“You are the children of God…the cherished…let your eyes look inward and see…There, within you…a soul created in the image of God…more precious before God than all the riches of the world…recognize your dignity…”

This Good News was preached in word and action by St. Eugene de Mazenod. In the years immediately following the French Revolution, he founded a religious order of priests and brothers, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).

 It was a time when society was turned upside down and everything seemed to be  falling apart, including the Church.

As a child, violence forced Eugene and his family to flee their homeland and live as refugees. When they later returned home, nothing was the same.

Amid all the uncertainties and changes, he searched for something to give hope and purpose to his life

Eugene turned to prayer, sharing his emptiness with God. Gazing at the crucifix, he felt called to bring the Good News of God’s love to the most abandoned.

As Bishop of Marseilles, he sought out the poor in their neighborhoods or workplaces, assisting them with spiritual, social and material help.

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Today, in more than 70 countries, Oblates reach out to the most abandoned: in orphanages in Brazil, in hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa, in medical and dental clinics in Mexico and among recent immigrants in the USA – healing, teaching and bringing hope.

WHO ARE THE OBLATE ASSOCIATES?

OBLATE ASSOCIATES, like the Oblates themselves, FEEL CALLED TO MINISTER DIRECTLY WITH THE POOR. This form of Oblate ministry began in the wake of Conciliar renewal in response to the growing awareness that through Baptism we are ALL church and called to serve.

Oblate Associates are lay, religious and ordained, who witness God’s love in their daily lives. They may have technical, professional or pastoral vocations which reach the poor or they may have only an hour or two a week to volunteer in a shelter or a soup kitchen.

Associate groups are growing – presently the are in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington, DC

WHAT DISTINGUISHES OBLATE ASSOCIATES FROM OTHERS WHO DO SIMILAR WORK?

Oblate Associates infuse their mission with the special calling, or charism, of St. Eugene de Mazenod. They work not only to improve the condition of the poor on this earth, but also to make them aware of the Good News that they are Children of God.

Associates love their families and sacrifice themselves for them. They love their work and accomplish it with the greatest possible joy. They willingly respond to the demands of social life, while deep in their hearts, they live “no longer for themselves but for him who died and was raised to life for them,” (2 Cor. 5,14)

Missionary Oblates and Oblate Associates support and reinforce each other’s efforts and find new opportunities for service.

“Wherever we work, our mission is especially to the poor with their many faces that cry out for the hope that only Jesus Christ can fully bring.”

Oblate spirituality is Christian spirituality, nurtured by the Church and firmly rooted in the Gospel. Committed to the following of Jesus, Associates look upon the world and are touched by it. We do this with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother.