Many of us are familiar with a famous line from C.S. Lewis who, when writing about his conversion to Christianity, shared that he was “the most reluctant convert in the history of Christendom.” When he first knelt down it wasn’t with enthusiastic fervour, but with...
The 2025 Oblate Vocation Novena follows the theme of the Great Jubilee and honors the memory of Pope Francis. Oblate formation communities across the Polish Province wrote this year’s novena for the Week of Prayer for Oblate Vocations. Together, the prenovices of Grotniki, the novices at...
Pictured left: Paulists Fr. Chris Lawton and Fr. Dan Macalinao are pictured after their ordination Mass, at St. Paul The Apostle Church on May 18 in New York City. (Courtesy of Zachera Wollenberg) On a warm Sunday afternoon in 2007, Chris Lawton, then a 22-year-old premed...
2023 marks the 60th Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations Vocation: Grace and Mission DOWNLOAD PDF HERE Dear brothers and sisters, dear young people! This is now the sixtieth time that we are celebrating the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, established by Saint Paul VI...
“Our response to current realities, as the Mazenodian family, inspired by the life and ministry of St. Eugene, is mission with youth. It is not a simple “youth ministry” or doing something “for” them. This concept of mission “with” emphasises the importance of accompanying young...
“Young men who are discerning to join our formation programs will also experience cross-cultural exchange when visiting our houses of formation. It is here that we can display how the universal Church exists directly within the fabric of our communities. The witness of living out...
The discernment experience of “Come and See” is inspired by the way Jesus invited His disciples to discover their vocation in life. “When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated...
“Jesus never ceases to call people to follow him and to proclaim the Kingdom.” OMI Const. 52 Prayer for Wounded Families Almighty and loving God, You led St. Eugene through the sufferings and challenges of a broken family to a life of holiness. Through his constant intercession bless...
Have you ever found yourself in a lively conversation with your friends, when someone asked the question that nobody really knew the right answer to it? Then someone suggested, “Just google it!” Modern technology present to us opportunities to expend our knowledge literally through the...
Prayer of Thanksgiving for Oblate Vocations During May, the month of Mary, all are invited to join in special prayers of thanksgiving for the gift of Oblate Vocations. The Novena Prayer for this year was prepared by the novitiate community of Marino, Italy, part of the...
“’Jesus never ceases to call people to follow him and to proclaim the Kingdom’ (C. 52). We are convinced that Christ always provides the Church with the ministers that are necessary. It is up to us to discover effective ways of presenting our Oblate vocation...
On October 9, 1814, Fr. Eugene de Mazenod wrote to the young priest Henri Tempier inviting him to join the group of missionaries that was being formed in Aix-en-Provence, Southern France: “Happiness awaits us in this holy Society which will have but one heart and...
Have you ever looked at the marriage as a vocation? In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis wrote: “Marriage is a vocation, inasmuch as it is a response to a specific call to experience conjugal love as an imperfect sign of the love between Christ and the Church....
Many great conversations happen over a cup of coffee. So, let’s talk vocations! In the spirit of creating and cultivating the culture of vocation, we've introduced this summer a virtual “Vocations Café”. It's not a webinar or an online lecture...
The Oblate Youth and Young Adult Ministry has announced its ground-breaking program of three virtual online conferences beginning September 21, 2020. Each virtual conference will feature a compelling speaker and an opportunity for youth to connect with like-minded individuals from around the country. In normal times,...
An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life. “There is a fight going on inside every person,” he said to the boy. “It is a fight between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,...
A number of years ago, along with some of the members of St. Patrick Pastoral Team, I had an opportunity to participate in the Amazing Parish Conference. We learned lots of practical ideas of how to be relevant Church in the modern world. The purpose...
Its that time again and so I share with all of you the invitation and opportunity to pray the Rosary with others around the world - for Oblate Vocations. Pablo Renedo, a Lay Oblate Associate from Madrid Spain offers this opportunity each year - I...
“The vocation director or team works in close collaboration with the other Oblates in the Province, coordinating their vocation efforts. In fact, one of the principal tasks of the vocation coordinators is to foster the active involvement of every Oblate in this ministry.” General Norms for...
“’Jesus never ceases to call people to follow him and to proclaim the Kingdom’ (C. 52). We are convinced that Christ always provides the Church with the ministers that are necessary. It is up to us to discover effective ways of presenting our Oblate vocation...
“Jesus never ceases to call people to follow him and to proclaim the Kingdom” (C. 52). Considering that OMI Lacombe Canada (not counting our Kenyan Missions) haven’t had an ordination to the priesthood, nor perpetual vows in quite a few years, and with no one currently...
The links for the Novena Prayers for Oblate Vocations 2019 Download in English Download in French Download in Spanish...
Download PDF Dear Brother Oblates, and all our Brothers and Sisters who live the Oblate Charism, We celebrate, on this feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the 203rd anniversary of the foundation of our Congregation. We are concluding the Congregation-wide “Year of Oblate Vocations,” an initiative...
Click here for PDF version of Calendar. ...
Do not wait to begin living out your vocation, Pope Francis said on Monday, encouraging people to stop making excuses for not answering God’s call to share in his mission in a particular way. “The joy of the Gospel, which makes us open to encountering God...
After twelve years of service as General Councilor for Europe, Father Chicho ROIS joined the little Oblate community in the Sahara desert. These are his thoughts on vocation ministry in a place where there is only a handful of Christians. When you travel for the first...
Since his ordination in 1985, Fr. Marek Stroba, OMI has taken the Word of God from his native Poland to small villages in Africa, farming communities and inner cities in the United States, one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Tijuana, Mexico and currently to...
About 51 years ago I made my first vows as a religious brother. Recently, a lady in a church foyer asked me What’s the difference between a priest and a brother? It’s a perennial question, but it’s been awhile since I was asked so directly....
Sometimes the simple act of naming something can be immensely helpful. Before we can put a name on something we stand more helpless before its effects, not really knowing what’s happening to us. Many of us, for example, are familiar with the book, The Future Church:...
