Pictured left: Pope Francis greets an elderly woman as he meets with people in Asunción, Paraguay on July 12, 2015 (CNS/Paul Haring) When Pope Francis celebrates the first-ever World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly on July 25, he will be elevating a theme that he...
Just because something is politically-correct doesn’t mean that it might not also be correct. Sometimes we have to swallow hard to accept truth. Some years ago, I served on a Priests’ Council, an advisory board to the bishop in a Roman Catholic diocese. The bishop, while...
The Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life announces the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly under the theme "I am with you always". The First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated on Sunday 25 July, announced the Vatican’s Dicastery...
General Administration [caption id="attachment_12977" align="alignright" width="300"] Since then the house is 'empty' but the community has continued to live![/caption] Greetings from the Aix-en-Provence Foundation House community! We would like to share with you some news from us. March 18, 2020 was the date set by the French government to...
Pictured left: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Sarita, TX The verse from John 15:5 echoed through my heart on June 27th at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sarita, TX for several reasons. The first reason was that we finally reopened our retreat house in Sarita on the...
A Day of Prayer for migrants established by the Italian Episcopal Conference calls on Christians to become messengers of peace and teachers of civilization. In the first five months of 2021, more than 630 men, women and children drowned in the central Mediterranean Sea as they...
Several years ago, a colleague of mine suffered a crushing disappointment. Her instinctual temptation was towards anger, towards shutting a series of doors and withdrawing. Instead, wounded in spirit, she asked herself the question, what is love asking of me now? In answering that, she found that...
We pray that, in social, economic and political situations of conflict, we may be courageous and passionate architects of dialogue and friendship. Pope Francis – July 2021 The Bible says that whoever finds a friend has found a treasure. I would like to invite everyone to go beyond...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 5, 2021 DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION HERE TÉLÉCHARGEZ VERSION FRANÇAISE ICI WINNIPEG - The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) welcomes the decision by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate to expedite access to critical residential school records. The Oblates operated 48 residential schools in Canada,...
Pictured left: Cardinal Gérald C. Lacroix of Québec distributes Communion to an Innu woman on First Nations Sunday at the Shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupré June 27. Grand Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations hopes a meeting with Pope Francis in...
[caption id="attachment_12928" align="alignright" width="300"] OST President, Scott Woodward (R) with one of the men at the facility[/caption] Consistent with a goal of empowering lives through education, Oblate School of Theology (OST) partnered with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the Ministry of...
June 24, 2021 DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION HERE TÉLÉCHARGEZ VERSION FRANÇAISE ICI We are two Catholic religious communities of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (commonly known as the Oblates) and were involved in operating many of the residential schools throughout Canada. The Oblates operated...
Pictured left: Sister Marie Zarowny, president of the Sisters of St. Ann, said the sisters will "collaborate in finding the truth" at residential schools. The sisters taught at a handful of residential schools, including Kamloops from 1890 to 1970. (Sisters of St. Ann photo) Two Catholic...
By Darcie Lich - Oblate Associate Creator God of love and justice, comforter of those who mourn, we turn to you acknowledging the actions of our Church and our nation. We have asked forgiveness and committed to work for healing and reconciliation. But we are painfully...
TÉLÉCHARGEZ DOCUMENT EN FRANÇAIS ICI Who are the Oblates? a. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate are members of a Roman Catholic religious community of priests, brothers and lay associates. Founded in France in 1816 by St. Eugene de Mazenod, their first foreign mission was to...
Statement from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate regarding news from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation (Kamloops Indian Band) of the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Download PDF here ...
By Darcie Lich - Oblate Associate Creator God of love and justice, comforter of those who mourn, we turn to you acknowledging the actions of our Church and our nation. We have asked forgiveness and committed to work for healing and reconciliation. But we are painfully...
Novalis recently published a collective work that gives laity a voice in their experience of the Church and their vision of the future of the Church. We welcome this significant contribution to the issues facing the People of God. Novalis remains firmly rooted in the...
Either he doesn’t know the background noise in this video makes it almost impossible to understand what he is saying, or he is too lazy to redo the video or there is something else going on. Those are thoughts that may cross your mind after...
Pictured left: Ismael Moreno, S.J., (center) the director of Radio Progreso/Fundacion Eric, joins demonstrators in El Progresso, Honduras, protesting the election of President Juan Orlando Hernandez in January 2018. Funding from Canada's Development and Peace agency for his media and human rights ministry had been...
Liberal MP John McKay doesn’t give a damn whether he’s in cabinet or not. But he does give a damn. In an extraordinary 24-year career riding Parliament’s backbenches and chairing committees in government and opposition, McKay has steered legislation through Parliament to make sure Canada’s foreign...
Laudato si' webinar no. 7 (Organized by the OMI General Admisnitration) "The Transition of Religious Congregations to Integral Ecology" Introducing the Laudato si' Multi-year Action Platform Date: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 17h00 (5:00 p.m.) CET / Rome Presenter: Bro. Alberto Parise, MCCJ (JPIC Director and member of the General Secretariat of Mission -...
Pentecost 2021 DOWNLOAD PDF - English / Français Send forth your spirit and renew the face of the Earth (Ps. 104) Greetings and blessings on the Feast of Pentecost, As Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, focused on the work of reconciliation between Indigenous and all Canadians, we want to...
The focus of the course is to provide a brief historical background and an update on the state of the reconciliation process, and to frame the present pastoral and theological questions and challenges as well as the progress made since the final report of the TRC and...
A message from the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle on Bill C-15: "...
VATICAN CITY - Throughout history and across the globe, lay catechists have been revered as saints, and many were martyred for their refusal to renounce their faith and their vocation to teach the Christian faith to others. Formally instituting "the ministry of catechist" with a document published May...
Dear Oblates and Friends, I hope you continue in the joy of the Easter season and also in remembering Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in this month of May! I would like to communicate that after a successful surgery, and a month of recuperation in the...
People spend many hours taking their kith and kin from one hospital to another in autos, and bikes, as the people cannot get an ambulance or any other vehicles. Once they reach the hospitals, the hospital administration washes its hands, saying there are no beds...
On Thursday April 29, Fr. Frank Salmon, OMI received the St. Joseph’s Award at the Catholic Missions in Canada Gala. Established in 1990 by Catholic Missions In Canada, the St. Joseph’s Award recognizes and honours missionaries whose dedication, is a light for the world and salt...
Fr. Rodrigue Vezina, OMI was an Oblate who died on October 29, 2019 in Richelieu at the age of 87. The towering and historic St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Attawapiskat was destroyed in a spectacular fire on April 21, 2021. There is a lot of...
Pope Francis has called for a global prayer marathon for the entire month of May, praying for the end to the pandemic. “The initiative will involve in a special way all shrines in the world” in promoting the initiative so that individuals, families and communities all...
Patti-Anne Kay and Fr. Peter Doherty, OMI find Easter parallels in COVID suffering but recall it was at Pentecost that the fullness of the Resurrection was realized. Let us go about daily activities with a renewed sense of focus, purpose, and appreciation. The COVID-19 pandemic struck close...
Pope Francis calls for urgency in joint efforts on the path towards protecting our planet, in two separate video messages for Earth Day 2021. Commemorating the 51st Earth Day on Thursday, Pope Francis sent two video messages reminding everyone of the importance of working together to...
REGISTER TODAY: KBE Teaching & Sharing Circles Summer Session begins May 18 Register today for a KBE Teaching & Sharing Circle – interactive, Zoom-based sessions that build positive relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through truth, sharing, and open dialogue. This summer, six public sessions will be offered,...
Montreal, April 13, 2021 — As Catholics in Canada and around the world were celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday, we learned from the Agence France-Presse (AFP) report that seven consecrated persons—five priests and two nuns (including two French citizens)—were abducted in Croix-des-Bouquets, a suburb of Port-au-Prince,...
2021 - Dr. Maurice (Moe) Schroeder Dr. Maurice (Moe) Schroeder, MD'76, who is an ordained Oblate priest as well as a physician, lived and worked in Peru from 1978 to 2017. His first five years in this country were spent at a rural mobile clinic in the...
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate continue to play a significant role in many of the most difficult missions around the world. We are well known and highly regarded in the Church for our availability. Although, with good humor, we like to joke that we...
De Mazenod Outreach ministry will operate a local farm to grow food for Hamilton's poor Hamilton— April 8, 2021 — Today, the De Mazenod Door Outreach program announced the launch of the De Mazenod Farm, yet another initiative to help the poor and marginalized in inner-city...
Some good news and a huge thank-you! Yesterday some folks came and counted and carried all the donations that arrived in response to the "40 Cans for Lent" project that was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. According to our volunteers the parish donated 1,460...
April: Fundamental Rights Let us pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis, that they may see their sacrifice and their work bear abundant fruit. Pope Francis – April 2021 Defending fundamental human rights...
What we inaugurate tomorrow evening with the Sign of the Cross at the opening of the Holy Thursday liturgy is not just the beginning of the Mass of the Lord's Supper, but the opening of a three-day-long celebration of Christianity's most sacred solemnity: the Easter...
For Saint Eugene, Holy Thursday marked two important events: his first communion and his private vow of saying “yes” to God on this night when Christians keep watch with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and Jesus said “yes”. This year, for those unable to...
An article by a missionary sister who now works at the Oblate retreat centre in Edmonton relates how, in the year 2000, a Canadian company arrived in Tundayme, Ecuador. For ten years, it carried out a strategy of land appropriation that was characterized by cover-ups...
Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge has said the only way is the synodal way Embracing a synodal model of the Church is “messy” but it offers the only path to a “future that’s worth having”, says a leading Australian bishop. Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, the president...
Fr. Alexandre Taché, a well-known canonist and a former Procurator General of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate passed away from this world in Richelieu, Quebec, Canada on February 7, 2021. Alexandre Taché was born on June 13, 1926 in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce parish in Hull, Diocese of Ottawa...
Pictured left: Rebecca Roughneen (right) Personal Profile For many religious communities, the coronavirus pandemic has been a time to discover the importance of an online presence. It’s something that the Oblates of Mary Immaculate have been wrestling with for some time, and has come into sharper focus...
General Committee of Oblate Brothers Saint Joseph is the protector of the Congregation and the patron saint of Oblate Brothers. Thus, the General Committee of Oblate Brothers would like to offer the Congregation and the entire Mazenodian family an opportunity, between March 19 and May 1, 2021...
We gather in the mystery and depth of the cross, the intersection of life and love, of pain and perseverance, of injustice and determination, of tenderness and solidarity, of Ongoing Care and Co-Creation. (+). [caption id="attachment_12312" align="alignright" width="100"] Fr. Jack Lau, OMI[/caption] We invite you to join...
In January of this year, I visited the Immaculate Heart of Mary Oblate Novitiate in Godfrey, IL to begin photo documentation of the renovation and restoration of the nearly 100-year-old building which sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The elegant structure was originally...
There is a common thread linking three important interventions of Pope Francis regarding interreligious dialogue, and Islam in particular. It is a magisterium that indicates a road map with three fundamental points of reference: the role of religion in our societies, the criterion of authentic religiosity,...
Pictured left: Pope Francis is flanked by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi upon his arrival at Bagdad's international airport, Iraq, Friday, March 5, 2021 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) BAGHDAD (AP) — Pope Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday to urge the country’s dwindling number of Christians to...
[caption id="attachment_12238" align="alignright" width="176"] Deacon Joseph Phuong, OMI[/caption] This year’s Tết (Lunar New Year Festival) was very special for me. Through the Vietnamese embassy in Sri Lanka, I learned that the Vietnamese living here often organize a common celebration of the Tết in Colombo or Kandy....
The Senate has amended Bill C-7. If these amendments pass the House of Commons, it will make it much easier for vulnerable Canadians to access assisted suicide and euthanasia putting them at increased risk. The amendments are: 1. Allowing people to write advance directives that...
Canada’s bishops are continuing to study federal legislation that provides legal protections for Indigenous communities in the form of internationally recognized rights. Bill C-15, which would incorporate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into Canadian law, passed second reading Feb. 17. The...
Lenten alms-giving to Canada’s Catholic international development agency is getting turbo-charged by religious orders. From Ash Wednesday until Pentecost Sunday (May 23) a handful of religious communities will match new monthly donation plans dollar for dollar, up to a total of $130,000 to aid Development and...
Continuing his catechesis on Christian prayer, Pope Francis reflects on why and how we should pray in all the events of everyday life. In last week’s General Audience, Pope Francis spoke about how Christian prayer is “anchored” in the liturgy. In this week’s audience, streamed live...
Note on the morality of using some anti-COVID-19 vaccines from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - CLICK HERE Note of the Vatican Covid-19 Commission in collaboration with the Pontifical Academy for Life "Vaccine for all. 20 points for a fairer and healthier world"...
Pope Leo XII formally approved our Constitutions and Rules on February 17, 1826. To this day, revised and adapted over the past 195 years, they remain “a privileged means for each Oblate to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ “(C # 163). The Preface...
Over the past months, the Oblates and Associates of OMI Lacombe Canada Province have been participating in our synodal process “Forward Together”. During the first round of small group gatherings, we were invited to tell our stories – stories of Oblate life, of significant moments...
Pope Francis has decided to institute a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Starting this year, it will be held on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. Following...
An online event to launch the new Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace, and Justice included a panel discussion with Myron Rogal, coordinator of Justice and Peace for the Diocese of Saskatoon; Dr. Chris Hrynkow, director of the new centre; Darcie Lich, religious education coordinator for...
In an article published in the magazine "La Civiltà Cattolica", Cardinal Michael Czerny reflects on the meaning of "synodality" in the Church and in Pope Francis' magisterium. Synodality is not “a mere decision-making process”, but “a fundamental feature of the Church’s identity, says Cardinal Michael Czerny,...
Rome, January 25, 2021 Dear Brother Oblates, On this 205th anniversary of the foundation of our religious Family, I hereby convoke the XXXVII General Chapter. It will begin on September 14, 2022, the Feast of the Exaltation of Holy Cross, at the “Centro Ad Gentes” property of the Society of...
TÉLÉCHARGEZ VERSION FRANÇAISE ICI Vatican City, 18 January 2021 To all consecrated persons, We draw close to you on the eve of a day dear to us, and to all consecrated men and women. A day dedicated to our wonderful vocation that makes God’s love for men, woman...
A new survey on the impact of Covid-19 which aims to get a sense of how clergy and lay people are coping after months of varying restrictions has been launched by the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education at Dublin City University. Covid-19 and Church-21 is a...
In preparation for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which will be held from January 18th and January 25th, 2021, the CRC is delighted to have two consecrated persons, Sr. Gill Goulding, CJ, and Sr. Pauline Boilard, MIC, share their journeys and involvement in ecumenism. Through these testimonies,...
France - On Sunday, January 17, 2021, in Pontmain, France, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to four children. It happened in the context of the war between France and Prussia, when many of the young men from the village of...
January: At the service of Human fraternity Let us pray that the Lord may give us the grace to live in full fellowship with our brothers and sisters of other religions and not fight each other, and praying for one another, open ourselves to all. Pope Francis...
ARTICLE DISPONIBLE EN FRANÇAIS - TÉLÉCHARGEZ ICI I am privileged to minister regularly with the director of recovery ministries, Chris Estus, at our local United Methodist Church in San Antonio ,TX. Chris is a candidate for the pastorship with the United Methodists and will hike 2,193...
The Coronavirus pandemic has never spared even the poor on the streets of Hong Kong. Now, poor and abandoned families are growing in number through the ill effects of Covid19. In To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong, near the Church of Notre Dame, a parish run by the...
Pictured left: A migrant tries to warm himself at the Lipa camp in Bihac, Boznia and Herzegovina, January 1, 2021 (ANSA) In a blog post for the Catholic Migration Commission, Cardinal Michael Czerny describes the importance of 'Fratelli tutti' as applied to the plight of migrants...
Pictured left: Original Levis House built in 1916 The renovation and restoration of the historic Immaculate Heart of Mary Novitiate in Godfrey, IL is underway with demolition of the dormitory wing now complete and interior construction and restoration in progress. [caption id="attachment_11999" align="aligncenter" width="700"] In the rear...
Dear Friends especially for Lay Associations coordinators across the world, both Oblate and Lay . We are 200 days away from the 2nd Lay Congress and we have great news about a new blog www.omioikia.wordpress.com that we have launched to become a place of interaction and sharing amongst all Lay...
Francis offers the Church's social doctrine as a "compass" to foster peace Pope Francis in his message for the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace called on the international community and every individual to foster a "culture of care" by advancing on the "path of fraternity,...
To say that legislation on the rights of Canada’s Indigenous peoples was overdue is more than an understatement. It is a tragedy. So it is with prayerful optimism that we acknowledge the long awaited Bill C-15 in the House of Commons, which aims to bring Canadian...
On the recommendation of the Commission for Christian Unity, Religious Relations with the Jews and Interfaith Dialogue of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), and the approval of the Conference's Executive Committee, the CCCB - Canadian Rabbinic Caucus bilateral dialogue released a new resource...
Healing of the Earth DOWNLOAD - PRAYER FOR HEALING, TRANSFORMATION AND RECONCILIATION We the Body of Christ, are called to live in solidarity with all peoples. We are called to respect, protect, defend and nurture the oneness of all of God’s Creation. God made this Earth as...
Pope Francis encouraged every effort, big or small, to foster peace amid the crises unfolding in Iraq and Syria, and to help Christians remain. Highlighting the desire of refugees to return to their homes, the Pope appealed to the international community “to make every effort to...
The Christmas season is often associated with warm emotions - joy, hope and anticipation - but for some, it can also be a time of loss, sadness and grief. The holidays may be a stark reminder of broken relationships, financial struggles, health concerns and general...
The Internal Committee for Mission Download the PDF - FRENCH - ENGLISH Dear brother Oblates and all those who live the charism of St. Eugene, Our Superior General, Fr. Louis Lougen, OMI, has given the privilege of writing this letter to the Congregation on this blessed feast of...
The Canonization of our Founder St. Eugene de Mazenod, on December 3rd, 1995, was a great feast here in Rome. It was a day of joy for the Oblates, lay associates, and friends of Oblates. In this video, some of those Oblates who were present...
For a life of prayer The heart of the Church’s mission is prayer. Prayer is the key for us to be able to enter into dialogue with the Father. Every time we read a short passage from the Gospel we hear Jesus speaking to us. We have a conversation...
Bl. Francisco Esteban and companions Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Martyrs History of the Cause The diocesan inquiry began in Madrid, Spain, between March 11, 1999, and January 11, 2000. The Spanish layman, father of a family, Candidus Castán San José (1894-1936), was added to the group of the...
Download the calendar in PDF 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. It was on the occasion of the publication...
At the Interchapter meeting in Obra, Poland in July 2019, the plan for the second Oblate Lay Associations' Congress was launched, and the Superior General and Council has fixed the date of the Congress to July 16-18, 2021. Here is an introductory video: ...
I am pleased to present the proper calendar of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate for the new liturgical year 2020-2021. DOWNLOAD THE ORDO 2020-2021 HERE In it, you will find useful information, especially about our liturgical celebrations and a reminder of some important events in the...
Pictured left: A priest incensing the tomb of Oblate Father Michael Rodrigo, who was shot dead on November 10, 1987. Oblates have started campaigning for his canonization on his 33rd death anniversary. (Photo: omi200.wordpress.com) No one has taken responsibility for the murder of Father Michael Rodrigo...
Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence is at the heart of the epochal change we are experiencing. Robotics can make a better world possible if it is joined to the common good. Indeed, if technological progress increases inequalities, it is not true progress. Future advances should be oriented towards...
Pictured left: Left: Sr. Addie Lorraine Walker, a School Sister of Notre Dame, gives a keynote address Oct. 30 at the National Religious Vocation Conference's 2020 convocation. Right: Sr. Maxine Kollasch of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary gives a convocation workshop...
Examples of Oblates directly assisting the people in the regions they serve, a tradition started by our Founder, have abounded during the current pandemics. These examples tell us inspiring individual stories. But they have also offered help in other more subtle, less visible ways, not...
“I knew I had to quit when my 15-year-old daughter would say, ‘Mom, don’t go to work and cry again.’ ” That quote was just one data point in Francis Maza’s PhD thesis for his Doctor of Ministry at Toronto’s University of St. Michael’s College. Maza...
Pictured left: People pay tribute at night in front of Notre Dame Basilica on October 29, 2020 in Nice, France. A man armed with a knife fatally attacked people in the church, located in the heart of the city. (Photo: Arnold Jerocki / Getty) Despite the...
The following article features the work Irish-born member of the Oblate Community – Fr. John Flynn, OMI during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu. You can read more about him here. AUSTRALIA Over the past few months, the world has grappled to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. During...
Women in leadership roles in the Church We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church, without falling into forms of clericalism that diminish the lay charism. Pope Francis – October 2020 No one has...
A 25th anniversary is an important milestone in life. A person who has turned 25 years old is someone who, in principle, is already mature, ready to begin their life work and to start their own family. Therefore, society fixed specific generational changes around the...
Pictured left: Pope Francis greets Evgeny Afineevsky, a documentary filmmaker, at his general audience at the Vatican in this Aug. 28, 2019, photo. (CNS photo/Vatican Media via Evgeny Afineevsky) In a new documentary that premiered in Rome yesterday, Pope Francis appeared to endorse civil unions for...
Pictured left: Our Lady of Peace Mission Cairn Sign at TWP 242/RR 43. (Photo credit: Stephanie Dittrich) [caption id="attachment_11735" align="alignleft" width="300"] Our Lady of Peace Mission Cairn Site in 1939. (Photo credits to Glenbow Archives - 1939)[/caption] The historic site where the first permanent mission of the...
In the last seven months the upheaval brought by the pandemic has been constant, and deeply disruptive. We are plagued by uncertainty about the future. Planning for the short or long-term feels like an exercise in futility; we simply don’t know where things (case numbers,...
St Patrick Church ministry partners with local investors to provide housing for Hamilton’s poor Hamilton— October 14, 2020 — Today, the De Mazenod Door Outreach (DMDO) ministry announces a new housing initiative to help the poor and marginalized in inner-city Hamilton. With the help of local investors,...
After 400 years of living together can we not do better? Why do we know each other so poorly? On September 28, 37-year old Joyce Echaquan, mother of seven, member of Atikamekw First Nation of Manawan, died amidst dehumanizing racist insults in a hospital in...
A personal update from Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI For the past 15 years, I have had both the privilege and the responsibility of being the President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. I stepped down from that position last week, handing the...
Fifty years ago, we watched the birth of the Dene Nation. We were a scrappy bunch of rebels trying to protect what was ours. This is the story of how a great northern people took control of its destiny. At Grandin College, the assembled Dene, Métis,...
After an extended process, Oblate School of Theology has announced the next president of the school. Dr. Scott Woodward began his term as president of the Oblate School of Theology on September 8th, 2020. His official installation will take place on Friday evening, October 23rd. In...
UKRAINE On September 5, the Catholic Church in Ukraine experienced a solemn event – the proclamation of a new sanctuary – The Shrine of Our Lady of Tyvriv and the martyrs for the faith. It was an event that brought great joy for the Oblates of the Delegation as...
Pictured left: Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith greets elder Tony Arcand before celebrating Mass with the Sacred Heart parish community on Sept. 20 (Lincoln Ho, Grandin Media) https://www.facebook.com/sacredheartyeg/videos/246392740029792 Sacred Heart parishioners say they are grateful for the pledge to restore the First Nations church in Edmonton even as...
ANGLO-IRISH We are delighted to present a Virtual Lourdes Pilgrimage beginning Saturday 19th of September to Wednesday 23rd of September. Even though Covid-19 has prevented our pilgrimage from travelling to Lourdes this year, the Oblate Pilgrimage invites you to join with us online. Using the theme “Bringing...
"These I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer...
For at least 70 years, two images of Saint Eugene de Mazenod were apparently lost. In the 1950s, Fr. Józef Pielorz, OMI made an album with all the images of Eugene de Mazenod that he could find. However, he could leave us only two photographs on...
Pictured left: Father Ron MacDonell, a Scarboro missionary from Nova Scotia, writes on a whiteboard in July 2019 as he leads a workshop in St. Ignatius, Guyana. Based in Brazil, the Canadian is a linguist who helps indigenous people in the Amazon region improve their...
Sunday afternoon August 30 a fire spread from a work room behind the sanctuary at Sacred Heart Church of the first Peoples in downtown Edmonton. The building was vacant for an hour when about 2:30 pm a passerby saw flames through the windows and called...
Saga of a Missionary Bishop By Bishop Denis Croteau, OMI The eldest boy of twelve children of a Québec asbestos miner and his wife, a devoted homemaker, Denis Croteau heard God's call to the priesthood at a very early age. After classical studies, an Oblate Novitiate at...
Bro. Harley Mapes, OMI has informed the membership of OMI Lacombe Canada that, as of August 20th , 2020, the purchase of the property at Battleford, SK (now St. Mary’s Residence) was completed by the Mosquito Grizzly Bear’s Head Lean Man First Nation. I hear this...
Pictured left: Deacon Rennie Nahanee (left), who retired from the Archdiocese's First Nations Ministry office this summer, will continue working with the office on a contract basis. Despite recent progress on First Nations and Church reconciliation, there is still a lot to do, he says. ...
Understanding this current change will require a more sophisticated concept of church as people in God and worship as people in God at prayer "Disruptive innovation" is not a common term in theological and liturgical discussions. It comes from Clayton Christensen's 1997 book The Innovator's Dilemma....
The Maritime World The life of sailors or fishermen and their families is very difficult. Sometimes they are victims of forced labor or are left behind in distant ports. The competition of industrial fishing and the problem of pollution make their work even more complicated. Without the people of...
Are we ready to follow the lives of four refugee children fleeing on their own to America from Honduras? I was not prepared to accompany them. This video documentary should not be watched by children not because we see images of violence or sex on...
These courses form part of the Oblate Studies curriculum, consequently the experience of St. Eugene de Mazenod and his charism and tradition will be used to illustrate the class-but always with the invitation to all participants to apply the material to their needs and situations...
Pictured left: (L-R) Fr. Humphrey Milimo, Christopher Streetman, Juan Javier Ruiz, Jan Pawel Szaflarski, Fr. Frank Kuczera A small, Covid-masked crowd gathered at Christ the King Chapel on the grounds of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL on August 17,...
ONE AFTERNOON IN WYOMING, I sat on a hilltop. The wind seemed not only to blow the grasses but also the sunlight itself, sweeping it into my skin, a warm jangle. I was having some downtime in a high place. Having slowed, I could see...
Denver Newsroom, Aug 14, 2020 / 04:00 am MT (CNA).- Last Tuesday, Julie Tegho and her husband Hicham Bou Nassif were enjoying an ordinary day at their local mall in Beirut, Lebanon. Without warning, they felt what seemed like an earthquake, followed by a mighty...
On May 20, 1839, one of our first Oblates died in Vico (island of Corsica) France: Father Dominic Albini, OMI. Vico’s people began to say in the streets “The Saint is dead, the Saint is dead!” In a few hours, everyone in Corsica knew the news, even at...
Pictured left: Rev. Susai Jesu, pastor of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, offers the final blessing July 29 at the conclusion of this year's Lac Ste Anne Pilgrimage. Lincoln Ho, Grandin Media The screens, small and big, will be turned off as...
Pope Francis writes the preface to a new book entitled ‘‘Communion and Hope’’, and encourages everyone to rediscover solidarity amid the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. In a book preface released on Tuesday, Pope Francis reflected on the lessons Christians have learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. “Communion...
[caption id="attachment_11323" align="alignleft" width="201"] Fr. Mark Dean, OMI[/caption] An icon written in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic During the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I painted an icon… The work on this icon began on Holy Thursday, April 9th, 2020. The last brush stroke was made on the...
Harvey Spak is a former Oblate Scholastic who studied in Lebret until 1966 when the Scholasticat du Sacré-Coeur moved from Lebret to St. Norbert. He discontinued with the Oblates after one year in St. Norbert. Afterwards, Harvey explored his roots as a Catholic of the...
I started experiencing my first pandemic in March 2020. While serving seven years in refugee camps and poor countries of the Global South, I never personally knew the ravages of malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, or Ebola. My family was never faced with the frustrating reality of...
A virtual retreat for members of religious communities with Ron Rolheiser, OMI Sponsored by Villa Maria del Mar Retreat Center and the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Habits of the Heart - And the Renewal of our own Religious Lives Monday, July 20 - Friday,...
Pictured left: The grotto structure under development will be ready in the coming days (Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff) A church in Meadow Lake is creating more ways for people to connect with their faith and find peace during the pandemic. Father Douglas Jeffrey, OMI of Our Lady...
Catholics are getting ready to play a role in the post-COVID look at what went wrong in long-term care, but that response is divided between a walk-softly approach and others demanding radical change. Canada has had more than 5,800 long-term care homes hit with COVID-19 outbreaks...
Montreal, June 19, 2020 – George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Chantel Moore, Rodney Levi and Regis Korchinski-Paquet died violent deaths in the past three months in incidents involving police. George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor were members of Black communities in the United...
Rev. Eduardo Vasquez has visited Manila's slums to minister to the poor, and distribute food and face masks. ''It is not enough to rely on faith alone,'' he said. Pictured left: Rev. Eduardo Vasquez and a fellow priest, Rey Amancio, offering prayers for the dead in...
I was at St. Mary's parish in Regina, SK from 1978 to 1984. In the old parish records there was the name of Fr. Augustine Suffa, O.M.I. Recently a story about the 1918 to 1920 Spanish Flu (which killed 50 to 100 million worldwide) mentioned...
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,...
A look at a home for the elderly in Kenya during pandemic Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa balance caution with prevention Pictured left: An elderly man washes his hands with soap to protect against coronavirus infection at the Cheshire Home for the Elderly located in the Kariobangi...
Prayer is a 'fight' with God, pope says at audience VATICAN CITY — True prayer is a "fight" with God in which those who think they are strong are humbled and faced with the reality of their own mortal condition, Pope Francis said. The story of Jacob wrestling...
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,...
It could be a year or longer before churches in Canada can begin welcoming large numbers of worshippers, said a member of the country’s Special Advisory Committee on COVID-19. Dr. Robert Strang said church-goers should expect limitations of 50, maybe a maximum of 100 people in...
Pope Francis this morning spoke of his “great concern” at “the disturbing social unrest” in the United States following “the tragic death of George Floyd,” which he attributed to “the sin of racism.” “We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in...
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...
And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. 'But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. (Lk 1:28-29) Pondering In the world of separation and divorce, one is greeted by much...
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...