Going Forth: Seeing the Congregation with Our Own Eyes
After the 200th anniversary celebrations for the approval of the Constitution and Rules, most members of the General Administration turned their attention outward to mission. They are setting out to attend regional assemblies and meetings of general committees and hold consultations for provincials and their councils.
During the Plenary Sessions, the General Administration worked together to listen to the Holy Spirit and to the Oblates of the Congregation. We sought to discern His guidance and the path He is calling us to follow.
St. Eugene used to remind us of two rhythms of missionary life:
✓ “Six months within” (Intimacy): This is the time for prayer and community. The missionary returns home to strengthen his faith, pursue study, and live in charity with his brothers. It is time to mend the nets.
✓ “Six months going forth” (Mission): This is the time for direct apostolic work. The missionary goes to the margins of society, to the poorest and most forgotten places, to preach the Gospel with the same fire he carried out of retreat.
Today, I feel that our outward mission as the General Administration means:
- Going forth: Reaching out to Oblate units in their daily reality, sharing their challenges, their opportunities, and their struggles. We try to reach even the most distant places, especially those marked by conflict and quiet daily self-giving.
- Taking the lead: Our work among the poor inspires and moves us. We take the first step toward drawing closer to those who have grown distant from the faith or who carry the weight of suffering. This is our way of serving.
- Accompanying: Being present to the processes of Oblate units with patience and joy. We are called to encourage, walk alongside, and discern together the processes of restructuring.
- Family spirit: As Pope Leo XIV reminded us during our audience in the Clementine Hall, family spirit is a defining mark of our spirituality. What is beautiful is that we encounter it everywhere Oblates are present. It is at the heart of our charism.
This Lent has drawn us outward, touching the mission of the Congregation in new and different ways. As Oblates, we know that mission is not optional. It is the identity of the Church, and it is our own identity as well.
I close with the words of Pope Francis: “I prefer a church that is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has gone out into the streets rather than one that is unhealthy because it stays inside and holds on to its own safety.”
As we move forward together as one missionary family, I wish you a blessed journey toward Easter, wherever you are.
By Jorge Albergati, OMI – General Councillor for Latin America
Published on the OMI World website
