Oblate Order Of Mary Immaculate

The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782, who was to be recognized later as a Catholic saint. The congregation was given recognition by Pope Leo XII on February 17, 1826. , the congregation was composed of 3,631 priests and lay brothers usually living in community. Oblate means a person dedicated to God or God's service. Their traditional salutation is ("Praised be Jesus Christ"), to which the response is ("And Mary Immaculate"). Members use the post-nominal letters, "OMI".

As part of its mission to evangelize the "abandoned poor", OMI are known for their mission among the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and their historic administration of at least 57 schools within the Canadian Indian residential school system. Those oblate schools have been associated with many cases of both sexual abuse and missing and dead children.

Foundation

The "Society of Missionaries of Provence" was founded on January 25, 1816, in Aix-en-Provence when Eugene de Mazenod and four companions came together to preach, first with missions in the Provençal dialect, speaking the everyday language of the community.

Born into French nobility in 1782, Eugene de Mazenod fled the French Revolution with his family in 1789. While a child he experienced years of instability, his parents' separation, poverty, and danger. Financial problems resulted in stays at Turin, Venice, and Naples, where they were joined by his uncle, the future Bishop in 1798. Access to nobility persisted, as the family lived with wealthy contacts, including in Palermo, and de Mazenod acquired an education. Returning to France in 1802, he entered the Seminary of St. Sulpice and was ordained in 1811.

The character of de Mazenod's experience during the French Revolution formed his society's goals. Initially established to renew the Roman Catholic Church in France, the society opposed Napoleon's view of the Church, and focused its mission on the masses, believed to have abandoned the Church.

Travelling to Rome in November 1825, de Mazenod sought direct papal approval for his society and was granted two audiences with Pope Leo XII. Bartolomeo Pacca, Cardinal of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy formed a committee of three Cardinals, who voted to approve the institute, rules, and constitutions of the congregation. On February 17, 1826, Pope Leo XII granted approbation of pontifical right to the congregation of the "Missionary Oblates of the Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary" via papal brief. Returning to France in May 1826, de Mazenod stopped first in Turin and began the work of recruitment to his congregation.

Charism

Missionaries first, OMI's decree, confirmed in 1982, is that they are "devoted principally to the evangelization of the poor", and their charism specifically aimed at people "whose condition cries out for salvation".

Rule and constitution

Eugene de Mazenod's initial text of the congregation's rule and constitution as approved by the Vatican has been modified both by himself, and subsequent meetings of the General Chapter.

Religious formation

Initially, those interested in joining the congregation have several meetings with an OMI priest, usually with visits to an Oblate community. Men aged 18 and over meet regularly to share their experiences of God and what God may be calling them to become, and the congregation shares what it is like to be a member. Potential members are encouraged to regularly attend Mass, read the Bible - especially the Gospel, and pray to discern their vocation.

Vows

As members of a religious congregation, Oblates embrace the evangelical counsels, taking three traditional religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Poverty means that all possessions are held in common and that no member may accumulate wealth. Chastity, abstaining from sexual activity, is intended to make the religious totally available for religious service. Additionally, Oblates vow "perseverance until death" as a sign of their commitment to the OMI mission of evangelism.

Postulancy/pre-novitiate

This is a 1-2-year experience of living in an OMI community, sharing in many aspects of the life of the congregation. During this time, the postulants participate in the prayer life of a community, share more deeply with others, and become involved in one or more of the congregation's apostolates. Essentially, it is an extended period of discernment for the postulants and an opportunity for the congregation to assess the strengths of the candidates and possible areas requiring growth. For those straight out of high school it is possible, in some provinces, to begin working on an undergraduate degree.

Novitiate

Next follows the novitiate which is the time for preparing to take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The novices are given the opportunity for longer periods of prayer and spiritual reading as well as silence in order to reflect on the vocation God is offering and nature of their response. The spiritual development of the novice is of particular focus, especially through spiritual direction. During the novitiate, the history and Constitutions of the Congregation are studied in depth. A simple profession is made at the end of the novitiate and the person officially becomes a member of the Congregation.

Post-novitiate/scholasticate

After the novitiate, the new members of the congregation continue their studies. In the Philippines this normally involves a 4-year theology degree, followed by a missionary year abroad, although a student may make a request to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The theologate in the United States is takes place in San Antonio, Texas, at Oblate School of Theology. In Canada, studies are undertaken at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario. Scholastics from four provinces in Southern Africa (Central, Lesotho, Natal, and Northern) study at the congregation's scholasticate in the small town of Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal or at the international scholasticate in Rome.

Vows are renewed annually; after three years a member may request final vows. According to canon law, temporary vows may be renewed for a longer period but not exceeding nine years.

The General Chapter

OMI conducts a General Chapter, or assembly, of its membership every six years. The assembly may take a month. Held in Rome, the assembly is the highest governing body of the OMI outside of the Holy See, and includes capitular fathers and representatives from OMI provinces worldwide. Called by the Superior General, the assembly determines mission strategy, policies and rules, organizational change, consults on emerging topics, and conducts elections of their administration. Crucially, the assembly also discusses spiritual concerns of their religious formation, community, identity, sets contemplative goals, and affirms its charism. 2021 marks the XXXVII (37th) General Chapter.

36th General Chapter

In October 2016, the General Chapter celebrated OMI's 200th year. The assembly focused on its mission and their motto: ''"Evangelizare pauperibus misit me. Pauperes evangelizantur—He has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor. The poor have received the Good News."'' Incumbent Superior General, Louie Lougen was re-elected to his post, as was incumbent Vicar General Paolo Archiati.

Missions

Pope Pius XI (1857-1939) was so impressed by the courage of the Oblates that he referred to them as "specialists in the most difficult missions of the Church." The Oblates declare:

We fulfil our task in healing the world by understanding its evolutionary character, by critically engaging its contemporary spirit, and by meeting its new needs in new ways.
We seek out and immerse ourselves in the lives of the most abandoned in their many faces and voices, and struggle with those most affected by conflicts.
With Gospel values we dialogue with peoples of different cultures, faiths, and religions, in the search for an integral transformation of society; we work with others to safeguard human dignity, nurture family, foster harmony, promote a culture of peace, and respond to the calls of justice and integrity of creation.

The Oblates work in parishes, Catholic schools, retreat centres, and among Indigenous peoples, emphasizing issues of justice and peace. The Oblates are active worldwide. They maintain a presence at a number of shrines to the Virgin Mary including Lourdes, Our Lady of Snows, in Belleville, Illinois, Notre-Dame de Pontmain, France, and in Loreto, Italy.

In the UK and Ireland, the Oblates work through parishes and Centres of Mission in London, Edinburgh, Anglesey and Dublin.

Marian shrines

The ancient sanctuary of St. Martin of Tours was re-excavated and revived by Oblate Fathers under Cardinal Joseph-Hippolyte Guibert in 1862.

Canadian mission

OMI's Canadian presence is currently administered in three geographic "provinces": Notre-Dame-du-Cap (French), housed at Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Lacombe (English), with offices in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Dominican University College in Ottawa, Ontario, and Assumption (Polish), based in Toronto, Ontario. Lacombe also administers OMI's missions to Kenya. As of July 2019, there were 282 Oblate priests working in Canada.

Establishment and early growth (1841-1883)

In 1841, at the request of Bishop Ignace Bourget, OMI sent its first missionaries to Canada. Arriving first at St-Hilaire in Montérégie, the Oblates then settled in Montreal and Bytown (Ottawa). The Oblates began in parish missions and later, moved to parishes in poor areas. The Oblates expanded to Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Moose Factory, and Fort Albany in James Bay. In 1845, at the request of the Bishop of Saint Boniface, Norbert Provencher, the Oblates went to Red River Colony, Manitoba. This was the beginning of their missions of Western and Northern Canada.

=Alexandre-Antonin Taché

=
Arriving at the Métis Red River Colony in a birch bark canoe in 1845, Oblate Alexandre-Antonin Taché (1823-1894) was ordained by Bishop Provencher. Taché was elevated to Bishop of Saint Boniface in 1854, a year after Provencher's death. In 1857, Taché selected 13-year-old Louis Riel as a candidate for the priesthood and sent him to study at College de Montreal. After Riel returned in 1857, he became increasingly involved in Métis leadership and led the Red River Rebellion. Taché acted as intermediary between Riel's provisional government and Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's Cabinet and then worked to establish the terms of the ''Manitoba Act'' of 1870, which would join the colony to Canada. After the failure of rebellion, Taché unsuccessfully advocated for Riel's amnesty.

=The Indian Act

=
In 1876, Canada established the ''Indian Act''. To fulfill various treaty obligations to provide education to Indigenous peoples, the Act provided for Indigenous education at day schools built on reserves.

Oblate Vital-Justin Grandin, Bishop of St. Albert advocated for Indigenous children "to become civilized" through residential schools. In 1880, he wrote to Public Works Minister Hector-Louis Langevin, explaining that boarding schools were best to make Indigenous children "forget the customs, habits & language of their ancestors".

Residential school administration (1884-1990)

In 1884, the ''Indian Act'' was amended to allow the Governor in Council to "make regulations ommittingchildren of Indian blood under the age of sixteen years, to such industrial school or boarding school, there to be kept, cared for and educated ntil ageeighteen". The Act was further amended via ''The Indian Advancement Act, 1884'', establishing that the denomination of teachers at reserve schools was determined by the dominant religion already present, but with provision for minority denominations to have a separate school with permission of the Governor in Council. This allowed for churches to establish schools, not based on existing denominational presence, but to fulfil missionary work.

A primary operator of Canadian Indian residential schools, the OMI maintained at least 57 (41%) of 139 total schools funded by the Government of Canada, including Atlantic Canada's only residential school, the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School.

In 1887, missionary physician, Nicolas Coccola, arrived at the site of the Jesuit mission to the Kootenay of British Columbia and established a residential school (1890) and silver mine (1895).

To facilitate their mission, after his installation as Titular bishop of Ibora

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