OMI – News

[caption id="attachment_16944" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Fr. Andrzej Stendzina, OMI[/caption] On January 31, 2025, the Superior General with the unanimous  consent of the Council,  appointed Fr. Andrzej STENDZINA, OMI   as Superior, OMI Lacombe Canada Province for the first term of three years. Click HERE for short bio of Fr. Andrzej Stendzina, OMI. Published on the OMI...

On Sunday, February 2, the Church celebrated the 29th World Day of Consecrated Life. This year’s theme, set within the context of the Jubilee Year, carried a distinctly missionary emphasis: “Pilgrims of Hope, on the way to Peace.” This is precisely the vocation of consecrated...

Download job description here: ENGLISH / FRENCH The Oblate Conference of the Canada-US Region (CROCUS) is seeking to fill the position of Executive Secretary. This bilingual (English/French) role may appeal to individuals familiar with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (or, more generally, with Catholic religious life)...

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE: ENGLISH / FRANÇAIS TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG, December 3, 2024 – The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and the Oblates of OMI Lacombe Canada (the Oblates) have signed a supplemental agreement to accelerate access to personnel files of Oblate members who worked...

On November 2nd, I, along with Bishop Martin Laliberté, P.M.E., of Trois-Rivières, participated in a purification and reconciliation ceremony in Wemotaci. As many will have seen on Radio-Canada, one of our confreres was convicted for sexual abuse committed against minors in the basement of the...

What does Jubilee mean to the ordinary person? The Bible and our Church tradition describe it as a special year, a holy time of forgiveness, a moment of grace, liberation, a period of respite and thanksgiving, a celebration. At its heart, Jubilee invites us into...

Two things are uppermost on my mind at this time: the conclusion of the second session of the Synod on Synodality and, the end of the month dedicated to mission in the Church. On Sunday, October 27, the Holy Father presided over the Eucharistic celebration marking...

“In these eight days that follow I imagined that Juan is in his spiritual exercises, as was in his plan”. So Thelma consoled herself as she walked thoughtfully with her daughters Claudia and Julia behind her husband’s coffin in the parsimonious funeral march in the...

October is approaching, a month known as Missionary Month because World Mission Sunday is celebrated in many places. This special day unites Catholics around the world in prayer, solidarity, and support for the Church’s missionary efforts. This year, Pope Francis invites us to reflect on...

Joint Session of the Central Government and the Canada-US Region Day 5 - Friday, July 12 Today, CROCUS 2024 Joint Session participants rolled up their sleeves and plunged into the final stages of the discernment process, sharpening their shared vision for the region’s renewal. With determination and...

Missionary zeal and closeness to the poor remain as the burning heart of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the order of priests and brothers who founded the Archdiocese of Edmonton and were essential to the evangelization of the Canadian West. Between May 13-17, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate...

Today, on the feast of Saint Joseph, the worker, the Catholic Church celebrates, Religious Brothers Day. The day offers an opportunity to celebrate the gift of religious brotherhood to the church and the world and to give thanks for the Oblate brothers in our lives. With...

David Perrin's newest book, Studying Christian Spirituality, 2nd edition, has just been published by Routledge Publishing. It proposes a framework to discover how spirituality – both as a faith-based reality as well as a secular one – can be understood beyond the conventional boundaries that...

Enhancing our previous app, we’ve developed a more powerful and feature-packed platform to better engage with you, our community! Here’s what you can look forward to: NEWS: Keep up-to-date with the latest developments and announcements through our dedicated news feed. COR-UNUM: Read insightful weekly reflections directly from...

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) warmly invites the Catholic faithful to celebrate National Family and Life Week 2024 (NFLW), which will take place from 13 – 19 May 2024. This year’s theme, “Love hopes all things,” is inspired by the words of Saint Paul, the Apostle: “[Love]...

People would really wake up early to join the procession and  the “salubong” in a designated place usually  a crossroad. The place is already jampacked with people. The images will come from both ends of the road slowly approaching one another and  once the images...

TÉLÉCHARGEZ VERSION FRANÇAISE Following a commitment to independently review the congregation’s response to historical allegations of sexual abuse against Joannès Rivoire in present-day Nunavut, including the circumstances under which he left Canada, OMI Lacombe Canada and the Oblates of the Province of France (the “Oblates”) appointed...

Kateri Native Ministry is offering an opportunity for your parish to experience the KAIROS Blanket Exercise (KBE). This 2- 3-hour session is an experiential way to understand our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. It includes a talking circle so we can...

One thing the season of Lent reminds us of is the reality of pain and suffering. Christ went through pain to attain our healing and redemption. Amid this Lent in 2024, there is so much needless pain in the world. As pilgrims of hope in...

[vc_video link='https://youtu.be/dfkh0jaGg5Y'] At the Sunday Angelus appointment, Pope Francis says our Lenten journey beacons us to build a greater sense of home with God by strengthening our relationship through prayer, trust, and intimacy, while also building fellowship and fraternity with our brothers and sisters. Addressing visitors and...

In his homily on February 2, Pope Francis said: “By welcoming the Lord, the past opens up to the future, the old in us opens up to the new that he awakens. This is not easy, we know this, because, in religious life as in...

Greetings from the Central Government as we commemorate the 208 years of the First Community of the Congregation. On January 25, 1816, the day the Church celebrates the conversion of Saint Paul, marks the beginning of our missionary family in Aix. As our history narrates, Eugene...

Looking back at 2023, there are many reasons to feel despondent: the violent wars between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, the number of migrants who continue to die as their attempt to get to a...

Pope Francis emphasises the importance of vigilance at his Sunday Angelus, highlighting this does not mean living in fear, but rather waiting in loving anticipation of Jesus' arrival. [vc_video link='https://youtu.be/d12Bja8myWY'] In his catechesis for the first Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis focused on the theme of vigilance. He...

[vc_video link='https://youtu.be/G9LzGQpxMj0'] Around 300 people live in the Kenyan village of Amboseli and are facing great hardship due to problems caused by climate change. A team of young economists, nutritionists, doctors and educators from the Economy of Francesco has brought them assistance so they can improve...

This visit will be an opportunity to meet his confrères and their communities. To welcome the Superior General, the Provincial Council of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Saint Paul University are organizing two days filled with meetings and activities to strengthen the relationship between...

Last week's release of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, “Laudate Deum” has been received by The Ecclesial Networks Alliance for Integral Ecology (ENA) “as a most positive encouragement for ENA’s mandate and ministry,” said ENA Convenor, Father Rigobert Minani Bihuzo. The Ecclesial Networks Alliance for Integral Ecology...

Pictured left: Canadian delegates to the International Conference on Catholic Indigenous Ministry in Washington, DC. Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen, left, and Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith, right, went on to the Canadian bishops' plenary assembly afterward. (Submitted photos) Canada’s bishops are restructuring their Indigenous Council to include...

Jeannie Marie-Newell of Fort Smith, NWT, said sheltering out of the region for over two weeks has begun to “take a toll” on wildfire evacuees. “Initially, it was surreal and scary, but I was not mentally prepared,” said Marie-Newell, who served as the first female speaker...

Fr. Ismael, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate from the Mediterranean Province, recently participated in the World Youth Day activities in Lisbon. The Experience provoked in him some deep reflection, here he shares with us his reflections on this unforgettable experience. 32 years ago, I was fortunate...

I wrote my doctoral thesis on the value of various philosophical arguments that try to prove the existence of God. Can there be such a proof? Brilliant philosophers, from Anselm, through Aquinas, through Descartes, through contemporary intellectuals like Charles Hartshorne, submit that the existence of...

2023 Theme: Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind Global crises, conflicts, and the climate emergency are escalating trafficking risks. Displacement and socio-economic inequalities are impacting millions of people worldwide, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers. Those who lack legal status, live in...

Jubilee Year The Oblate Delegation of Bangladesh inaugurated their Golden Jubilee year of the Oblate presence in the country on July 29, 2022, in Lokhipur Parish. The first Oblates arrived in the country on July 29, 1973. Oblates are currently serving in four dioceses in Bangladesh:...

Stefano Dominici: During the April-May 2023 Plenary Session, the Superior General, Fr. Luis Ignacio ROIS ALONSO received the consent of his Council to establish in the congregation the position of Coordinator of Lay Associates and Associations. Father General has appointed Mr. Stefano Dominici, a lay associate from Italy, as...

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE Twenty years ago, the Québec National Assembly unanimously adopted the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion. Today, Québec society is still marked by significant socio-economic inequalities. These inequalities have even increased since the law came into force in March 2003. The Church of...

UKRAINE During a special meeting of the Kyiv Province State Administration (Kyiv Military Administration), honorary certificates were awarded to representatives of churches and religious associations involved in humanitarian aid and educational activities during the hostilities caused by the aggression of the Russia against Ukraine. Among the...

With the Vatican repudiating the so-called "Doctrine of Discovery", another step has been taken toward reconciliation. These are good steps, but more is needed, say former Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine and Wolastoquey elder Graydon Nicholas. The Vatican statement shows it has set...

Translation: FRANÇAIS - ESPAÑOL 1. In fidelity to the mandate received from Christ, the Catholic Church strives to promote universal fraternity and respect for the dignity of every human being. 2. For this reason, in the course of history the Popes have condemned acts of violence, oppression,...

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (“CCCB”) is grateful that the Dicastery for Culture and Education and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development have issued a Joint Statement addressing the concept of the “Doctrine of Discovery,” including the question of certain papal bulls of...

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION The General Formation Committee (GFC) consists of Fr. Asodo Henricus, OMI, Assistant General, Fr. Frank Kuczera, OMI, for Canada – US Region, Fr. Edward Terreros Inga, OMI, for Latin America Region, Fr. Sebastian Luszczki, OMI, for Europe Region, Fr. Gabriel Pathou Matakumba, OMI, for...

Greetings and welcome to the inaugural edition of ORCIE Offerings, from the Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology, where Catholic religious congregations are collaboratively increasing impact on policy change towards social and ecological justice. To read this inaugural edition of ORCIE Offerings, click on this...

Watch the interview with Fr. Cornelius Ngoka, OMI, the former Assistant General for Formation from 2010 to 2022. 00:00 – Introduction 00:36 – Who is an Assistant General 01:27 – Your vocation story? 03:03 – What was the positive influence those great Oblate personalities had in your life? 04:00 – What was your experience as...

Fr. Frank Santucci, OMI, Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies, Oblate School of Theology From Ash Wednesday until Good Friday, St. Eugene Speaks will provide daily reflections for your Lenten spiritual journey. Visit www.eugenedemazenod.net or subscribe to receive reflections by e-mail by writing to oblatestudies@ost.edu The reflections are...

We live in a world of deep divisions. Everywhere we see polarization, people bitterly divided from each other by ideology, politics, economic theory, moral beliefs, and theology. We tend to use over-simplistic categories within which to understand these divisions: the left and the right opposing...

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE Dear brother Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Dear brothers and sisters of the Mazenodian Family, Peace and grace to you all. The 37th General Chapter of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a grace and a blessing for the entire Congregation. The 79 capitulars representing...

[vc_video link='https://youtu.be/VGlJRrThm78'] We pray that educators may be credible witnesses, teaching fraternity rather than confrontation and helping the youngest and most vulnerable above all. Pope Francis – January 2023 I would like to propose that educators add new content to their teaching: fraternity. Education is an act of love...

The Superior General of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, visited the Delegation of Ukraine from the 3rd to the 9th of December 2022. Accompanied by the Provincial of Poland, Fr. Paweł ZAJĄC, and the superior of the Ukraine Delegation, Fr. Vitaly Podolyana,...

Catholics, young and old, filling the pews with anticipatory energy. Choirs warming hearts and minds with joyful melodies. Parishioners joining together to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. These and other cherished images, sounds and moments from the traditional in-person Christmas Eve and Day liturgies were either stripped down...

WITH MARY, MISSIONARY PILGRIMS OF HOPE IN COMMUNION DOWNLOAD LETTER TÉLÉCHARGER LA LETTRE DESCARGAR LA CARTA Dear brother Oblates and all brothers and sisters of our charismatic family. Today we greet Mary, “blessed among women”, as we contemplate the miracle of God’s mercy in the mystery of her Immaculate Conception....

UNITED STATES Written by Robert Ellsberg, from the “Blessed Among Us” feature in the November 2022 issue of Give Us This Day www.giveusthisday.org (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2022).  Used with permission. (EDITOR’S NOTE: This November is the 150th anniversary of the disappearance and death of Fr. Pierre (Pedrito) Keralum...

Pictured left: The Holy Father Francis and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew. Photo: Vatican Media An agreement on the celebration of Jesus' Resurrection would be one of the most important moments of the 2025 Jubilee. (ZENIT News / Constantinople (Istanbul), 15.11.2022).- In an interview with a Turkish...

Father Louis Lougen OMI returns to his home province. Father Louis Lougen, OMI, former Superior General, said goodbye to the Generalate in Rome. He held the office in 2010-2022. After the election of Father Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso OMI as general, the former Superior General returns to his home Province...

[vc_video link='https://youtu.be/MafPVv25rBs'] We pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection. Pope Francis – November 2022 There are still millions of boys and girls who suffer...

Does the earth feel pain? Can it groan and cry out to God? Can the earth curse us for our crimes? It would seem so, and not just because ecologists, moralists, and Pope Francis are saying so. Scripture itself seems to say so. There are some very...

How the Church became truly global Pictured left: Mass in Kuru, Nigeria (Friedrich Stark, Alamy Stock Photo) Quick: Name the countries with the most baptized Catholics. You might guess Brazil (172.2 million) or the United States (72.3 million). You might miss Mexico (110.9 million) and the Philippines...

[vc_video link='https://youtu.be/sO0BhMphBtM'] We pray for small and medium-sized businesses; in the midst of economic and social crisis, may they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities. Pope Francis – August 2022 As a consequence of the pandemic and the wars, the world is facing a grave...

25 juillet 2022, OTTAWA - Réagissant à l'arrivée du Pape François sur le sol canadien hier matin, le Père Ken Thorson et le Père Luc Tardif, Provinciaux Oblats des deux provinces qui ont géré 48 pensionnats autochtones, ont publié la déclaration suivante au nom des...

OBLATE COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE IT’S HERE! The General Service of Oblate Communications is proud to announce our new website dedicated for the 37th General Chapter. www.omiworld.org/general-chapter/ The website showcases the desire of the Pre-Chapter commission to get the whole Congregation, excited, informed and involved in the preparation for the 37th General Chapter. The website...

On December 13, 2021, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary received long-awaited GOOD NEWS! Pope Francis recognized the miraculous healing of Angel Marie Degamo, from the Philippines, obtained through the intercession of Marie Rivier. The Foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Mother Marie...

The Red River Metis went to Rome looking for the restoration of their communities, their culture and their churches. “From our side, we’re not looking for money,” Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand told The Catholic Register as he visited a cemetery for Canadian soldiers outside of Rome...

After cancellation (or postponement) in both 2020 and 2021, the Convocation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate of the United States Province finally took place on April 18-20, 2022. But the format of the Convocation was much different from the one postponed because of...

O, What a beginning, and what an end? Thanks be to God! Despite working closely with his grace Archbishop Richard Smith at various levels and through many meetings with Indigenous peoples, I never expected that I would be part of the larger delegation going to Rome to...

[vc_video link='https://youtu.be/bVFw4h3MCMc'] Let us pray this month for health care workers. The pandemic has shown us the self-giving and generosity of health care workers, volunteers, support staff, priests, and religious men and women. But the pandemic has also exposed the fact that not everyone has access to a...

JOINT STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 22, 2022 DOWNLOAD PDF VERSION HERE TÉLÉCHARGEZ PDF ICI In advance of the historic delegation of Indigenous Peoples to the Holy See, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate are continuing efforts to ensure all...

Dear Oblate JPIC coordinators and animators, Receive our greetings in Jesus and Mary Immaculate, hoping that everything is moving ahead well in your pastoral work in this time of much challenge and hope. We come once again to reaffirm our support for your missionary efforts in favor...

The Letter of Superior General to the Congregation on the Anniversary of the Papal Approval of the Constitutions and Rules DOWNLOAD PDF - ENGLISH / FRENCH Dear Brother Oblates, and all our Sisters and Brothers committed to living the Oblate Charism, We celebrate with great joy and gratitude...

In recent years, there has been a noticeable growth and interest in the charism, spirituality, and mission of the Oblates. The Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies is, therefore, responding to this by providing the opportunity to study some of these aspects in greater depth. If you...

What’s still unfinished in your life? Well, there’s always a lot that’s unfinished in everyone’s life. Nothing is ever really finished. Our lives, it seems, are simply interrupted by our dying. Most of us don’t complete our lives, we just run out of time. So, consciously...

Indonesia - Triennium 40th Anniversary of 'Wisma de Mazenod' Oblate Scholasticate Celebrating its 40th anniversary of the Oblate Scholasticate of the Province of Indonesia has been doing a Triennium Program since the year 2019 with so many activities. [caption id="attachment_13919" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Wisma De Mazenod Oblate Scholasticate,...

Norah McMahon a parishioner of St. Joseph’s, an Oblate parish in Ottawa, initiated an effort there to surround the upcoming COP26 meetings (Oct. 31-Nov. 12) in Glasgow, with prayer. Norah’s vision – is that we each in our own way pray in union with earth for...

October: Missionary Disciples We pray that every baptized person may be engaged in evangelization, available to the mission, by being witnesses of a life that has the flavour of the Gospel. Pope Francis – October 2021 Jesus asks us all, and you as well, to be missionary disciples....

Leaving Nothing Undared with St. Eugene de Mazenod A four-part enrichment series focused on the life, spirituality, and mission of St. Eugene de Mazenod, founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who also inspired the formation of a charism family of laity around the world. The...

On September 1,  Martin Luther University’s Centre for Public Ethics, the Baha’i Community of Canada, Citizens for Public Justice and Centre Oblat – A Voice for Justice, sponsored the event, A Faithful Election Conversation 2021.  It was a thoughtful exchange between representatives of Canada’s four major...

  A home for all? Renewing the Oikos of God  The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration of prayer and action for our common home. Together, the ecumenical family around the world unites to pray, protect, and advocate for God’s creation. During the 2021 Season of...

At 8:29 a.m. on Saturday, August 14, 2021, a powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula, about 150 kilometres west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Much of the damage occurred in the towns of Jérémie and Les Cayes. The force of the earthquake was felt...

HAITI Dear Oblates and friends, As you have certainly heard in the news, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck Haiti this morning at 8:30 AM. Several hundreds of people have been reported dead and missing. A lot of material damage have been reported. The epicenter was...