Who we are

OMI Lacombe Canada was founded in 2003 in response to the changing face of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada. We are part of the worldwide congregation of priests and brothers called The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate who serve the poor in more than 60 countries on five continents. The Oblates first arrived in Canada in 1841. As the young country grew we grew with it, quickly moving west and serving First Nations, Inuit and Metis people along with the early immigrant communities from Europe, and founding most of the dioceses west of Ottawa.

Today the 130 Oblates in OMI Lacombe Canada devote our lives to the service of the poor throughout the country’s smallest towns and largest cities. Called to live in apostolic community, we live our mission in community. The majority of the members of OMI Lacombe Canada live in communities under one roof with other Oblate brothers and priests.

The members of OMI Lacombe Canada seek to rediscover and incarnate in its members, its communities and its works, the One who said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Spirit has anointed me to bring good news to the poor… to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free” (Luke 4).

Our life at both the local and provincial levels reflects the following principles:

• Our communities are prophetic, above all proclaiming a Church as the People of God, and always at the service of justice, peace and the integrity of creation within the Church and in the world.
• Our communities are places of welcome: hospitality is at the very heart of the mission of evangelization. We foster and celebrate a diversity of cultures and languages among our members.
• Our leadership at all levels is primarily at the service of animation of the community and of the mission and is shared with the other members of the community.
• We actively promote participation of women and men who share the charism and mission of St. Eugene de Mazenod.