The Oblate Charism, then and now

A fire lit once does not survive by accident. It lasts only if someone carries it, protects it, and dares to pass it on.

#ConnectedToTheCharism

That quiet truth sits at the heart of #ConnectedToTheCharism, a new video series that reflects on how the Oblate charism, born two centuries ago, continues to shape lives today. The question is simple and demanding at the same time: how does something ignited long ago remain alive in a world that looks nothing like the one that first received it?

A Charism That Lives in People

This series offers an answer through ten personal testimonies. Rather than explaining the charism in abstract terms, the videos let people speak about how it has taken root in their own lives. These are not historical reflections or commemorative speeches. They are stories of ordinary men and women who have discovered that the charism is not something remembered from the past, but something lived in the present.

Charism is not a relic. It is presence in real places. It is relationship formed over time. It is life transmitted quietly from one person to another, from one generation to the next, often without spectacle, yet with lasting effect.

The Fire That Started It All

Fr. Luis Ignacio ROIS ALONSO, OMI, Superior General, points to the source of this ongoing fire. Two hundred years ago, the Founder wrote a Preface to express what burned in his heart, the fire, the passion, the charism. After two centuries, it remains the only text of the Constitutions and Rules that has never changed. Through this text, the Founder passed on his fire to others, to us, and today we bring it to life.

Those words were never meant to sit untouched. They were meant to be received, lived, and handed on. What began as a deeply personal conviction became a shared mission, one that continues to find new expressions across cultures, generations, and vocations.

Witnesses of a Living Tradition

In the coming videos, viewers will hear voices that testify to how this same fire continues to guide decisions, relationships, and commitments today. These testimonies show a charism that still burns, still challenges, and still sends people outward in service.

Together, they reveal a tradition that remains faithful without standing still. The fire endures because it is shared.

Stay connected. The journey is already unfolding.

Published on the OMI World website