped against the building or fully prone on the sidewalk, he angrily spat out, “I don’t know why these damn people don’t go back to where they came from!” The elderly gentleman’s words...
This is one of my favourite times of the year in Ottawa. In part because it means the Rideau Canal will soon be frozen over for early morning or late-night skates, but also because of the lights! From City Hall to the neighbouring Confederation Park...
Over the past few months I have had many experiences of community and much time to reflect on those experiences. Our Constitutions and Rules remind us often that we are called to community: “We come together in apostolic communities” (CC1), “the community of the Apostles...
After the profession of the first religious vows, the Superior of the community gives each new Oblate a copy of the Constitutions and Rules, saying as he hands it over: “Do this and you shall live.” Over almost 30 years of my religious life, I’ve...
A few weeks ago, we gathered at Star of the North Retreat Centre in St. Albert as Oblates and Oblate Associates for a ‘kick-off’ of the coming year. The Hearth Room was set up in a circle, which kept widening as more people joined in. ...
As I write this the Oblates are convened for the 37th Chapter in Nemi, Italy, as “Pilgrims of Hope on the Journey”. Together, this special occasion highlights for us our union in Christ with Oblates and peoples of Ukraine, with Oblates and Associates in Africa,...
My arrival here in St. Joseph’s Parish has been somewhat of a whirlwind. There are so many new people to meet as I get acclimatized to the new reality that is St. Joe’s. One of the amazing things about St. Joe’s is the Supper Table...
My suitcase is packed - I am taking only carry-on luggage, God help me. I’m headed to Rome, or more accurately, Nemi, just outside of Rome, on Sunday, September 11, 2022 for Oblate Chapter. I will be joined by six other lay people and together,...
“So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.” Jeremiah 18: 3-4 Over the years...
On May 19th, 2022, the first of the Oblate webinar series, organized by Joe Gunn of the Centre Oblat, took place at the Star of the North Retreat House in St. Albert. Entitled The Papal Visit – Indigenous Hopes and Catholic Responses, it featured a...
Often in conversations with new parishioners at our St. Patrick parish in Hamilton, ON, after asking what attracted them to this faith community, they would say, “You guys are just different!” I believe that that “difference” is expressed by our attitude and witness formed by...
As I began to write this article the image in my mind was of the many ZOOM Gatherings held for OMI Lacombe Canada Province in the past two years, where because of COVID-19 we could only gather online. These gatherings were my introduction to the Synodal...
Pope Francis again turns his thoughts to the many Polish citizens who have opened their doors to Ukrainians fleeing war, inviting them to contemplate the Crucifix together as they await the Resurrection and peace in Ukraine. Greeting Polish pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for...
We begin the season of lent with ashes on our foreheads. What is symbolized by this smudging? Perhaps the heart understands better than the head because more people go to church on Ash Wednesday than on any other day of the year, including Christmas. The...
Someone once said, “Being listened to is so close to being loved, most people can’t tell the difference.” The outrage across the nation and the church around the issue of Indian Residential Schools and unmarked graves, has become a heavy social narrative that has in some...
Each day of Advent beginning December 1, and going through December 24, you can hear a new Advent Reflection written by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI. Produced with music and professional voices, these 2 to 4 minute reflections will enhance your Advent experience and help you...
Throughout life we learn many lessons through our experiences, but so often we forget the lessons and they need to be relearned. The past week was one of those moments of relearning. It took an oven door to the back of my head to help me...
“We must spare no effort to extend the Saviour’s empire…” Preface to the Oblate Constitutions and Rules 1825 Manuscript Fr. M Courvoisier wrote: “Nil linquendum est inausum ut proferatur imperium Christi…”, which states the text of the Preface of our Constitutions and Rules of 1826. As...
How hard it is for a rich man to enter heaven. A massive new leak of documents dubbed 'The Pandora Papers' is shedding light on how the rich and famous are hiding their money, and how a world of off-shore tax havens is still thriving....
The TRC Call to Action # 59 asks church groups party to the Settlement Agreement to develop ongoing education strategies to ensure that their respective congregations learn about their church’s role in colonization, as well as the history and legacy of residential schools. Realizing the area...
Eight years ago, I took the train to Montreal to go and pray with “The Illuminated Crowd” sculpture which was created by Raymond Mason in 1985. Mason wrote about it saying: “A crowd has gathered, facing a light, an illumination brought about by a fire,...
Faith in Christ Jesus is an exacting, uncompromising humble service to and with others that can look deceptively like anything but what it is - my only true joy and freedom. To become food and drink for and with others, this is the essence of...
Dean’s funeral was on Tuesday. As I sit to write this, my thoughts drift back thirty-seven years ago to my first year of teaching. I first met Dean in 1984; I was brand new both to the community and to teaching. The high school had 25...
It’s my turn to write a blog for this page and I am stuck – at a total loss of words. The discovery of the bodies of 215 First Nations children at the Kamloops Residential School is too fresh, too raw. It has taken over...
It is more than a year since the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic; over the past few months there has been a lot written and said about what our world, our society will be like going into the future. We hear terms like “the new...
“Forward-thinking pastors realize that the best answer to the question 'Should ministry be digital or physical?' is 'Yes'.” Carey Nieuwhof It has been an experience like none of the others. Living through this pandemic calls us to creativity, forward-thinking and courage to step into unknown. We...
Hello, my brother Oblates and Oblate Associates. This past week we had a Spring Congress Day in the Saskatoon Diocese. It was presented by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis. The third presentation called us to the necessity of putting 100% of our efforts toward Evangelization...
Some time ago a group of us found ourselves newly appreciating the marvelous ministry carried out by the late Ubald Duscheneau OMI (Fr. Duck) through his unique Pastoral Biblical Theology course which sought above all to connect faith with life, and his students with God’s...
Once more we’ve come to the high point of the church year in the midst of a pandemic. While churches in many parts will be open this Easter, most of us won’t gather in person. Those of us who do will gather at a distance,...
Those are the four words that describe Constitution 33 in the OMI Rule of Life. “It is as missionaries that we worship, in the various ways the Spirit suggests to us. We come before him bearing with us the daily pressures of our anxiety for...
At The Star of the North Retreat House in St. Albert, Alberta, the halls and rooms are quiet save a very few people who have decided to ‘come away awhile’ for their Lenten Retreats online. During the week, three or more of us gather for...
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Years ago at a retreat I was attending, the presenter broke open those poignant words in a way I have never forgotten. It’s a plea for the ages and one that haunts me in my everyday...
Advent 2021 will mark 50 years since our current Sunday Lectionary became mandatory for regular use in the Roman Catholic Church. This auspicious milestone provides an opportune occasion to underscore what has turned out to be one of the most important and far-reaching contributions of...
During my novitiate year, we did several Rochais Sessions which are designed to help us understand ourselves and how we function in relationships. The first session was entitled “Who am I?” I have been pondering that question of late as we deal with the restrictions...
“If your mission is to fill buildings, then keep going with your current strategy. But if your mission is to reach people, it might be time to rethink things.” Carey Nieuwhof As I begin Sunday Mass, I look around to observe who is present. A task...
Pope Francis has just written his third encyclical of his papacy, called “Fratelli Tutti”, brothers and sisters all. Once again St. Francis of Assisi inspired him to write this teaching as he did for the great work “Laudato Si”. Pope Francis writes: “Let us dream,...
'Fratelli Tutti' - Some Specific Challenges for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate In essence, Pope Francis' recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti - On Fraternity and Social Friendship, tries to lay out the reasons why there is so much injustice, inequality, and community breakdown in our world and...
Honestly? “Thanksgiving” in the pandemic year 2020? You must be kidding! The leaders of our provinces and our country are begging us to refuse to gather our extended families and friends for the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, for fear of spreading COVID-19. It’s...
“This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder...
Dear Oblates and Associates, Some of you will know Sr. Roma de Robertis. She lived and worked in Western Canada for many years. Recently, her community, the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, invited her to prepare a prayer for Season of Creation 2020, which...
THE LETTER OF THE SUPERIOR GENERAL ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUDATO SÌ SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY YEAR Dear Oblates, Associates, Partners, Oblate Youth, and all our Friends and People of Good Will, Wake up and get involved! The best scientific calculations about our earth’s climate tell us that the...
“I can’t make any plans!’ A close friend is bemoaning her current reality and I resonate completely. It’s a refrain I am hearing over and over. In ZOOM conversations, back yard visits, and socially distanced gatherings, the word “Uncertainty,” keeps cropping up. With Covid, the...
“C’mon, Richard. The light’s green. Let’s go. I don’t know what you’re daydreaming about.” Sitting in the car at the intersection of Laurier and Nelson, on our way to the office, the thought is unspoken, but the words are forming in my mind. Tick, tick, tick, tick...
Dear brother Oblates and all who live the Oblate charism, These months of the coronavirus pandemic have caused uncertainty and anxiety as we see that it is still out of control. It seems that there is less and less talk about life returning to normal and...
The homily is the only part of liturgical celebration for which the ritual books provide no prepared texts. Unscripted by nature, it is the source of both freedom and anxiety: because I have such latitude of choice, what in fact should I say? The homily,...
Navigating a Response of Faith in the Turbulent Waters of this Pandemic In my current work as a professor, researcher and consultant, I am among the lucky for whom the transition to working online and from home was a relatively seamless one. In fact — ZOOM...
Share in reflections about our Church and our culture. Fr. Nestor Gregoire, OMI, will share a weekly reflection on faith, life, Church and culture. Join in this reflection. Fr. Nestor has spent most of his ministry within parish communities and served for ten years as...
In February 2004, I had the opportunity and the blessings to participate in the Returning to Spirit (RTS) foundational workshop. That same Fall, I was able to take the RTS Reconciliation workshop. During the 2005 Summer, two blood sisters, former parishioners, asked why I was...
Oblates and Associates are responding across the country, creating new means to meet new needs of the time. Here are a few stories about what’s taking place across the Province. Throughout these weeks, we hope our sharing helps us to maintain connection, bridge the distances,...
Constitution 8 begins “We will always be close to the people we serve..” How often have I seen those words, heard them or thought of them as I worked on something? I see them at the bottom of each email that Ken Thorson sends but...
Some Advice on Prayer from an Old Master At the risk of being simplistic, I want to say something about prayer in a very simple way. While doing doctoral studies, I had a professor, an elderly Augustine priest, who in his demeanor, speech, and attitude, radiated wisdom...
We had been thinking about livestreaming the Masses for quite a while, but nobody expected that we will introduce it the way it actually happened. The announcement about closing the church due to Covid19 pandemic came just a day before the feast day of the...
Qu'Appelle House of Prayer created a blog, which will be updated regularly both by ourselves and by the comments of others. You may go to: qhpconnection.blogspot.com If you experience technical difficulties, please contact Chantelle: <chantelle.bonk@gmail.com>....
A poem by Fr. Ali Nnaemeka, OMI, following the recent killing of George Floyd by police, in Minneapolis MN. Fr. Ali is a member of Notre-Dame-du-Cap Province, and currently ministers in Sept-Îles, Québec. I cannot breathe Pls, I can’t breathe Do not kill me, man Please, don’t kill me I’m...
Religion is a two-sided coin. On the one hand, it comforts us with the security of God’s love and protection. On the other hand, it makes demands of us that are frightening in their consequences. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, represents a combination of the two...
Two comments I hear off-and-on from lay people who had Oblates minister among them over the years are: “The Oblates are close to the people” and “Oblates are down to earth.” These comments first and foremost apply to our founder, St. Eugene de Mazenod, who was...
Dear brothers and sisters, It is many years since I’ve worked in a parish, but I remember well the busy pace of this the holiest of weeks. People coming and going, liturgists preparing for quick liturgical changes, choirs and musicians arranging their music, the air perfumed...
Busted Halo has created a series of virtual stations designed for personal devotion. These stations relate to Jesus' teachings about the Kingdom of God and the reason his vision of this Kingdom led to his death. Find a quiet place to watch these stations, and...
When the announcement filtered down from Bishop Crosby that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all masses, funerals, baptisms and marriages in Hamilton were to be cancelled until further notice, the pastoral team at St Patrick's, knew they would have to get creative to stay in...
Never before has the world had to change so quickly – so drastically. With the COVID-19 Pandemic it is a new world of seeming contradictions: to communicate we must distance ourselves and to be community we cannot come together except in our prayers and thoughts...
Several years ago, when I was a student at Newman Theological College in Edmonton we studied the Book of Job in one of my classes. Perhaps it could be said that the Book of Job is one of the ‘classics’ when it comes to the...
Since my arrival five years ago I have been heavily involved with the Oblate community in one way or another. During my time here I have felt drawn to the Oblate charism way of life. Up to my retirement in March of this year I...
Two Oblate parishes; two celebratory gatherings: it was my privilege recently to be at both Saint Augustine’s parish in Vancouver and then St. Albert parish in St. Albert to celebrate the February 17th Oblate Feast Day. Marking the approbation of the Society, the Feast Day...
Francis Lopez, St. Albert ''Being an Oblate Associate gives me the chance to be surrounded by people who see the poor as glorious and unique as anyone else and do not hesitate to hold their hands to walk them through the darkness of their lives.''...
“Who lived here? Was it a family with kids? What was their life like in this place? What were their names? Whatever happened to them?” Standing, pensively, alongside my bike, questions eddied about as I looked over the abandoned farmhouse and yard. Leaving our house on...
Reflections on the Theology of Proclamation The scriptures remain dormant until brought to life in the liturgy: unless and until the words of scripture are proclaimed, the Word remains silent. Anyone who has proclaimed the scriptures, as well as everyone in the assembly who listens to the...
Making my commitment and becoming an Oblate Associate of OMI Lacombe Canada Province has been a very concrete step on my journey. Walking in relationship with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and sharing in the charism of St. Eugene de Mazenod and a deliberate way...
The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the...
My journey as an Oblate Associate really began in 1998 when our family moved to Edmonton. Shortly after arriving I was introduced to the Oblates and the Oblate Parish Mission team, who I subsequently worked with for six years. It was the beginning of an...
I have today a greater understanding of the intergenerational impact of the Indian Residential Schools (IRS) legacy. I have had the opportunity to hear from many indigenous persons their honest sharing of their painful experiences as descendants of IRS survivors. During a non-Indigenous Returning to...
At a recent meeting we were invited to reflect on two questions: What is your faith experience of being called to leadership? What are the three challenges facing your Province at this time? Challenging questions, but ones that led to some fruitful reflection. My first response...
I have been an Associate of the Oblates for 19 years. I am the Director of Catechetics for a small, missionary Diocese. As I work for and in the Church, I realize how much the Oblates and the charism of St. Eugene de Mazenod have...
Becoming an Associate has meant continuing along a faith journey that has provided many enriching friendships and experiences with both Oblates and Associates. In learning and studying about St. Eugene and the Oblate charism to the poor and abandoned, I have discovered and embraced a...
There is a saying, “When one door closes, another one opens.” That saying proved to be true for us at the Star of the North recently, along with a few lessons for us: there is a need out there for a spirituality for our wisdom years,...
We are David and Marie Morgan in Arnprior. We came to know and love the Oblates of Mary Immaculate through our association with Fr. Jack Lau, OMI at the Galilee Retreat Centre. Our spiritual lives have been greatly enriched by the charism of St. Eugene. ...
Last year I took an on-line course “Saint Eugene de Mazenod. The historical background, life, and the key aspects of his spirituality, charism and mission” offered by the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX with Fr. Frank Santucci, OMI as a teacher and...
As we strive to live our lives in a manner faithful to our baptismal call, we have found companionship and love among those who have dedicated their own lives to doing the same according to the charism of Eugene de Mazenod. We truly believe that,...
We were raised, educated and married in Saskatchewan and now are retired “Islanders” in British Columbia. We have four daughters, two of whom live on Vancouver Island with our youngest grandson, one in Prince George and another in Regina with her family. We are Oblate...
It is magnificent how the Master Artist mixes and combines colors and brush strokes to create a masterpiece of life; and how the creator of a beautiful symphony first composes the melody and then brings it all together writing the notes for individual instruments which...
We, Dan and Joanne, live in Edmonton, near our three daughters and their families, including eight precious grandchildren. After a lifetime of association with many Oblates in a variety of ministries and parish life across the prairies, we formalized our individual promises as Oblate Associates...
Just following the release of his enclicycal “Laudato Si” Praised be to you Lord, God of Creation, in 2015, Pope Francis named September 1st a day of prayer in solidarity with care for creation. It seems he was following the lead of the Eastern Church...
“Being an Oblate Associate means being in fellowship with a worldwide apostolic faith family of vowed and lay persons who share the charism of our founder, St Eugene de Mazenod: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring...
Our association with the Oblates goes back to 1973 when we started participating in activities sponsored by MAMI. In 1987, following a session in Human Relations with Fr. Lomer Laplante O.M.I. we felt an urgent desire to go to Bolivia for a 3-month discovery journey....
I’ve been reading the news feeds these past months with increasing dismay. It seems a particularly cacophonous world at the moment and I don’t understand it much. The political rhetoric is too inflammatory; the strangely-receptive crowds too much like jeering mobs. Racist, misogynistic, homophobic and...
Long-time Associates Jim and Adele Longstaff and Sister Margaret Dick [posthumously] were named as Honorary Oblates during the Saskatchewan District Community Days, June 20-21, 2019. We applaud the recognition of their Oblate hearts and celebrate their presence among us, Jim and Adele’s in the SK community...
Belonging to the OMI Associates fulfills in me a sense of responding to a deeper call within my baptism, to serve the Lord in the ministry of grief counselling to the poor, the incarcerated and the Indigenous Peoples. St. Eugene stressed the importance of being...
A while back, I shared an article with you, on the OMI Lacombe Canada website about facilitating conflict. Since that time, I've had the chance to develop my thoughts further and provide what - I hope - is a helpful tool for those in pastoral...
For the past thirty years, I have been deeply connected with the Oblate Fathers through my involvement at St. Augustine Parish in Vancouver British Columbia. As a new principal to the Parish School, I came to know of the Oblates through my close involvement with seven...
Moses appears only eight times in Paul’s letters, four times in Romans (5:14; 9:15; 10:5, 19) and twice in each of the Corinthian letters (1 Cor 9:9; 10:2; 2 Cor 3:13, 15). The paucity of references, however, belies the importance of the lawgiver and of...
Most of my life I lived day to day believing this was meant to be. My Catholic faith or any faith was not part of my living. In the early 2000 the desire to find God brought me back to my roots and my church. ...
The word “reconciliation” has come to the forefront in the last decade, especially following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission work. The word is on the lips of many a person, group, and organization. The danger is that it becomes a “buzz” word, losing its meaning....
I truly believe my Oblate Association began in Baptism with Fr. Valentine Fix. The Charism of Fr. Eugene De Mazenod has played a special role in my life that I wasn’t even aware of. I am a better and stronger person because of my Oblate...
Hello, our names are Cathy (Holden) Saretsky and Greg Saretsky and we are members of the Oblate Associates of the Taché community. I (Cathy), having grown up in St. Albert and attending the Oblate parish on “the hill”, was exposed to the Oblate charism throughout the...
“I’m the luckiest person in the world to be an Oblate and in this place!” runs through my mind. I am kneeling on sacks of maize in the back of a half-ton, bouncing and jolting across the Kenyan savanna, scanning the plains dotted with acacia...
Being Associates has given us the privilege of journeying and deepening our faith with a group of bishops, priests, brothers, women and men committed to a continual conversion, taking our direction from the charism of the founder St. Eugene de Mazenod and our mother Mary...
Eugene de Mazenod, as the founder of the congregation, constantly shared his vision for the life and mission of the Oblates with his missionaries. As the father of this religious family he embraced his sons with his whole heart and tender love. In his correspondence...
As part of the Core Team it has been my privilege to meet members of the Province who responded to Fr. Louis Lougen’s call to conversion and participated in the Renewal of Life and Mission process. As much as it was a time of grace...
On May 21 the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Eugene de Mazenod, marking the anniversary of his death in 1861. During the Canonization Mass on December 3, 1995, Pope John Paul II said in his homily, “We are living in the second Advent of...
We have just finished celebrating the Octave of Easter and now settle into the remainder of the fifty days of Easter. It is a good time to stop and reflect on what we have celebrated and experienced. This is the practice referred to as Mystagogia...
On this Easter day we gather to proclaim that from the tomb of violence, crucifixion and death Christ sheds His grave cloths Like a butterfly sheds a cocoon He emerges, our winged hope, an elegant embodiment of a new vision for humanity. In this time of Easter help us to recognize the...
On Friday, March 29th, the FIRE Young Men’s Group participated in a Leadership Retreat within the school in the Mamidosewin Room and the Chapel. The day was possible thanks to the ongoing generous support of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate Provincial Council and special guests...
When St. Eugene called together the Missionaries of Provence he saw that popular missions would be the principle responsibility of his new missionary community. It was a direct response to Pope Pius VII’s words to Fr. Charles de Forbin Janson that in that particular time...
It began for me with an encounter and an invitation! It took place 20 years ago over wine and cheese at a parent advisory Christmas party at a west end Catholic high school. An Oblate parish having an Oblate parish mission in need of a...
Teaching the faith in today’s world is always an ongoing process that demands both creativity and determination. As ministers of the Word we need to remember to use language people can understand and relate to in order to develop a faith that is rooted in...
Last November I was struck by a car as I was crossed a busy street. I ended up with a broken right wrist (I am right-handed) and some bruises; and at a deeper level struggling with the trauma to both my body and psyche. I...
On his return flight home from the United Arab Emirates this week, Pope Francis admitted to the abuse of women religious by priests and bishops. Francis said that the Vatican is working on the issue, but that more needs to be done. With the Pope’s words in...
Lately I have been reflecting on the wondrous riches of belonging to the Oblate family for some thirty years and on the paradox of how inner freedom has grown inside of commitment. Shared life with the Oblates passes before my inner vision with stunning clarity....
Last summer I began a 3-part reflection on the vows. The first part of the reflection was on the Vow of Poverty. This second reflection will be on the Vow of Obedience. As I mentioned in the first of this series I believe the vows...
In searching the Internet for a quote by Karl Rahner, I came across these thoughts from Guy Sayles which resonated with me: “For many years now, I’ve had a growing conviction the great Catholic theologian Karl Rahner was right to have claimed: ‘The Christian of...
Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus! Hello, my brother Oblates, Associates and Friends; Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~Martin Luther King Jr. Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear? Do you...
I recently got a call from one of the religion teachers at Immaculata High School whose grade 7/8 religion classes have been coming up with questions, and wanted to know if I was willing to provide some answers. The 20 questions were sent in advance....
Fr. Frank Santucci, OMI, describes who comprises the Mazenodian Family and what it's all about. Fr. Santucci holds the Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. Fr. Frank Santucci has traveled around the U.S. Province to present the importance...
Clericalism. It’s much in the news today, a double-edged sword piercing the Body of Christ. Pope Francis decries it, naming it not only as a contributing factor in the abuse cover-ups that have rocked our church worldwide but also as a systemic problem that prevents...
More perhaps than any feature, the assigning of a Synoptic Gospel to each year of its three-year cycle of readings—Matthew to Year A, Mark to Year B, and Luke to year C—stands out as the hallmark of the Sunday Lectionary. The First Sunday of Advent 2000...
Part Two: Qu’Appelle House of Prayer as Contemplative Apostolic Ministry The Qu’Appelle House of Prayer began in September, 1995. While being an authentic missionary ministry, it also was, and continues to be, a personal quest to explore what it can mean to be both apostolic and...
Part One: The Intuition for an Oblate House of Prayer Although the intuition for a contemplative house of prayer had been sensed for several years and considered by Provincial Council, it was first discussed by the former St Mary’s Province at the annual summer Congress in...
“How did Jesus do it?”, she said. On the third day of her silent directed retreat, this question rolled out of her mouth with the same amazement one might have seeing a volcanic crater for the first time. The question emerged out of an interruption...
Over the past year I have been reminded many times of my relationship with the Spirit! This is something that began a long time ago but that I do not always focus on or am aware of. She does not usually wait for fanfare to...
Years ago at my parish, it was the pastor’s practice to open every parish meeting with a personal witnessing, inviting a parishioner to share a short testimony about his or her faith journey. At one particular meeting, he introduced the speaker, a member of the...
As professed Oblates, few would question that the vows that we live are an integral part of our religious commitment. As a priest and a psychologist, I have wondered about the purpose and experience of the Vows in my religious commitment. I would like to...
In Mark’s gospel we read the following, “While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear,...
Kevin is a Canadian. At six weeks of age, he captures the attention and the hearts of those around him, especially his parents and his “auntie” – me. Kevin’s parents are from Homs, Syria, and he is separated by half a world and terrible war...
I know that I am not always tuned into many of the current and not so-current social media outlets, but I recently discovered a CBC Radio Podcast that was new, at least to me. “How to live your best in 2018: Hidden Brain with an...
Last week, my friend Michael Dougherty, who lives in the Yukon, shared a story found in the Yukon News about the 5th annual Father Mouchet Memorial Loppet hosted by the small, fly-in community of Old Crow. The Olympian Knute Johnsgaard, who has participated in all...
Some years ago our Vancouver Oblate parish would have infant Baptisms several times a month within a Sunday Eucharist. Following the homily, our pastor Fr. John Brioux, OMI, (RIP) would call the parents and godparents to the sanctuary where he would proclaim “I Baptize you...
Some days I still marvel at the fact that I am pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Ottawa. It sometimes even borders of disbelief! The journey to here has been a long and convoluted one. After high school, I entered the diocesan seminary in Edmonton, my...
The past few weeks there have been several visiting Canon Lawyers taking summer sessions at Université Saint Paul (Ottawa) who have crossed the street to pray and celebrate with us at Canadian Martyrs, and I’ve heard a number of very positive comments—especially about the multitude...
Probably many of us are familiar with Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". It sounds logical and unquestionable. However we so easily fall into its trap. It manifests itself in our personal lives,...
It’s an unprepossessing entrance, across a parking lot and under a bridge, but inside, the De Mazenod Centre in London’s Tower Hill area is warm and welcoming. On a recent Saturday in May, I was privileged to meet there with 16 Friends of Saint Eugene....
Some years back, Fr. Paul Fachet, OMI introduced a group of us at Queen’s House to the powerful biblical artwork of the late German painter Fr. Seiger Köder. That quickly became known as Visio Divina for some. At one annual gathering of Oblate Retreat Centres...
Imagine what it is like to have your heart opened with a brilliant light that seeps into the dimmest corners and cracks. And then to suddenly find in the midst of that brilliance endless fireworks that seem to dance and hover only to be overcome...
The bus arrived at 5pm with our special guests. Twenty-eight women picked up in the inner city and area and brought to our doors at the Star, transported by the limousine of buses, donated by our neighbor, Connelly-McKinley funeral homes. Every year for the past...
As the adage goes “Old is Gold”. Indeed, reside with old wise men and you will get all that pertains to life; structurally, emotionally, spiritually, historically and economically these people are gurus, well informed in their own spheres of life. This Easter season I got...
There’s a story told about Archbishop Rembert Weakland. Many years ago, he found himself disappointed when he heard who had been named as the new archbishop in San Salvador. Weakland had been close to the previous archbishop, had many friends in El Salvador and he...
In October of last year, I had the opportunity to do some work with the Kenora Catholic School District in Kenora, ON. Shortly after returning home the pastor of one of the parishes, Notre Dame du Portage parish in Kenora, contacted me and asked if...
Three weeks ago I finished teaching an online course on professional ethics for counselors. Since then I received emails from the Alberta Association of Marriage and Family and the College of Alberta Psychologists requesting assistance from their members to give feedback on the rewriting of...
March 19th was the feast day of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the Oblate Brothers and also of Canada and so it is only appropriate to talk about him and what he means to me in my daily life as a missionary brother Oblate of...
Late last week I was saddened to read the Facebook post of a friend I knew when I lived and worked with the Oblates in Birmingham, England from 2004 - 2007. Her post described a letter her friends and family, and many others in the...
Recently, our 15-year-old granddaughter acted in her first musical as a high school student. She was part of the chorus and dance troupe, not a lead actor but in a “supporting role”, as they say. The whole family turned out to watch her performance, eleven...
Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples provides pastoral care to the homeless, marginalized, the poor and urban Indigenous peoples of the Edmonton area through numerous ministries offered by the parish. In 1991 Archbishop Joseph McNeil designated Sacred Heart Church as National Indigenous parish, which...
“Well, have you given some thought to what I spoke to you about last time?’ “Thought about what?” “Being Treasurer.” “Of course not … I just assumed you were calling everyone – that I was number thirty-seven on your list of 100 people to call. I never thought...
Recently I had the privilege to celebrate the anniversaries of the Jubilarians of Taché District. Nine Oblates were honored by the community during the celebration of the Eucharist and a wine and cheese reception. These men served their Oblate community in internal ministries as Superiors,...
Click on any date below to hear the reflection for that day February 14, 2018 February 15, 2018 February 16, 2018 February 17, 2018 February 18, 2018 February 19, 2018 February 20, 2018 February 21, 2018 February 22, 2018 February 23, 2017 February 24, 2018 February 25, 2018 ...
The trip to India was a whirlwind. From the moment, we landed in Chennai on December 22nd until we left for Kenya on December 31st, Fr. Ken Thorson & I were constantly on the move. The first day, we traveled by car to the Aanmodaya Ashram...
My call to the consecrated missionary life emerged in the bosom of a Mexican Catholic family, of simple faith, of strong devotion to the Virgin Mary, of a strong community experience. At the age of 17, being in High School, I had the grace to meet the Oblates. I considered...
A charism is a gift, and while we all know this gift comes from the Holy Spirit it still must be planted - but how. Well it appears that this was understood by Fr. Jette who carefully avoided defining the Oblate charism and instead preferred...
In 2015, after 31 years of ministry in Northern British Columbia and Yukon, I was asked if I was willing to accept an obedience to Ottawa, to be pastor at St. Joseph’s Parish. Having been born and raised in Alberta, done all my post-secondary studies there...
Cosmas Kithinji, a Kenya Scholastic, studying in San Antonio, Texas, has a Canadian Christmas Experience I had an inspiring, insightful and amazing Canadian winter experience this last Christmas in British Columbia. Between the 9th of December and 8th of January I had a providential opportunity to...
A Gift of Indigenous Spirituality to Us All A tourist travelling through the forest of Vancouver Island on the way to Tofino went for a walk in the dense forest. He came across a sight he had never seen before – a young tree growing right...
Oblate ministry brings you to the places you’ve never experienced before and it is always life-changing, inspiring and helps us grow. One of my favorite journeys of being a missionary is my ministry with the Mission With Youth. It is truly a rich opportunity to...
As Jesus said, “come and See.” I have come to Rome not only to see but also to learn numerous spheres of life in general. After a swift change of environment from South Africa to this foreign land, but not just land but the core...
Our generative years are a marathon, not a sprint, and so it’s difficult to sustain graciousness, generosity, and patience through the tiredness, trials, and temptations that beset us through the years of our adult lives. All on our own, relying on willpower alone, we too...
The teachings of Ron Rolheiser, my recent involvement with the men’s movement through Richard Rohr, and a recent retreat experience, has led me to reflect on the significance of male spirituality for us Oblates. What I experienced was the power of a blessing by an elder,...
It is on the eve of winter solstice, the shortest and darkest day of the year that I finish writing this. December is a dichotomy for me. It is my favorite month of the year with all the social gatherings, exchange of cards, gifts and...
An Advent Prayer Advent: a time to once more reflect on the great mystery in which God's Son emptied the divine self and assumed our human condition in Jesus Christ. My prayer this year in my old age: Lord help to accept more fully my humanity in the light of...
“I am a part of all that I have met…” Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson On August 28th of this year I joined two others from OMI Lacombe Canada Province to take the new on-line “Oblate Studies” course offered by the Oblate School of Theology in...
My family was not terribly pious when I was growing up. Oh, Sunday Mass was a must, and confession now and then. We prayed grace before dinner and prayed at bedtime. But we never said the family rosary, or gathered for Advent wreath prayers. Occasionally...
I look out at the crowd of folks who have come to the Star of the North to hear Chief Phil Fontaine speak. He is with us for an hour and a half to talk about hope and reconciliation and to respond to questions and...
As a person of faith, as a leader, pastor, friend, or family member, do you ever have second thoughts about the answers you give to people when they ask questions? The more I pray the more uncomfortable I become with the answers I have given...
As many of you know my co-author and I published a book, Forgiveness: Breaking Free and Moving On. We had a very successful book launch several weeks ago. Afterwards one of my colleagues came up and asked me what I would say to someone who...
At Casa Santa Marta, Francis Reminds We Cannot Have 2 Masters True Christians have cheerful faces and joy in their eyes… According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis made this observation during his daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, as he reflected on the readings from yesterday and...
It is a few months in from the annual August parish reassignments. Across most dioceses, parishioners have said goodbye to long-serving priests and helped clean out rectories in preparation for new pastors. Priests have packed their belongings and made the trek to new venues. Now,...
So why is being “intelligent and clever” something that can work against our understanding of the deeper secrets within life and faith? The fault is not with intelligence and learning, both good things in themselves, but in what they can inadvertently do to us. Intelligence and...
In OMI Lacombe Canada today there are twenty-five Oblates under the age of 55, and about a month ago most of us were gathered at Queen of Apostles Retreat Centre in Mississauga for a few days of sharing and reflection. On the second day of...
We are rarely at our best. Too often what shows forth in our lives is not what’s best in us: love, generosity, a big heart. More often than not, our lives radiate irritation, pettiness, and a small heart. Too often, we find ourselves consumed by petty...
More recently, Marian devotion and devotional prayer in general have fallen on hard times, intellectually and theologically. More and more, Marian devotion is written off as non-essential to the faith or worse as a harmful distraction to it. Christ, the Word, and the Eucharist, it...
Every Saturday Peter, my husband, and I went to Mountain Institution in Agassiz to help administer the prison ministry. We joined the Archdiocese’s prison ministry in 2009 - on Divine Mercy Sunday. Father Gordon Cook, the pastor of Hope, comes to the prison to celebrate Mass,...
Sunday, June 25, 2017 dawned clear and calm after days of unsettled weather, rain and wind. By midmorning however Mother Nature had tuned into the sentiments of the people and so the clouds gathered, the winds blew and the rain showers returned. For the people...
12 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and...
Falling in love – Something that I do often, with communities (such as my parish and of course the Oblates of Mary Immaculate), with life, and sometimes with particular things which will only add to my life and how I will live it. In this...
I have just finished a counselling session with a couple. I decided to take this opportunity to share a bit more about the ministry I am involved in. As well as teaching at St. Mary’s University in Calgary, I have a small practice where I see...
As Oblates and Associates, I expect we all have our favorite ‘touchstone’ stories about Eugene. These are the stories which we tell ourselves over and over again as we connect to the Founder and his charism. The Good Friday conversion story, the Lenten sermon at the...
