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,...
This week we share two remembrances of the late Fr. Frank Morrisey, OMI. The first is from Fr. Lawrence Frizzel, a former classmate of Fr. Frank. The second is from Michael Swan, associate editor of the Catholic Register. Father Francis Morrisey, OMI - Requiescat in Pace By...
I grew up in a close family and one of hardest things I ever did was to leave home and family at the age of seventeen to enter the novitiate of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. That novitiate year wasn’t easy. I missed my family...
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,...
Pictured left - Pope Francis leads his general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican, May 20, 2020. Continuing his series of talks on prayer, the pope said that while one may feel insignificant in the grand scale of the universe,...
More than 200 Catholic sisters from across Canada want Ottawa to deny a bailout to the oil and gas industry and invest in building a cleaner, low-carbon economy after COVID-19. A letter from the nuns is scheduled to land on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s desk May 25,...
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,...
All our fellow human beings - are in the midst of facing a mighty challenge. It would be superstitious to believe that prayer will find a vaccine and banish the menace of the contagion. But God's companionship as we face the challenge is essential to...
Michael Swan, in the Catholic Register, on the statement released by the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle last week, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on isolated First Nations communities. Canada’s bishops and their Indigenous partners in the Guadalupe Circle are calling for “a decarceration plan” —...
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,...
“In the prolonged silent prayer we make each day, we let ourselves be molded by the Lord, and find in him the inspiration of our conduct” (OMI Rule of Life, 33). The practice of Oraison was an important part of St. Eugene’s daily prayer during which he...
Today, in this Easter season, Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, releases a reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic. The Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle is a Canadian Catholic coalition of Indigenous people, bishops, clergy, members of lay movements and male and female institutes of consecrated life...
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,...
‘The Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel’, as we read in Gaudium et spes. How do we interpret the signs of these extraordinary times? Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ asks...
1990 Role of Law Award Recipient Rev. Francis Morrisey, OMI Podcast Series 1 Episode 1 - Recorded on April 21, 2020 Father Francis Morrisey is a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. A professor at St. Paul University for many years, he is...
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,...
Vatican City, Apr 22, 2020 / 07:00 pm MT (CNA).- The Vatican has released a free online prayer book to help Catholics seeking divine assistance amid the coronavirus crisis. The 192-page book is available for download on the website of the Vatican’s publishing house, the Libreria...
Pictured left: Cardinal Francis George, OMI, speaking at the Lumen Christi Institute. Throughout his time as Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal George was a strong supporter of the Institute. (Photo courtesy of Lumen Christi). Central to the vision of Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I., who blessed the founding...
A new section on the OMI Lacombe Canada website entitled “Safeguarding'' is now available. The page will give easy access to those looking for information on the steps taken by OMI Lacombe Canada to ensure the safe and ethical practice of our ministry. A copy...
In the face of the global pandemic known as COVID-19, OMI Lacombe Canada Provincial Council has created a COVID-19 Working Group. This group will seek to empower and support Oblates and Associates in responding faithfully and creatively to the particular needs of this time. The Working...
COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao, Philippines — Pope Francis has named the head of the missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in the Philippines as bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo in Sulu province, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Saturday. The appointment of...
Pictured left: A parishioner in Worcester, Massachusetts, picks up palms April 5 outside Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church on Palm Sunday during the coronavirus pandemic. (CNS/Reuters/Brian Snyder) This week is the most important week in Christianity, a series of holy days that together tell the Christian account...
As the coronavirus continues to ravage the English-speaking world, Austen Ivereigh interviews the pope about his personal response to the pandemic, and the church that must emerge on the other side of the crisis: Toward the end of March I suggested to Pope Francis that this...
Archbishop Richard Smith on the Lac Ste Anne cancellation. ...
Reflections on resurrection from participants of the October 2019, Amazon Synod As the coronavirus spreads across the world, we are reminded yet again of our interconnectedness on this, our Common Home. Where one part of the human family is hurting, others are sure to follow in...
The Vital Grandin Centre in St. Albert, AB on the north end of Edmonton, has been a part of our Oblate story in Canada since 1877, when the Grey Nuns graciously gifted the property to the first bishop of the diocese, +Vital Grandin. It was...
The Corona virus spreads disease by copying itself from one person to another resulting in sickness and isolation. At Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples we are spreading good news with technology’s ability to copy itself to people all around Canada. Since the time of...
Though written for a US audience, Russell Moore reminds us that now more than ever, we must remember that human life, no matter the stage, is sacred. Christianity teaches that every single human life is valuable, even during a pandemic When it's suggested that lives should be...
A growing and perhaps unexpected awareness for us at Qu'Appelle House of Prayer (Day Three of Self Isolation) is the potential of this time to be connected in ways that we don't always experience when not practicing physical distancing. Physical separation need not be social...
Some Oblates experience the call to the religious life, to a life of service and community, but not to the priesthood. Though small in number in our congregation, Oblate brothers witness to something fundamental about our vocation. The 33rd General Chapter Document (1998) reminds us...
Greetings, On the feast of Saint Joseph, the General Committee of the Oblate Brothers wishes to send you this letter. Saint Joseph is the protector of the Congregation and the patron of the Brothers Oblate. The New Testament talked only about St. Joseph’s dreams while sleeping. Joseph...
On Tuesday, March 17th, people in Red Deer and across North America celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, regardless of whether they are actually of Irish descent. It is therefore ironic that one of the Irish Canadians who accomplished a great deal in central and southern Alberta has been...
Greetings to all of you my brother Oblates and to the members of our Oblate family. I am here in Brazil in visitation and the Oblates here, also send their greetings. I send a short message now regarding the coronavirus COVID-19. I think it is...
Throughout the world many are suffering because of the Covid-19 virus. In these days of uncertainty and fear, we offer you this brief prayer. Let us pray for each other and for all people, remembering in a particular way those already sick, and those who are...
Like many others, I was deeply distressed to learn of the recent revelations concerning Jean Vanier. He was a person whom I much admired and about whom, on numerous occasions, I have written glowingly. So, the news about him shook me deeply. What’s to be...
Watch the story of Taylor Hyatt, a staff member for Toujours Vivant-Not Dead Yet TVNDY, and a lifelong advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities: TVNDY is a progressive, non-religious organization consisting of persons with disabilities and supporters who oppose euthanasia, assisted suicide, and other end-of-life...
When B.C.’s Catholic schools decided to recognize contributions to Catholic education with a new award, it was obvious who the inaugural recipient should be: the religious order for which the award was named. The Sisters of St. Ann, who have devoted lifetimes of service in education,...
Download the PDF Introduction: The source for Oblate statistics is the database of members in the General Secretariat at the General House, updated and adjusted with reports which come in from the various Oblate provinces, delegations and missions. The records of first vows, final vows, ordinations, departures...
Pictured left: Drummers from the parish of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Aboriginal Church perform at St. Boniface Cathedral. WINNIPEG -- The Paradis brothers — Francois and Edmond — somehow knew they were destined for the life of an Oblate missionary. Of course, having an uncle, Fr. Alphonse Paradis,...
The new year of 2020 began with my arrival in Nairobi with Ken Thorson, OMI for my first visit to the Kenya Mission. As I began to travel around the various parishes our members serve, the mental images I carried from National Geographic and other...
Speaking after the Angelus, Pope Francis said indifference to the Holocaust is 'not admissible'. Pope Francis has stated that in the face of the huge tragedy and atrocity of the Holocaust, "indifference is not admissible and memory is a must". Speaking after the Angelus yesterday in St...
Pictured left: Facilitator Michelle Miller, Oblate Frs. Fernando Velasquez and Ken Thorson prepare to address the group. 25 Oblates (five each from U.S. and from the three provinces of Canada) gathered at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga, Canada, the third week of September 2019...
Pictured left: Ursuline Sisters in Thailand: Sr. Jantana Wonsankakorn says that her experiences of living with elder sisters has created a feeling of being one family. This month, panelists from Australia, East and West Africa, Spain and Thailand reflected on some of the issues involved in...
The Oblates of the Province of OMISA are devastated at the death of Fr. Jozef (Jef) HOLLANDERS. Fr Jef seems to have been strangled to death in a robbery at the parish in Bodibe, near Mahikeng in the North West Province on Sunday night, 12...
But Francis also offers a sober analysis of a number of global problems and challenges in annual address to ambassadors Early in his pontificate Pope Francis acknowledged that an essential part of his mission as Bishop of Rome is to confirm his brothers and sisters not...
The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated 18 to 25 January 2020 on the theme "They showed us unusual kindness" (Acts 28:2). The resources in English and in French can be freely downloaded from the Canadian website for the Week of...
In the spring of 2012, during a time of discernment for new ministry, Fr. Tony O’Dell and I visited St. Patrick parish, in the inner city of Hamilton, ON, “incognito” for a Sunday Mass. At some point I said to Fr. Tony, “If we come...
The members of the Saskatchewan District gathered at Queen’s House in Saskatoon December 6 and 7 for their “Community Days”. Oblates and Associates came together to pray, share life, catch up on the news and celebrate our Feast Day (a couple of days early!) District Superior...
Montréal, le 12 décembre 2019 – Dans le cadre de la présente année internationale des langues autochtones, proclamée par l’Organisation des Nations Unies en 2019, le conseil Église et Société de l’Assemblée des évêques catholiques du Québec (AECQ) publie un document intitulé Prier en langue...
ad vitam - The webzine of consecrated life in Canada The Canadian Religious Conference is proud to launch its new publication, ad vitam, a webzine and a window into consecrated life in Canada. Featuring articles and audio-visual media, ad vitam proposes theological and pastoral reflections on...
Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate Bishop in Western Canada Biography Bishop Ovide Charlebois was born in Oka in Québec, Canada, on February 17, 1862. He was educated at the College de L’Assomption (Quebec) and Ottawa College. Joining the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1883,...
On Wednesday, November 20th, I was happy to join with the International Scholasticate community for mass. It was good to be back in the scholasticate chapel, where I prayed each morning and evening through 1994-1996. My next door neighbour during those years was Fr. Callistus...
Dialogue and reconciliation in the Middle East Let us pray that a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Middle East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together.Pope Francis – November 2019In the Middle East, concord and dialogue among the three monotheistic religions...
The homily given by Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI during the Holy Mass at the General House in Rome on November 1, 2019 For us Oblates November 1 is an important day: every year it takes us back to Aix-en-Provence. If January 25 marks the beginning of...
Pictured left: Father Juan Antonio Guerrero (Credit: CNS photo/courtesy Society of Jesus.) The Vatican announce November 14, 2019, that Pope Francis named Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Guerrero, general counselor for the Society of Jesus, to lead the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, which had been headed...
As we journey towards the 2nd Oblate Lay Associations Congress - July 2021 Fr. Peter Stoll, OMI Councillor for Asia-Oceania Region Portfolio Lay Associations in the Internal Mission Committee To begin, I quote from the Introduction written by Fr. Louis Lougen OMI, the Superior General, to the revised Directory...
Pictured left: Archbishop Murray Chatlain said the attention brought to the Amazon Synod can only help conversations with the Indigenous peoples. (Kyle Greenham, Grandin Media file photo) The recent Amazon synod gave voice to Indigenous worldwide and that can only bode well for northern Canadian dioceses...
Vatican City — The Synod of Bishops for the Amazon is calling Catholics to an ecological conversion in their personal lives and in the church throughout the world, a theologian participating in the synod said. A church that walks together, as the word "synod" implies, "is...
Those hoping a recent change in the leadership of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops would lead to a change of heart about Pope Francis visiting Canada to apologize for the Church’s role in Canada’s former residential school system for indigenous people will have to...
Missionary spring in the Church In this extraordinary missionary month, let us pray that the Holy Spirit engender a new missionary spring in the Church. Pope Francis – October 2019 Today, a new impulse to the Church’s missionary activity is needed to face the challenge of proclaiming Jesus...
Neither the Liberals nor Conservatives get high marks from Deacon Rennie Nahanee, a member of the Squamish First Nation in B.C. Chrystal Désilets likes to remain hopeful when she hears promises flow from the mouths of would-be MPs on the campaign trail. But too often, particularly surrounding...
Pictured left: Archbishop Donald J. Bolen of Regina, Saskatchewan, speaks at a news conference with indigenous leaders from North America in Rome, Oct. 17, 2019. Members of the delegation spoke about their own challenges and connections to indigenous people from South America who are meeting...
[caption id="attachment_9761" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Front row, (L-R) Fr. Bogdan Osiecki, Fr. Luc Tardif, Fr. Alfred Ravelomampisandraibe, Fr. Gérard Tsatsélam, Bro. Steven Montez, Fr. Rémi Lepage, Fr. Ken Thorson, (Middle row, L-R) Fr. Jarek Pachocki, Fr. Louis Studer, Fr. Mark Blom, Fr. Daniel Janulewicz, Fr. Andrzej...
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION A new edition of Oblate Missiologists has been prepared for the October Extraordinary Mission Month requested by Pope Francis: Oblate Missiologists: A Workbook 2019. Seventeen authors from our five regions have contributed, and the editor, Fr. Harry WINTER, has added appendices on our six...
Pictured left: Brazilian Bishop Wilmar Santin of Itaituba speaks at a press briefing following a session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican Oct. 10, 2019. Also pictured is Cristiane Murray, vice director of the Vatican Press Office. (CNS/Junno Arocho Esteves) Vatican...
Pictured left: The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation will reveal the names of 2,800 children who died in residential schools at a ceremony in Ottawa on Monday. Visitors to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg can view a new exhibit called The...
Cornwall, Ontario – The Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) elected the Most Reverend Richard Gagnon, Archbishop of Winnipeg, as its next President, and the Most Reverend Raymond Poisson, Bishop of St-Jérôme, as its next Vice President. [caption id="attachment_9727" align="alignleft" width="113"] Archbishop...
Why is St Thérèse a patron saint of the missions? St Thérése’s Feast day is October 1st December 14, 1927 St. Thérése of the Child Jesus was proclaimed the special patron saint of missionaries, like St. Francis Xavier, although she never left her monastery. This is due to...
When Fr. Susai Jesu, OMI moved into the rectory at the Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton’s inner-city core as the new pastor in August 2017, it was as if St. Eugene moved in with him – or at least his spirit. A...
In video message, Pope Francis warns world leaders at the UN summit that time is running out and urges them to take more decisive action Pictured left: Greta Thunberg, the 16-years-old climate activist from Sweden, attends the 2019 Climate Action Summit in New York. (Photo by...
Pictured left: Pope Francis talks with women religious during a Sept. 25, 2019, meeting at the Vatican with delegates of Talitha Kum. Pictured with the pope are Claretian Missionary Sister Jolanda Kafka, president of the International Union of Superiors General, and Comboni Sister Gabriella Bottani,...
Pictured left: Isidoro Jajoy, a shaman from Columbia's Inga tribe, blesses people in Bogota, Aug. 14 during a preparatory meeting for the October Synod of Bishops for the Amazon. (CNS/Manuel Rueda) The upcoming synod on the pan-Amazon region, a broad geographic area ranging over a number...
Pictured left: Archbishop Donald Bolen was recently interviewed by Canadian Catholic News about the upcoming Synod on the Amazon. He also spoke about the Synod and what it means for the Church in Canada at a Development and Peace event Sept. 14 at St. Thomas...
Those who turn ordained ministry into occupation 'lose the heart of ministry, lose the gaze of Jesus who looked upon all of us and told us Follow me' Pictured left: Pope Francis celebrates Mass in the chapel of his Vatican residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Sept....
Pictured left: Sr. Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille, who has worked in prison ministry and against the death penalty for decades, is pictured in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Jan. 21, 2016 (CNS/Paul Haring) St. Joseph Sr. Helen Prejean is known...
The 2019 Federal Election Guide, prepared by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' (CCCB) Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace and published in the name of the Permanent Council, has been formatted for online sharing and includes hyperlinks directing the reader to further resources on...
Let us pray this month that politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world’s seas and oceans. Pope Francis – September 2019 Oceans contain the bulk of our planet’s water supply, and also most of the immense variety of living creatures, many of them are...
Pope Francis begins a three-nation visit to Africa later on Wednesday. It will be his fourth visit to the continent since he became the head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, compared to the two his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, made during his eight-year papacy. The...
Father Ken Thorson prepares to tackle challenges for historic missionary order [caption id="attachment_9511" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rev. Warren Brown, General Councillor of Oblates US/Canada Region, blesses new members of OMI Lacombe Provincial Council: Fathers Ken Thorson, Richard Beaudette, Leszek Kwiatkowski, Jaroslaw Pachocki, Susai Jesu and Brother Harley...
Last Wednesday the first ship arrived to Naujaat and it brought the tomb stone for Fr. Louis Fournier, OMI. Last night, with some parishioners, we installed it on his grave. In Naujaat, the ground is solid rock so we don’t dig graves here. We put...
[caption id="attachment_9493" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Back row (L-R): Fr. Humphrey Milimo, OMI, Brandon Garcia, Mateusz Brzezinski, Prasad Marapogu, Musonda Chota, Mateusz Garstecki, Moses Khisa. Front row (L-R) Bro. Pat McGee, OMI, Christopher Din, Chomba Kangwa, Henry Zayamoe, Fr. Frank Kuczera, OMI.[/caption] Oblates and friends gathered at the...
On August 15th 2019, Oblates, Oblate Associates, parishioners, family and friends gathered at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton for the installation of the new Provincial and Council of OMI Lacombe Canada. Fr. Warren Brown, General Councillor of the Canada/US Region presided and...
Pictured left: Sisters Phyllis Pawluk and Cecile Kimak say devotion to Mary at the St. Albert Pilgrimage has helped through life's tribulations. Cecile Kimak and Phyllis Pawluk are close. They share everything, including a devotion to the Virgin Mary that continues to help the Edmonton-area sisters survive...
Fumoleau came to the Northwest Territories in 1953, worked closely with the Dene Rene Fumoleau, a well-known priest, photographer and storyteller with a long history in the North, has died. Fumoleau had been living with dementia. He passed a few minutes before midnight on Tuesday, according to...
Br. Joseph Nzioka Kyuli, OMI - an OMI Lacombe Canada Oblate of the Kenya mission has professed his final vows today in South Africa where he has been studying theology. Frs. Fidele Munkiele and Cornelius Ngoka were present for the celebration. God bless you, your family,...
June 29 & 30 I arrived in Poznan on June 29 and was happy to be met at the airport by Fr. Lukasz Krauze, a cheerful Oblate who teaches homiletics at the Polish Scholasticate, and who accompanied me on my visit to Poland in October 2017....
Pictured left: Rev. Alfred Groleau, OMI applies oil to the casket of Bishop Vital Grandin. The remains of Bishop Grandin, Rev. Hippolyte Leduc and Rev. Albert Lacombe - three pioneers of the Church in Western Canada - have been laid to rest in new graves. The...
Pictured left: Rev. Jack Herklotz, the pastor of St. Charles Parish, will be moving to B.C. as the Oblates leave the north Edmonton Church. Credit Kyle Greenham, Grandin Media With vocations to the priesthood declining — and a call to renew their mission in Canada —...
[caption id="attachment_9290" align="aligncenter" width="937"] Congretional representatives of the Wisconsin Religious Collaborative, from left, are Srs. Jean Steffes, Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes; Sue Ernster, Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration; Beverly Heitke, Sisters of the Divine Savior; Rose Jochmann, Sisters of St. Francis of...
Day 9: Regional Priorities After two days of retreat, it was once more time for the inter-capitulars to engage in dialogue regarding the implementation of the calls of the 36th General Chapter. The inter-chapter focuses not only on what has been achieved in the three years...
Day 3: Discussing the Regional Reports The third day of the Inter-Chapter had the Latin America region presenting to the session on their region. Frs José Ariel MARTINEZ and Jésus FUERTES presented the joys and the challenges of the Latin America region. The social problems and human...
CHRI Radio recently interviewed Fr. John Malazdrewich, OMI, pastor of Saint Mark the Evangelist Parish in Aylmer, Québec. ...
POLAND Rule 128e of our Constitutions and Rules directs that, “Between Chapters, the Superior General in Council, in plenary session, will call at least one meeting of the Provincials with the Central Government. After consulting the Provincials, he will determine the details of the convocation and...
An estimated 3,000 people attended the June 28-July 1 Catholic Family Life Conference at Lac Ste. Anne, setting a new record. A steady downpour could not dampen the spirits of thousands of Catholic families. For fathers, mothers, children and relatives, the annual Catholic Family Life Conference at...
Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network The Pope Video is a global initiative developed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) to assist in the dissemination of the Holy Father’s monthly intentions related to the challenges the humanity faces. Every month Pope Francis invites us to follow him in...
Whether it’s a pilgrimage or a family vacation or simply a day trip, there are plenty of interesting spots across Canada to visit this summer that are linked to the history and heritage of Catholicism. The list is long, but we are offering a few suggestions...
The mandate of the Mission Co-operative Program is to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ in developing countries by: Providing food, clean water, clothing, medical and dental care and supplies, tuition, school supplies, and literacy training to those in need in developing countries; Supporting the...
The Oblate Committee for Mission with Youth met from May 28 to June 5, at the General House in Rome. Representing each Region were: Fr. Christian FINI (Coordinator), Fr. Claudio CARLEO (Africa-Madagascar), Fr. Antonio D’AMORE (Europe), Fr. Marcin SERWIN (United States-Canada), Fr. Patrick OLIVEIRA (Latin...
It's National Indigenous People's Day! Check out this gc.ca site to learn about the day and see what's happening near you....
A tribute to Fr. Frank, whose ministry has been to bring hope to those on the periphery through his expertise in Canon Law. Watch this video produced for Fr. Frank's Lifetime Achievement Award by the Catholic Healthcare Association. ...
Dedicated individuals from Italy, Germany, Ireland, Poland, United States, Rome and Canada (members of the Global Oblate Fundraisers [GOF]) met in Saskatoon June 9 – 12. Members from Australia were unable to attend. The GOF, a service of the General Administration in Rome working with...
Surrounded by family and friends and his oblate community, Cosmas Kithinji Kubai OMI, was ordained a priest in a joy filled celebration on June 8th at the minor seminary in Nkubu, Kenya . The next day he celebrated his mass of thanksgiving; his first mass,...
Papal diplomats are also warned not to backstab the pope Pictured left: Pope Francis is greeted by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at a meeting with papal representatives (Vatican media) Apostolic nuncios should focus on proclaiming the Gospel and shun abuses of power and corruption...
No Room in the Inn has raised $1,028,493.15 since it was started by the Edmonton District Council of Churches It started with Edmonton churches asking “How can we help?” The answer has been No Room in the Inn, an annual ecumenical appeal that over 20 years has...
Every year, Fr Morrisey delivers the Canon Law workshops at the Oblate Retreat Centre, Wistaston Hall, Crewe for those of us in Ireland, Britain and Scotland. We are always appreciative for the knowledge, wisdom and understanding that Frank imparts to all of us at these...
Pictured left: Sr. Rita Woehlcke, a Sister of St. Joseph of Philadelphia and vice president of the North American Conference of Associates and Religious, or NACAR, works with facilitators to articulate NACAR's purpose at the group's board meeting in November 2018. (Courtesy of NACAR) If current...
The pope expressed 'spiritual closeness and prayer' to representatives of various faiths jointly commemorating D-Day Pictured left: Veterans hold the Union Jack as they pay their respects during a ceremony marking D-Day at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy, France, June 6,...
A letter from Fr. Cornelius Ngoka, OMI, marking the conclusion of the year of Oblate Vocations. ...
Enjoy an article from Oblate Connections Ireland. The article among other things mentions Con Scollen’s great respect for Indian languages. In Leon Doucet’s memoirs he speaks of Scollen: Doucet relates, “I had to go to Saint-Paul-des-Cris and Brother Scollen, who spoke Cree very well, had to accompany...
General Administration With the consent of his Council meeting in Plenary Session on May 9, 2019, the Superior General has appointed Fr. Mokone Joseph RATHAKOA as the Superior of the OMI General House in Rome, and Fr. Henricus Asodo ISTOYO as the Superior of the Eugene...
In Naujaat, Nunavut, for the past few years, Fr. Daniel Szwarc, OMI has encouraged the young people to reflect on the tragedy of drug use and the high suicide rate in Nunavut to help the youth to make better choices and support those suffering from...
The second year of the existence of the courses in Oblate Studies at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio is drawing to a close. What a gift this has been! Our first Master of Arts Spirituality (Oblate Studies) student to have completed the degree...
When the sun rises in this remote region of northern Kenya at 6 a.m., it is a new dawn for Missionary Sr. Lilly Manavalan. Her day starts with a trek for over an hour across a deep valley to reach the streets where she can...
Dear Brother Oblates and all our Brothers and Sisters living the Oblate Charism, The feast of St. Eugene de Mazenod always brings us the renewed desire to live more faithfully as he insisted: with charity among us and zeal for the salvation of souls. May this...
Vanier's friends, who wanted to honor his memory, did so by highlighting various aspects of his life that touched them An intimate funeral for Jean Vanier took place on May 16 at Trosly-Breuil in the Oise region where he founded l'Arche in August 1964. Jean Vanier, who...
Vatican City — Christian family life is a vocation and, when lived with fidelity, it is a path to holiness, said the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life. The office May 17 announced the theme Pope Francis has chosen for the next World Meeting...
Pope Francis today issued a wide-ranging decree, known as a motu proprio or executive decree, that lays down procedures and norms for reporting abuse in the church, aimed at the eradication of abuse in the church. It obliges bishops in every diocese to establish, by June...
Today, pro-life Canadians from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital for a march against abortions in Canada. The march, which some estimates had at over 10,000 participants, started off with a rally on the steps of Parliament Hill, featuring a wide variety of speakers...
Please click on this link to listen to a radio interview, featuring Fr. Susai Jesu, OMI, on the Radio Active with Adrienne Pan Show. Exploring the honour and how they are bestowed. CBC Player - How a local priest earned a sacred eagle feather?...
With the consent of his Council meeting in Plenary Session on April 29, 2019, the Superior General has appointed Frs. Richard BEAUDETTE, Leszek KWIATKOWSKI, Susai JESU, and Jaroslaw PACHOCKI to the Provincial Council of the OMI Lacombe Canada Province. Published on the OMI World website. ...
At Easter, thousands of people converted to Catholicism even as sex abuse allegations have rocked the church. On the night before Easter, a group of soon-to-be Catholics stood in flowing white robes holding candles, waiting to be summoned by the cardinal. One by one, under the...
Chaplain of Sri Lankan community in Paris convinced that bombing was work of an external group since inter religious relations are generally peaceful Pictured left: Security forces in front of St. Anthony's Church in Colombo, Sri Lanka, following the April 21 attacks. (Photo by Xinhua/Maxppp) Father Prabath...
The Prime Minister was in Hamilton for Good Friday. Justin Trudeau helped hand out fish and chips to the homeless and then stayed for mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church on Friday.. It’s always a Good Friday around St. Patrick’s Church in Hamilton. “We feed around 300-400...
Pictured left: Fr. Jean-Marc Fournier, chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, talks with French journalists at a Paris fire station April 17, 2019. The priest led the effort to save religious artifacts from Notre Dame Cathedral during the April 15 fire. (CNS/Paul Haring) Paris — A...
Pictured left: Franciscan Fr. Erik Lopez from St. Camillus Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, marks the paschal candle at the beginning of the 2018 Easter Vigil March 31. (CNS/Octavio Duran) The symbols we employ during the sacred triduum have reminded us of their power in...
Pictured left: The North Rose window at Notre Dame cathedral dates from 1250. Credit Shutterstock Paris, France, Apr 16, 2019 / 08:00 pm (CNA).- When the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris caught fire Monday, most predicted the worst. It seemed unlikely the structure could survive,...
Pictured left: Pope Francis holds palm fronds as he celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican April 14, 2019. (CNS/Stefano Dal Pozzolo, pool) Vatican City — Acclaimed by the crowds and knowing he was the Messiah they sought, Jesus still chose the...
Pictured left: (L-R) Lucio Castillo, Paul Patrick, Jim Brobst, Ali Nnaemeka, Jarek Pachocki and Juan Manuel Gaspar at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre. An official physical meeting of CROCUS’s Regional Young Oblates Committee was held at the Queen of the Apostles Retreat House in Mississauga, ON....
On 25th anniversary of African mass slaughter, leaders say investing in future generations key to societal change Rwandan President Paul Kagame, his wife Jeannette Kagame, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker light the flame of remembrance at...
Pictured left: Rev. Stephan Kappler is the new president of Southdown Institute, a treatment centre for priests and religious. The vocation of serving vocations is little understood and rarely appreciated, but it’s something that appealed to Rev. Stephan Kappler like nothing else. “From the beginning I was...
The Star of the North Retreat Centre is tucked away from the street view at the top of Mission Hill. It's one of the city's best-kept secrets but its purpose is to help everybody find a quiet place to develop their spiritual lives. [caption id="attachment_8605" align="alignleft"...
On Tuesday 2 April 2019, the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit ("Christ Lives"), addressed to young people and the entire People of God, was published. The Holy Father explains that the document was prepared drawing inspiration from the "wealth of reflections and conversations of the...
Raymond Deschênes, Oblate brother. Uncle. Caretaker. Caregiver. Born Feb. 6, 1927, in Dunrea, Man., died June 30, 2018, in St. Boniface, Man., of organ failure; aged 91. Born two months premature and weighing just more than two pounds, it was a bit of a miracle that...
Pictured left: Flames shoot through the front door of St. Sulpice Church in Parish March 17, 2019, in this still image taken from social media. Vandals and arsonists have targeted French churches in a wave of attacks that has lasted nearly two months. CSN/Reuters More than...
Pictured left: In this 2016 file photo, a super moon rises above the roof of the Mohammed V mausoleum in Rabat, Morocco. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the North African nation in March 2019. (CNS photo/Abdelhak Senna, EPA) On eve of visit, Pope Francis tells...
PHILIPPINES Fr. Ramon BERNABE, Assistant General for Mission, recently visited Jolo, Sulu, in the southern Philippines, to convey the Congregation’s sympathies and to express solidarity with the Vicariate of Jolo after the January 27 bombing of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. As of the...
Man arrested and the priest was taken away by ambulance with minor injuries A priest at Montreal's renowned Saint Joseph's Oratory was stabbed in the chest Friday while delivering morning mass, shocking parishioners at the service and those watching a live stream of the service from home. The...
Pictured left: Finance Minister Bill Morneau Bill Morneau's March 19 budget includes extra funding for the Security Infrastructure Program which helps protect churches and places of worship. With the wounds of the latest attack on a mosque in New Zealand still fresh, security for places of worship...
For the fourth time, Francis goes to the “Scholas Occurrentes” headquarters in Rome to inaugurate various initiatives, including a training course in a monastery in Pistoia and a center for victims of cyberbullying in Milan. “Young people are not the future, they are the present” Sister...
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CNS) — New Zealand's Catholic bishops have expressed their horror and distress at a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch which saw at least 49 people killed. The shootings took place at or near the Al Noor Mosque, where 41 people were...
The Conference on “Oblation and martyrdom” that will be held in May in Pozuelo, Spain, invites us to reflect on a fundamental dimension of our Oblate vocation: martyrdom. [caption id="attachment_8472" align="alignleft" width="152"] Alexius Reynard, OMI[/caption] The first martyr among Oblates was Alexius Reynard, killed in 1875 in...
Be sure to visit the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle website. December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron of the Americas, and the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. On this date, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle launched...
Pictured left: Rev. Tony O'Dell, left, and Rev. Jarek Pachocki with Labrador retrievers Nesbitt and Carlin at St. Patrick's Church. - John Rennison, The Hamilton Spectator TJ and Sutton are gone, but now Nesbitt and Carlin are feeling the love - and giving it - at...
Last Friday February 15th, some thirty-five persons were present at St. Paul’s University to attend the Blessing Ceremony for “Centre Oblat - A voice for justice” at Guigues Pavilion, Room GIG 021. We welcomed our new executive director Mr. Joe Gunn, who had already claimed...
'The abuse of children is wrong anywhere and anytime: this point is not negotiable.' The Major Superiors of Religious Orders and Congregations (USIG/USG) on February 19, 2019, issued a statement in advance of the February 21-24 Vatican Summit on the Protection of Minors, with the message:...
His artwork is admired by people all over the world. But Fr. Clyde Rausch, O.M.I. doesn’t paint icons for personal glory or the admiration of others. Instead, he paints for just one client. “God is my best customer,” said Fr. Clyde. “And I’m not even the painter, that’s the Holy Spirit.” Since the 1980s Fr. Clyde has been painting (often...
CLIQUEZ ICI POUR LA VERSION FRANÇAISE The letter of Dear Brother Oblates, and all our Brothers and Sisters who live the Oblate charism, Happy feast day to all of you! We celebrate today the 193rd anniversary of the approval of our Constitutions and Rules by Pope Leo...
Sandy Prather, HOMI, Provincial Animator of Oblate Associates for OMI Lacombe Canada Province, speaks on the topic. "Called to Share a Charism: A Personal Story." Sandy gave this talk at the Mazenodian Family Vocation Congress held at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio...
Pictured left: Archbishop Angelito Rendon Lampon, OMI, receives on Wednesday afternoon, January 30, 2019 the pastoral staff of the Archdiocese of Cotabato from Cardinal Orlando Quevedo (R), who has retired as Archbishop of Cotabato. The Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia (L), describes the installation...
Pictured left: Delegates and guests listen to the keynote address by Thomas Bushlack, Ph.D In recent years the Church has been promoting the establishment of “families” of groups of people around the charism of the founders and foundresses of religious congregations. Within this context, the US...
As the leader of the Diocese of Churchill – Hudson Bay in Canada, Bp. Anthony Krotki, O.M.I. is in charge of one of the largest, and smallest diocese in the world. By land, the diocese covers about 1.4 million square miles of primarily Inuit territory. By population, there are only 9,000 Catholics living in isolated missions with names like...
(This text is a translation from the French authorized by the author, Fr. Normand Provencher, OMI) The Spirituality of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate The various religious families established in our country are committed to making known and loving Jesus Christ and to foster Christian communities...
We have lost brothers, sisters, and friends, and we are in deep grief and sorrow. We are one with their families in this difficult time – for they were also a family to us. Our grief is even greater as the bombing happened at a...
Vatican City — A priest must be able to see the people around him as his children, as brothers and sisters, and must be willing to risk everything for them out of love, Pope Francis said in his morning homily. In fact, the best example of...
Hello my brother Oblates and Associates; Habemus Provincialis! Please note the attachment naming Fr. Ken Thorson, OMI as Provincial of OMI Lacombe Canada Province beginning his first term on August 15th 2019. Click here for attachment from Fr. Warren Brown. Congratulations Ken and we thank you for accepting this...
There are many reasons why I joined the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate twenty-two years ago. It is not possible to name them all, but I would like to give an idea by expressing some of the major ones. The first reason states the obvious:...
Pictured left: Children greet Pope Francis as he arrives in Panama (Vatican Media) For thousands of young people, the arrival of Pope Francis in Panama on Wednesday afternoon marks the true beginning of the 34th World Youth Day. There were those who had waited at the airport...
On October 26-27, 2018 the Task Force created to assist OMI Lacombe Canada in moving forward with Oblate Association met in St. Albert, AB. Present at the meeting were Debbie Doornbos, Pamela Dixon, Dan Friedt, Fr. Susai Jesu, Serena Shaw, David Sax, Fr. Ken Thorson...
Pictured left: Barry Bussey, director legal affairs at the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, left, and Alissa Golob, executive director of pro-life organization It Starts Right Now, have reservations about the attestation. OTTAWA – The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is welcoming the revisions to the Canada...
An analysis of this year’s coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women, pipeline protests, forced sterilization, and racial discrimination is revealing. News about Indigenous communities, it shows, tends to make its way into the spotlight mostly when it is negative. Although afflictions affecting Indigenous communities...
Pictured left: Attorney General Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania speaks at a news conference in the state Capitol after legislation to respond to a landmark grand jury report accusing hundreds of Roman Catholic priests of sexually abusing children over decades stalled in the Legislature, on Oct....
The executive director of Citizens for Public Justice says that being part of a faith community means being challenged to walk the talk. Joe Gunn is the executive director of Citizens for Public Justice in Ottawa and recently published a book of interviews with Canadian Christian...
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION Fr. Peter Stoll, OMI, the General Councillor for Asia-Oceania and the liaison for lay associations, has sent us the Calendar of Masses to be celebrated for the intention of MAMI members throughout the Congregation. Download calendar “It was on the occasion of the publication of the 1947 Administrative...
The papacy will continue to be one of the most interesting centers of thought and action in this age Pictured left: Deng Xiaoping with Jimmy Carter. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) There will be a number of important appointments for Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in 2019, beginning with...
Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - 52nd World Day of Peace “All who heard were amazed at what the shepherds told them” (Lk 2:18). To be amazed: this is what is asked of us today, at the conclusion of the Octave...
What we can learn from lab rats that don't show empathy for other rats. Morality exists only because we evolved the capacity to empathize. And empathy provides the best guide to moral action. But there are those who say that empathy is too selective to play...
Every year Sacred Heart CHURCH OF THE FIRST PEOPLES organizes many events especially during the Christmas season. One such event is the annual children’s Christmas party. This year’s party was special in many different ways. The parish had over 900 children registered for the party....
Avis aux passionnés d’histoire : les Archives provinciales de l’Alberta recrutent plusieurs bénévoles pour trier, classer et catégoriser des milliers de documents produits par les Oblats de Marie-Immaculée acquis en août dernier. En fin de compte, ce travail d’archive facilitera les recherches et donnera lieu à...
Pictured left: Sr. Claudette Bastien with Pope Francis at the special celebration to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the sinking of a refugee ship near the island of Lampedusa. Official Delegate of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Sr. Claudette Bastien SNJM, provided concrete examples...
The liturgical season of Advent brings to mind what Pope John Paul II had to say on the occasion of the canonization of our Founder. Here are his words, spoken in that unforgettable celebration: “Blessed Eugene de Mazenod, whom the Church proclaims today, was a man of Advent, a man...
Pictured left: Jim Mandelin (right) was a homeless, abused teenager selling drugs for bikers when he met Keith Ostertag at Catholic Charities Men's Hostel. The encounter was one of a few random acts of kindness that helped Mandelin turn his life around. (Agnieszka Ruck photos) When...
Dear Brother Oblates and all who live the Charism of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, Happy Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary! This feast brings joy and hope to all of us as we continue to draw new meaning and insights from the...
A meeting of Brothers representing the U.S./Canada Region met November 10, 2018 at Queen of Apostles Retreat Center, Mississauga, ON. As mandated by CROCUS, this meeting brought together a Brother representing the following Provinces: U.S., Br. Richard Cote, OMI; OMI Lacombe, Br. Rusty Gardiner, OMI;...
Watch the latest episode of the Bishops' Roundtable. The bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories talk about the Church's evolving relationship to First Nations and indigenous Catholics. Click here to watch!...
A gift for your reflection as we prepare to celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother, December 8th. This is a presentation that Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI offered on the Oblate charism in June 2018 in South Africa. Click here to read the...
Quebec City — French-speaking Canadians will begin using a new translation of the Our Father Dec. 2. The passage "lead us not into temptation" — that formerly read "do not subject us to temptation" in French — is changed for "do not let us enter into...
The grade 7 students of St. Augustine School in Vancouver share some of the amazing things that happen inside the school, and how the school culture of spirituality has affected them. Click here to view video....
Last year (2017) His Holiness Pope Francis, in his Apostolic letter, Misericordia et Misera invited the Catholic faithful to celebrate the 33rd Sunday of ordinary time in commemoration of the World Day of the Poor. Seeing the contrast that exists between “empty words so frequently...
Hilarie Fortune relies on faith and community in Edmonton's inner city A single mother, without a home, sits in a McDonald’s restaurant on Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue strip. Raised in an abusive family, battling her own addictions and personal challenges, she tries to keep her three kids entertained...
Hilarie Fortune is part of the parish outreach at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, AB. She, along with the pastor Fr. Susai Jesu, OMI, and many others, work together to serve the poor and marginalized of Edmonton's central neighborhoods. Watch the...
PICTURED LEFT: Pierre Claverie and his 18 companions, who will be beatified in Oran, Algeria, December 8, 2018. (Courtesy Église Catholique d'Algérie) Algiers, Algeria, Nov 16, 2018 / 03:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Paul Desfarges of Algiers has said that Bishop Pierre Claverie and his 18...
PICTURED LEFT: President Ronald Reagan with John Paul II 1987 in the Miami airport. (Credit: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library) ROME - Joseph Weiler, a prominent professor of law at New York University and an Orthodox Jew, has said that at a time of high polemics when...
Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle held its biannual meeting in Ottawa on October 19-20, 2018. The Communiqué from this meeting is now available. Download PDF here: ENGLISH / FRENCH ...
Sunday, November 4th 2018, was a joyful day at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples here in Edmonton. An Oblate priest and pastor of this parish, Fr. Susai Jesu, was honored with an Eagle Feather by the community at a ceremony conducted by seven...
Pictured left: Father Francis Riwa gestures in late August at Nchiru Catholic Parish in northeastern Kenya when he commissioned a new dormitory for children living with HIV. Riwa, 62, has spent decades helping street children, orphans and poor nomadic children in the northern desert region...
[caption id="attachment_7110" align="alignleft" width="185"] US Provincial, Fr. Louis Studer addresses the congregation.[/caption] The Shrine of St. Joseph the Worker in the heart of downtown Lowell celebrated the 150th anniversary of the start of Oblate ministry in this city in 1868 with a concelebrated Mass and reception on Sunday, October 14. The...
St. Augustine took his mother Monica for granted for most of her life. He certainly underestimated her intelligence. As a young scholar, he thought that her Catholic faith was fine for simpletons but not for him. After he embraced that very faith, he records being...
To the worldwide community of Contemplative Outreach, It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our beloved teacher and spiritual father, Thomas Keating. Fr. Thomas offered his final letting go of the body on October 25, 2018 at 10:07pm at...
It was déjà vu. When the Ontario government cancelled curriculum-writing sessions this summer on truth and reconciliation, I was immediately taken back to 1998 when I was part of a team writing curriculum for the Ontario Ministry of Education.At that time, I was working on...
This video from Salt + Light features Bishop Mark Edwards, an Oblate from the Australian Province, and the Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, Australia. Bishop Mark is a member of the Synod for Youth this month. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO...
In the midst of the Synod of Bishops on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment, Pope Francis will canonize seven new saints. During the Canonization Mass on October 14, 2018, the Holy Father will canonize Blessed Pope Paul VI and Blessed Oscar Romero, two...
ROME - Virtually everyone taking part in the Oct. 3-28 Synod of Bishops on young people has said that the presence of more than 30 young delegates inside the hall has altered the chemistry - it’s looser, more informal, more pumped-up, and above all, more...
Pictured left: Women religious are seen at a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 4 (CNS/Vatican Media) Vatican City — The two Rome-based umbrella groups representing nearly a million members of male and female...
[caption id="attachment_7007" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Fr. Paolo Archiati, OMI Vicar General[/caption] These years, our religious missionary family is celebrating important anniversaries. On January 25, 2016, it celebrated 200 years of life, recalling the day when its Founder, Saint Eugene de Mazenod, began to live together with four...
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., the Vatican announced at noon (Rome time), Oct. 12. At the same time, the archdiocese of Washington released a letter from the pope to the cardinal in which he asked...
Vatican City — Even in far-off Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, a bishop said a young person asked him what the church is doing to prevent clerical sexual abuse. "You would think in our isolation we would not hear about this topic," said Bishop Paul Donoghue...
A beautiful volume, “Canadian Oblates in Lesotho” has been published by Archives-Deschâtelets, Notre-Dame-du-Cap Province, Canada. This publication, begun in 1993, was recently completed by the Deschâtelets-NDC Archives team, under the direction of Elaine Sirois for the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the arrival of...
On behalf of Fr. Alfred Grzempa, OMI, Provincial Assumption Province Fr. Luc Tardif, OMI, Provincial Notre-Dame-du-Cap Province, Fr. Ken Forster, OMI, Provincial OMI Lacombe Canada Province, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Gunn as Executive Director of “Centre Oblat - A Voice...
As the Indigenous Youth Advocate for Returning to Spirit, I recently sat down with Certified Trainer François Paradis. We discussed how he reconciled being a Catholic priest with Indigenous Spirituality during a time in Canada’s history when the truth of the residential school system was beginning to unfold; how he...
Pictured left is a file photo: An expert in First Nations treaties says reconciliation starts with the young generation in schools. Lincoln Ho, Grandin Media The path to reconciliation with Indigenous people starts with young people, says Niigaan James Sinclair, an educator and expert on bridging...
<span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start">?</span> Pope Francis’ words and actions have had a profound impact on countless people of various backgrounds, interests, and beliefs. In the interviews for my upcoming documentary, The Francis Impact, I’ve heard some beautiful and concrete testimonies of...
Pope Francis has made his first comments on the provisional agreement that was signed last Saturday between the Holy See and China. He did so at a press conference on the flight from Tallinn to Rome, when he was asked to provide some information about...
The Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has written a message to the present and past members of the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council, marking its 20th anniversary. An important initiative of the Conference, the establishment...
The booklet OMI JPIC Companion in Mission is now out in three languages! This is a resource for our Oblate Units in discerning and acting out the mandate of our Oblate Constitution and Rules to “bear witness to God’s holiness and justice” (C 9) and to work for justice,...
A new survey shows high levels of immigration are making Canada more religious, heightening the need to respect religion's place in the public square A new survey shows Canada’s high levels of immigration are making the country more religious, heightening the need to respect religion’s place...
Pictured left: Chantal Beauvais, the first lay person and the first woman chosen as rector of Saint Paul University, was installed in 2009. She is shown with Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast. (CCN Photo) OTTAWA—The rector of Saint Paul University hopes the development of a centre dedicated...
To journey and to be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim." —Mark Nepo Pilgrimage has become an integrating theme of my life this year. I don't often use the word pilgrimage, actually; I've come to call it "seasons of life." Let me explain. At a...
It’s been twenty-one years since Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack and died at 87 years old on September 5, 1997, in Calcutta. The day after she died, she was set to lead an interfaith memorial prayer service in Calcutta for her friend, Diana, Princess...
Let us pray that young people in Africa may have access to education and work in their own countries. Pope Francis - September 2018 Africa is a wealthy continent, and its greatest, most valuable resource is its young people. They should be able to choose between letting themselves...
OMI Lacombe Canada is pleased to announce after years of searching for a new home for the Grandin archives, they have been relocated and gifted to the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA). For many years the Grandin archives were housed in the basement of Foyer Lacombe...
'Social Justice' aims to raise awareness of burning issues as tsunami of religious violence washes over island Pictured left: Father Rohan Silva, chairman of the Center for Society and Religion (CSR), hands a copy of Social Justice magazine to the provincial oblate (second from left) at...
Pictured left: Catholic and Muslim leaders in Edmonton gather in St. Albert on August 28, as part of an ongoing interfaith dialogue. On the surface, it was speeches and a light meal, but on a deeper level it was building relationships.Top Catholic and Muslim leaders in...
This talk was delivered at the Vatican’s World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 23, 2018. One of the more recent challenges for Catholic parishes is how to welcome L.G.B.T. parishioners, as well as families with L.G.B.T. members. But that challenge is also where...
Pictured left: The novices pose with their formators: (L-R) Fr. Frank Kuczera, OMI, Mark Hernandez, David Chisha, Democracy Mudenda, Bro. Patrick McGee, OMI. Friday August 17, 2018 was a joyous occasion at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Novitiate in Godfrey, IL as Oblates from around the...
Pictured left: Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, celebrates Mass with inmates at a local institution. SURREY—After Paul* caught his wife cheating on him, he flew into a fury that landed him in a correctional institution. It was while serving his five-and-a-half-year prison sentence in B.C. that Paul...
At the top of Mission Hill in St. Albert and behind the dominating brick exterior of St. Albert Catholic Church sits a quiet stone grotto, originally — and meticulously — hand-built by seminarians. But it won’t stay quiet for long. Pilgrims from across the Edmonton Archdiocese will...
Pictured left: (L-R) Lazaro Angel Leal, Michael Kabazo, Joey Methé and Wilbroad Kapembwa Oblates and friends gathered at St. Ambrose Parish in Godfrey, Illinois on the anniversary of the birth of St. Eugene de Mazenod, August 1, 2018 to welcome four new men into the Oblate...
I dragged my kids to 8 a.m. Mass this morning for the Feast of the Assumption. It was one of those days where the “obligation” part of the Holy Day felt particularly heavy. There is a small parish within a short walking distance of our...
During Sunday Angelus Francis expresses sorrow at the increase of drownings in the Mediterranean and says an "unexpected emergency" requires "availability" to those in need Pope Francis has called on world leaders to protect the safety of migrants following a sharp increase in drownings across the...
The Roman Catholic / United Church of Canada Dialogue has released a report on climate change entitled: The Hope within Us. Since October 2012, the Roman Catholic / United Church of Canada Dialogue has met eight times to explore our Churches’ responses to the ecological...
From a height of about 47,000 Catholic nuns in Quebec in 1961, fewer than 6,000 remain. The Ursulines Catholic nuns are leaving their historic monastery in Quebec city and moving to an assisted-living residence. She entered the front door a young girl and exits a woman...
Pictured left: Parish kids in costume perform a play based on the life of St. Kateri. The play was featured during celebrations at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Parish in Maskwacis, Alberta on July 14. Young. Indigenous. Committed to the Catholic faith. Three hundred years after her...
Talking about theology and mining in the same breath is not uncommon in Latin America. The two topics, in fact, dominate conversations with Guatemalan Sr. Maudilia Lopez Cardona, who has been outspoken about the mining industry’s alleged neglect, corruption and human rights abuses for more than...
The Pope Video is a global initiative developed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) to assist in the dissemination of the Holy Father’s monthly intentions related to the challenges the humanity faces. Every month Pope Francis invites us to follow him in his prayer requests. For...
A recent poll has confirmed what most youth ministry workers are already losing sleep over: young people across the globe tend to be less religious than their elders. What they may not know is the widest rift in religious practice between those age groups is among...
With the consent of his Council meeting in Ordinary Session on July 5, 2018, the Vicar General has appointed Fr. ANDRZEJ JASTRZEBSKI to the Provincial Council of the Notre-Dame-du-Cap Province. ...
Pope Francis' encyclical has become the subject of many studies, conferences and new publications, illustrating its richness Mural of St Francis, St. Francis Parish, Seffner, Florida, United States. Pope Francis’ long-anticipated 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ has not disappointed its readers, receiving a broad and enthusiastic welcome in a rare...
The team once called hockey's answer to the Harlem Globetrotters also raised $4-million for various charities over its 46-year existence, which is chronicled in a new book “You can’t write this,” Father Vaughan Quinn says. “If you do, I’ll have to kill you – and my sister...
Pictured left: Canada's Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi speaking at a reception he hosted at his Ottawa residence June 29. (Deborah Gyapong photo) OTTAWA—Pope Francis is committed to contributing to the process of reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples, says the Vatican’s representative to Canada. Addressing the issue...
Religion still matters to millions of Canadians, so why is there so little coverage of faith and personal belief? Mary Hynes sits with a cup of tea in a cozy, burgundy-walled studio at CBC’s Toronto offices. She’s interviewing Paul Bramadat, a professor at the University of...
Pictured left: The old Whistler Skier's Chapel, built in 1968, in an undated photo. (Whistler Museum and Archives Society photo) WHISTLER—The season has shifted gears from skiing to hiking in Whistler. For a small community in the resort municipality, a season of celebration has also just...
The 11th annual meeting of the AOIHL executive group took place at St. Joseph's Theological Institute in Cedara, South Africa, from May 28-June 1, 2018. It was the second meeting of the group held at Cedara, the first meeting being held there in 2011. The meeting...
Around 20 to 30 new children have been attending Sunday Mass at St. Eugene de Mazenod Church in Brownsville, Tex. Parishioners pray for the children during the liturgy and then serve them breakfast. “They want to take care of them and let them know they’re loved,” said...
This article outlines one of the projects undertaken by the Friends of St. Eugene to help poor and marginalized people in Birmingham, England. It also sheds light on the prevalence of human trafficking amongst women refugees and how it affects their integration into the UK...
While the plight of asylum seekers and their children reaching the U.S. border from Mexico and Central America has dominated the news this week, other refugee populations around the world remain at extreme risk. As World Refugee Day is commemorated on June 20, the U.N....
Betty Letendre recalls a time where Indigenous elders didn’t want to come into Edmonton, feeling tired of the discrimination and misconceptions that they faced on a daily basis. But in her work with students at the Edmonton Catholic School District, she saw a need for those...
It has been almost two weeks since the 32nd General Assembly of the CRC. Elena Lasida, was the key-note speaker. She delivered her speech in French and it is posted as such. But there is also a link for her presentations simultaneously translated into English. Elena Lasida...
Seven Oblate retreat centres, represented by fifteen people attended this year’s North American Conference of Oblate Retreat and Renewal Centres (NACORRC). The theme was “A Spirituality of Place” presented and facilitated by David Perrin. Jim Bleackley, OMI attended on behalf of OMI Lacombe Canada’s Core...
Pictured left: St. Ann's Academy, founded by the Sisters of St. Ann, in 1938. (Photo courtesy Carey Pallister) Over 160 years, the Sisters of St. Ann have taught thousands of students, treated thousands more patients, and multiplied social justice efforts in B.C. Now, as a congregation of...
Voir article en français ci-dessous From May 28 to June 1st, the young Oblates of the Canada-US Region (CROCUS) gathered for the first time in approximately 10 years. Five delegates per province (Notre-Dame-du-Cap, Assumption, OMI Lacombe Canada and United States) along with three guests and two...
On May 18, 2018 Fr. Victor Manuel Patricio Silva, O.M.I. was ordained to the priesthood. It was the conclusion of a long and winding road to the ordination of the newest Missionary Oblate. “I had a few struggles, but when you love something those circumstances take...
Our Provident God called Emilie Gamelin to be the foundress of the Sisters of Providence. This year, we joyfully and gratefully celebrate the 175th anniversary of their congregation. This year 2018 has a profound significance for the Sisters of Providence, since their congregation is celebrating the...
[caption id="attachment_5952" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Archbishop Murray Chatlain and Elder Rosella Kinoshameg, centre, are co-chairs of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, which has been asked to help Ottawa with reconciliation efforts.[/caption] Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle focuses on reconciliation Minister of Indigenous Affairs has asked the Our...
On 20 May 1861, when Father Tempier told Bishop de Mazenod that it was now time for him to prepare himself for death, the Founder’s reaction was immediate: “I want only one thing: that God’s Will be done. Pray for me the prayers of the...
Stories of cohabitation between believers in Christ and Muslims. Journey to Dakar to discover the friendly relationships between the two communities, for which hospitality is a fundamental value Pictured left: Father Flavio (right) shows the painting with the crucifix received as a gift from Moussa Sy...
On Tuesday, May 22nd with the deadline looming for the Trans Mountain expansion project, Ken Forster and I, joined dozens of anti-pipeline activists protesting the Liberal government’s “blank cheque” to Kinder Morgan on Parliament Hill. We listened to Chief Robert Chamberlin, vice-president of the Union of...
On 21 May 2018, the Pope named Reverend Father Pierre Olivier TREMBLAY, O.M.I., as Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Trois-Rivières (Canada), assigning to him the titular See of Tino. Fr. Tremblay was born on 22 November 1970 in Montpellier (France). Both of his parents were...
Together with the provincial, Fr. Luc TARDIF, and the provincial treasurer, Fr. Jacques LALIBERTÉ, the confreres of the Coast met on April 23-25 to rest, share, pray and celebrate. There were nine Oblates who also took the opportunity to meet with the Innu of Mani...
The following article was written by the Executive Director of St. Joseph Parish in Ottawa, Christopher Adam. It first appeared in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin. Jason Moscovitz's piece on Jacob Weksler - formerly a Polish Catholic priest known as Romuald Waszkinel - who discovered late in...
A new feast day has been added May 21 celebrating Mary, Mother of the Church The Catholic Church doesn’t often add new celebrations to its pretty full liturgical calendar, but this year’s new feast day, Mary, Mother of the Church on May 21, has Catholics gearing...
What are the opportunities and possibilities that this technology present? We live in a period when it has become possible for people to communicate with one another instantly no matter the distance. People can exchange ideas and experiences, thoughts and feelings wherever they are. They can engage...
Shortly after the Convocation, the Core Team met with Dr. Carol Kuzmochka, D. Min., our facilitator, to have an initial reflection of our experience of Convocation 2018. We wanted to review our objectives that we set before the event, to see if we met the...
A modest Catholic charitable undertaking on the southern edge of Ottawa has offered vacations to needy families since 1975. Waupoos Family Farm, founded by dedicated members of the Cursillo movement and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, continues to rely on volunteer labour and donations...
A reflection on the importance of mother's in our lives. Life throws into our path many things: the good, the bad and the ugly. However, the way we take in, reflect on, and make something out of these ups and downs makes them transformative learning experiences...
In the weeks leading up to the flood, Constant Ngouala pulled weeds to prepare the beds for his fall seedlings. During those mid-August days, steeped in Houston’s humidity, he hadn’t known about the tropical wave forming off the western coast of Africa, hadn’t paid any...
The first true spring rain has been falling for a few hours now, and I relish the fresh breeze it sends through my open window. Like a metronome, the steady conversation of the drops slows my mind's pace. As I give thanks for this water...
The Mission of Laity The Holy Father’s prayer intention for May is “That the lay faithful may fulfill their specific mission, by responding with creativity to the challenges that face the world today.” The Pope’s intention is presented each month by The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer),...
We are back now from Convocation 2018 and it was a great gathering. Over 100 Oblates and Oblate Associates came together in Cornwall for a week of sharing, discerning and learning new approaches to ongoing difficult challenges. Fr. Ken Forster, Provincial, opened Convocation with a warm...
On a recent visit to a little parish on the outskirts of Rome, Pope Francis, the bishop of the diocese, responded with compassion and grace to a little boys question about his deceased father. Watch Youtube video! ...
In the wake of the horrors committed in the region by ISIS, the Saudis want to build a more humanist image for themselves Photo Left: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran meets Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia in 2012 (Photo by Österreichische Außenministerium/Wikipedia/CCA 2.0) Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical...
Faith helping family and friends through grief Madyson Bruneski says her Christian faith was the only way she could come to terms with grief after a tragic bus crash claimed the life of her close friend Stephen Wack and 15 other members of the Humboldt Broncos...
Pope Francis is not coming to Canada as hoped. What are we to make of that and where do we go from here? It has been a couple of weeks since the Canadian Bishops released their “Letter to Indigenous Peoples in Canada”. The letter “updated” the...
The Archdiocese of Ottawa and the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa rejoice this morning upon hearing the announcement from the Vatican that Mother Élisabeth Bruyère, founder of the Sisters of Charity of Bytown (now Ottawa) has been declared Venerable, a first step toward a possible canonization...
Easter 2018 was a bit different this year for Rev. Bob Haggarty aka “Father Bob.” After his official retirement last year, he is no longer the parish priest at St. John’s Catholic Church in Lillooet. “You don’t stop being a priest. Once you’re ordained, you’re ordained,” he...
With still no apology from the Vatican for residential schools, it falls on individuals to build bridges. Four people show up at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Muskeg Lake for a January mass, but there's enough room for many more. Every time someone enters the...
Father Douglas Jeffrey captivated the Notre Dame du Portage parish community at the February 24th Mass. During his homily, he spoke passionately about the important work Catholic schools do for children and families in nurturing a caring and compassionate society. Many people were inspired during his...
[caption id="attachment_5499" align="alignnone" width="1200"] From left to right - Squamish Nation Chief Gibby Jacob, elder Wendy Charbonneau, Squamish Nation Councillor Carla George, parishioner Donna Oseen, and Father "Tap" Kurudeepan celebrate the completion of renovations on the roof of St. Paul's Church March 19.[/caption] NORTH VANCOUVER—One of...
Instead of retiring to somewhere warm, Sister Fay Trombley went to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. - and now she's received a medal for her tireless work to ease hunger, unemployement and to take care of the spiritual needs of people in the North. The 77-year-old former professor at...
Cambridge, England, Mar 15, 2018 / 10:27 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The death of Stephen Hawking this week prompted a leading Catholic scientist to reflect on the life of the famed physicist, including his “astonishing” contributions to physics and his lifelong atheism. “He was of course a...
As he enters the sixth year of his pontificate, Pope Francis is in good health, good spirits and sustained by that inner peace that came to him during the conclave and has never left him, according to sources close to the 265th successor of Peter. Many...
Fr. Maurice Schroeder, an Oblate and a Medical Doctor, recently returned to his homeland after many years as a missionary in Peru. Here he muses on that homecoming experience. [caption id="attachment_5383" align="alignnone" width="600"] "Centro de Salud Santa Clotilde" - The hospital & health clinic at the...
The Oblates of OMI Lacombe Canada wish the people of the diocese of Mackenzie Fort Smith all God's blessings as you celebrate the ordination of your new bishop, Jon Hansen CSsR. Here is an article from the Prairie Messenger written by bishop-elect Jon. On reconciliation In a...
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate are organizing a contest to design a logo which will represent our Mission WITH Youth. We are looking for volunteers to help us develop a new logo which will help us unite internationally as Oblate Youth. You can either...
An international gathering of missionary congregations met Feb. 8-9 in Ireland to discuss the future of mission and the areas where missionaries can continue to make a difference in the church and wider society in the 21st century. Organized by the Missionary Society of St. Columban...
Picture: Lucetta Scaraffia, editor in chief of "Donne, Chiesa, Mondo" (Women, Church, World) poses for portraits in her house in Rome. Wednesday, February 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis) VATICAN CITY (AP) — A Vatican magazine has denounced how nuns are often treated like indentured servants by...
It is the right and duty of all to fight anything that could compromise the future, say bishops Photo: National Episcopal Conference of the Congo president Archbishop Marcel Utembi and other Catholic bishops together with leaders from the opposition, government, civil society and dozens of journalists...
SASKATOON — For the past eight months, members of the Diocesan Council for Truth and Reconciliation (DCTR) have met with community leaders west of Saskatoon, working to come up with a concrete way of addressing divisions and bringing about greater understanding and reconciliation between indigenous...
Over 1,000 mourners and clergy crowd St. Joseph's Basilica for final farewell Beloved Archbishop of Edmonton. Shepherd of the Catholic faithful. Friend to everyone who met him. This was how Archbishop Joseph MacNeil was remembered during a funeral Mass at St. Joseph’s Basilica on Feb. 16. Over...
Pope Francis invited all the faithful to take part on February 23rd in a special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace, especially in South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Prayers God of Peace Our Father of peace God of life Intercessions Official Prayer in South Sudan Fasting Fasting, which has deep...
Francis Sends Prayers and Encouragement to All Involved in Olympic Games ‘Let these Olympics be a great celebration of friendship and sport!’ Pope Francis gave this encouragement at the end of today’s General Audience, recalling that the XXIII Winter Olympic Games will open on Friday, February 9,...
Poverty is a main cause of imprisonment and largely affects Canada's Aboriginal community, according to a new research paper by the coordinator of pastoral care for the Archdiocese of Edmonton. “There’s many levels of poverty; it’s not just a monetary poverty,” said Teresa Kellendonk, who presented...
The bicentenary of our first Rule Dear Brother Oblates and all who form part of the Oblate Family, Among our celebrations of Oblate history, this year is the bicentenary of the first draft of our Rule. Moved by the Spirit to seek companions to start a society...
"And the desert shall blossom" In 2018, the Catholic Church in western and northern Canada will celebrate a momentous anniversary, the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Roman Catholic church in this wide and beautiful, yet also challenging and even at times forbidding land. From the plains...
As a young woman professing first vows in 1983, Sr. Elaine Baete swallowed a fleeting thought about the future of her new congregation, the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, also known as the Grey Nuns. Instead, she focused on her new vocation and the impact...
(Ottawa) Eighty two per cent of global wealth generated last year went to the richest one per cent, while the 3.7 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity saw no increase, according to a new Oxfam report. ‘Reward Work, Not Wealth’, is being...
It is a surprise of the Holy Spirit: Interculturality, Social Media, the Islam world. LET’S EMBRACE IT WITH PASSION CHAPTER MANDATE To understand in depth the meaning of interculturality for the Mission and our life ROBERTO: Fr. Louis Lougen, OMI, he is the Superior General of the Congregation...
The Olympic Committee of Korea has chosen an Oblate, Fr. Vincenzo Bordo, for a special honor “This is the Korean Olympic Committee speaking. Are you Mr. Kim Ha Jong?” says the voice on the other end of the phone. I immediately think: “They have noticed my...
The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated 18 to 25 January 2018 on the theme “Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power” (Exodus 15:6). The resources in English and French can be freely downloaded online from the Canadian website for the Week of Prayer....
Fr. Domenico RODIGHIERO, an Italian Oblate working in Thailand, tells of the difficulty the children of Mankhaw encounter in order to obtain an education. I have been living for eight months now in my new home, a small mountain village, and from there I take care...
San Antonio, Texas — Oblates and Youth Ministers representing Canada, the United States, and Baja California (Mexico) gathered for a Youth Minister Forum organized by the Oblates Working with Youth and Young Adults Committee. One of the most obvious reasons for the meeting was to...
Since 2005, Father Hermann has admitted more than 4,700 women with 10,000 children into his shelter program in Namibia - but due to his age and health issues, the future of everyone there is uncertain. Photographs and text by Christian Bobst. Published on www.lensculture.com. [caption id="attachment_4913" align="alignnone" width="1000"]...
Story and photos provided by Jim Savarese, Oblate Associate at The Shrine of St. Joseph the Worker Outside the Shrine on a typical December day in Lowell are: (L-R) Fr. Piotr, Fr. Jerry Orsino, OMI, Fr. Terry O’Connell, OMI, Jim Savarese, Fr Gene Tremblay, OMI On December...
Notre-Dame-du-Cap, Canada During their summers at La Blanche, his Oblate confreres noticed the hard work done by Father Pierre HURTUBISE as he gradually completed a historical work on the papal court of the 16th century. On November 16, at Saint Paul University, forty or so people saw...
Vatican City, Jan 1, 2018 / 03:55 am (CNA/EWTN News).- At the start of the new year, Pope Francis said that having a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary isn’t just something that is nice or good to do, but is an obligation in the...
Vatican's Children's Hospital and Civiltà Cattolica Respond to Pope's Wish One can already see the talent of the unknown Mexican child who drew the Pope against the backdrop of the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe. Other small artists, on the other hand, still need...
His Holiness Pope Francis today named Father Jon Hansen, C.Ss.R., Bishop of the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith. At the time of his appointment, he was pastor of Our Lady of Victory parish in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Bishop-elect Hansen succeeds the Most Reverend Mark A. Hagemoen...
The General Service of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (GS-JPIC) held its annual meeting from the 9th to 14th November 2017 in Rome. It was the first meeting of the Service since the death of Fr. Kennedy KATONGO, former Director of the Service, on...
Year of Oblate Vocations December 8, 2017 - January 25, 2019 The Joy and Generosity of Oblate Life! Download PDF: English / French Happy Feast Day to all those who live the Oblate charism! We begin the Year of Oblate Vocations on the solemnity of our patroness, Mary Immaculate....
For the Anniversary of the Virgin's Apparition to Alphonse Ratisbonne On December 8, 2017, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, after the prayer at the foot of the column of the Virgin Mary in Piazza di Spagna, Pope Francis will go on a private visit to Sant’Andrea...
Since 1980, over 1000 Indigenous women and girls have been murdered in Canada. While Indigenous women make up only 4% of Canada’s female population, 16% of all women murdered in Canada between 1980 and 2012 were Indigenous. In June 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission...
Respecting differences. Communicating clearly. Adjusting formation programs to create connection among novices and postulants from various cultures. Extending such awareness training to older members of the community. Remembering that Christianity and the Catholic Church are rooted theologically in international mission. These were some of the key...
“Brother” is the name traditionally given to the male lay religious in the Church since the beginning of consecrated life. The title does not belong to them exclusively, of course, but it represents a significant way of being in the ecclesial community in which he...
Download PDF “On this feast of Mary’s Assumption, we recall the special grace Saint Eugene received while blessing the statue of Mary Immaculate on August 15, 1822. That grace lifted his worries about the future of his little missionary group and gave him the assurance that...
The first Angolan Oblate, Paulo Sango PINDALI, recently made his perpetual profession of vows. Here is the story of his vocation as he himself tells it: I am Paulo Sango Pindali, born in Lobito / Benguela (Angola) on 1 November 1988. Coming from a Christian home....
Born in Oka (Québec) on February 17, 1862, the seventh of a family of fourteen children, Ovide is two years old when his family moves to Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson. He can’t attend school, because it is 8 km away from home, and therefore is taught by his...
The Pope Video is a global initiative developed by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) to assist in the dissemination of the Holy Father’s monthly intentions related to the challenges the humanity faces. Every month Pope Francis invites us to follow him in his prayer requests. For...
Pope Francis has proclaimed Sunday November 19 the World Day of the Poor. His message offers a challenge to all members of the Church and of course to religious who have professed the vow of poverty. Click on the picture to download the Pastoral Aid Message of...
An Oblate scholastic from Guatemala, Abraham HERNÁNDEZ REYES, wrote to the members of his delegation about his experience of missionary life in Canada. Three months ago, I arrived in Winnipeg, Canada. During this time, I have had pleasant experiences as well as challenges in my life,...
Jet-lagged in Warsaw I arrived in Poland on Tuesday morning October 17, and was met at the airport by Fr. Lukasz Krause, a member of the Provincial Council, and homiletics professor at the scholasticate in Obra. Patient and generous, and always in good humour, Lukasz would...
Picture: The coastal area of Cap-Haïtien called Nan Bannann often experiences flooding and is normally strewn with trash. This month, and probably for every October for the rest of her life, Haitian Sr. Evelyn Moliney will remember a time she would rather forget. A year ago, Hurricane...
On September 28, 2017, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, named former Oblate Assistant General, Fr. Ryszard SZMYDKI, to the role of Under-secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Since 2014, he has been serving as the General Secretary of the Pontifical Missionary Works...
Joe Gunn, the Executive Director of Citizens for Public Justice, and a member of the OMI Lacombe Canada JPIC Committee, reflects here on poverty in Canada in 2017. What does poverty look like in Canada in 2017? Ask yourself what images immediately come to mind when you...
Reverend James Holland has been the celebrated and much-loved pastor of Edmonton’s Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples since 1995. While Canadians are searching for ways to respond to the need for reconciliation with the country’s Indigenous peoples, Sacred Heart Church, under Father Jim’s...
During the national 150th anniversary celebrations, Catherine Clark's blog, #150 Great People, celebrates the significant contributions of 150 Ottawa Citizens, one of whom is Marsha Wilson, the Director of St. Joe's Women's Centre in Ottawa, Clark's blog post is below...
The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) offices of Lacombe Oblate Province, Canada, the JPIC Office of U.S. Province, and St. Paul’s Oblates’ University sponsored a symposium at St. Paul’s in Ottawa, Canada, on August 30th, 2017, on the theme, “the Cry of the...
About 30 canoeists, including Indigenous, Jesuits, English, French, men and women, dropped in to Galilee on August 8 on their way from Midland, ON to Montreal, QC on a pilgrimage to mark Canada's 150th Anniversary celebrations. The 2017 Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage is a project inspired by...
Fr. Peter Doherty, OMI and Patti-Anne Kay have written a book on forgiveness. Most of us find it hard to forgive others and ourselves, even though we know it’s good for us and is an important part of our Christian faith and other spiritual practices. If...
Six young men were formally welcomed by the U.S. Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in a Rite of Reception held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Novitiate in Godfrey, Illinois on August 17, 2017. The men came from five countries on four continents to spend...
On Friday, July 14, at 7:00 pm, at the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Cutknife, SK, Bishop Albert Thevenot, (Missionary of Africa) ordained Daniel Lamoureux as a permanent deacon. Dan joins Gil Bellavance and Brad Taylor (also Oblate Associates) as permanent deacons...
Edmonton, July 25, 2017 – Sandra (Sandy) Prather, a long-time retreat director, writer and facilitator known for an infectious joy in her faith, is being honoured by Newman Theological College as this year’s recipient of the Kevin Carr Christian Leadership Award. The award, named for the first...
Serving dignity with coffee to the poor and marginalized A few years ago I took part in a hunger awareness activity, Do the Math. Participants were given a basket of food basics to live off of for a week. I can’t recall the contents of my...
Families of the Disappeared is an association formed by those from the North and East of Sri Lanka whose family members went missing during the war in Sri Lanka (especially, during its last phase), which ended in May 2009. Since then, on numerous occasions, these families...
Belleville, Ill. — Some 350 Hmong, Kmhmu, Lao and Karen Catholics gathered here to relive and celebrate the lives of the 17 martyrs of their native country Laos with gratitude and in thanksgiving for their exemplary lives of faith. The 17 martyrs of Laos Celebrants paraded photos...
National survey on vocations is the first of its kind The National Association of Vocation and Formation Directors (NAVFD) is launching a national survey that has never been done before in Canada. Starting March 17, NAVFD is sending out questionnaires to all major superiors and provincial superiors...
We met on May 21, 2017 not only to celebrate the Feast of Saint Eugene de Mazenod but to celebrate three other events: 20 years of Ministry in Kenya by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate 20 years of life for St. Stephen’s Parish (Kionyo) ...
Parishes and First Nations communities from B.C. to Ontario are mourning the death of Father John Brioux, OMI, an Oblate priest with a deep spirituality and love for his flock. Photo: Father John Brioux (right) smiles with Squamish nation Deacon Rennie Nahannee and his wife, Emma....
[qode_video_box video_link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1AZdBd7QAw&feature=youtu.be" video_image="3697"]...
Edmonton – May 24, 2017 – On May 3, 2017, Father Ken Forster, OMI, Provincial of OMI Lacombe Canada met with Fr. Jim Holland, OMI to confirm the decision that Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples will receive two new Pastors on July 2,...
Following the Renewing Our Life and Mission (ROLM) process in the spring of 2015 there was a decision to change the pastoral leadership at Sacred Heart Parish in Edmonton. At the time there was an appeal from many in the parish for Fr. Jim Holland to...
OMI Lacombe Canada Personnel Appointments for 2017 from Fr. Ken Forster, OMI, and the Provincial Leadership. Fr. Ken invites each of us to keep each other in prayer, especially those we serve, and the members of the Province who are called to new ministries and communities. New...
On Friday April 7th, 2017, the Providence Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul, Kingston, Ontario, made a legacy gift of $2.5M to Saint Paul University to establish the Providence School of Transformative Leadership and Spirituality. Saint Paul University, founded by the Oblates, had identified the need...
The cottage at Amyot Lake, SK The little cabin at Amyot Lake has been a retreat for the Oblates serving in the dioceses of Prince Albert and Keewatin Le Pas for the last 25 years or so. Lovingly built by Bp. Sylvain Lavoie, Fr. Eugene Warnke,...
On Friday, April 28th, 2017 JPIC-OMI Lacombe was very pleased to participate on the Eugene de Mazenod Medal award at the University Saint Paul, as their nominee Mr. John Joe Gunn was the honoree of the day. As Br. Leonardo Rego, director of JPIC OMI Lacombe,...
On February 14, 2017 the first official meeting of Young Oblates of CA-US Region Committee was held in the Provincial House of Assumption Province in Toronto, Canada. CROCUS representatives Frs. Marian Gil, OMI and Luc Tardif, OMI facilitated this event. Young Oblates from the following...
Two giants of Catholic history in Alberta continue to be considered for possible sainthood by Pope Francis. Most Rev. Vital Grandin was the first Bishop of the newly erected diocese of St. Albert in 1871 and was instrumental in the establishment of the Catholic Church in...
Most Hamiltonians, unless very religious or very Irish, think of St. Patrick once a year, after the Ides of March, in a merriment of green beer and shamrock-shaped eyeglasses. Many of our homeless, poor and marginalized think of St. Patrick all the time. The King Street...
The games include Dene drumming, a sacred act that was once resisted by the Catholic Church A group of priests attended and blessed a hand games tournament in Behchoko, N.W.T., over the weekend (March 11-12). The games included Dene drumming, a sacred act that was once...
Presenter: Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI Participants: Men and Women Religious in Canada, under 55 years old. What: A time to come away to the quiet to meet and pray with other Religious who are serving the People of God in Canada. When:July 13 (1:00pm)-July 18 (11:00am) Where: Queens House,...
WINNIPEG — A celebration of indigenous culture and faith was on display at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Aboriginal Catholic Church in Winnipeg recently, with a wide-ranging look at how native ways of life relate to the teachings of Pope Francis. The women of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church...
In this year of the bi-centennial of the founding of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the members of OMI Lacombe Canada celebrate a centennial of one of their own. Fr. Albert Lacombe, who died in 1916, served as a model for missionaries to both...
Greetings from the Arctic! The summer is here sooner than usual so everybody is enjoying beautiful weather. Yesterday celebrating Canada Day, I went for a ride to a nearby waterfall in Coral Harbour. I would like to inform you that this year I will be going to...