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The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
: ''Oblati Sancti Francisci Salesii'', O.S.F.S.) are a congregation of
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
priests and brothers who follow the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. The community was founded in Troyes, France in 1875 by
Louis Brisson Louis Brisson, OSFS (23 June 1817 – 2 February 1908) was a French Roman Catholic priest and the founder of both the Oblate Sisters of Saint Francis de Sales and the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales. He founded the female branch alongside Lé ...
and are affiliated with the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales.


History


Foundation

An order of cloistered nuns, the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, was founded by
Francis de Sales Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to ...
at the request of
Jane Frances de Chantal Jane Frances de Chantal, VHM (born Jeanne-Françoise Frémyot, Baronness of Chantal; 28 January 1572 – 13 December 1641) was a French Catholic noble widow and nun who was beatified in 1751 and canonized in 1767. She founded the Order of the Vis ...
in 1610. The establishment of an Oratory at
Thonon Thonon-les-Bains (; frp, Tonon), often simply referred to as Thonon, is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 35,241. Thonon-les-Bains is ...
, where Francis served as the first Provost, was a preparatory step toward carrying out his design, the accomplishment of which was prevented by his death. With Chantal's encouragement and assistance, Raymond Bonal of Adge, in France, carried out his plan, but this congregation died out at the beginning of the 18th century. Two hundred years later it was revived by Mother
Marie de Sales Chappuis Marie de Sales Chappuis, VHM (16 June 1793 in Soyhières, Canton of Bern (now Jura), Switzerland – 7 October 1875 in Troyes, Aube, France) was a Catholic nun and a spiritual leader in the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. She also co ...
(died 7 October 1875) and Abbé
Louis Brisson Louis Brisson, OSFS (23 June 1817 – 2 February 1908) was a French Roman Catholic priest and the founder of both the Oblate Sisters of Saint Francis de Sales and the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales. He founded the female branch alongside Lé ...
, a professor in the Seminary of
Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near ...
. In 1869, Fr Brisson established Saint Bernard Collège, near Troyes. In September 1871, Fr Gilbert (died 10 November 1909) joined him and Emmanuel-Jules Ravinet, Bishop of Troyes, received them and four companions into the
novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
.
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
temporarily approved their constitutions on 21 December 1875. The first
vows A vow ( Lat. ''votum'', vow, promise; see vote) is a promise or oath. A vow is used as a promise, a promise solemn rather than casual. Marriage vows Marriage vows are binding promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a weddin ...
were made 27 August 1876. The definitive approbation of their constitution was given on 8 December 1897.


Development

The congregation gradually developed in France. It numbered seven colleges and five other educational houses when the Government closed them all, 31 July 1903. The founder retired to Plancy where he died 2 February 1908. The Generalate was transferred to Rome, and in 1909, the church of Sts. Celsus and Julian in was entrusted to them. Oblate refers to persons, especially in the Middle Ages, who offered themselves and their property to a monastery.


Today

The members of this religious order are of two states,
clerics Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the te ...
and
lay brother Lay brother is a largely extinct term referring to religious brothers, particularly in the Catholic Church, who focused upon manual service and secular matters, and were distinguished from choir monks or friars in that they did not pray in choir, ...
s. Today the Oblates are located throughout the world, in Holland, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy, India, South Africa, Namibia, Benin, Ivory Coast, Uruguay, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Haiti and the United States. The Generalate is located in Rome. The order is governed by a
superior general A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of a religious institute in the Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations. The superior general usually holds supreme executive authority in the religious community, while t ...
elected every six years; and four counsellors general elected by the
general chapter A chapter ( la, capitulum or ') is one of several bodies of clergy in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Nordic Lutheran churches or their gatherings. Name The name derives from the habit of convening monks or canons for the re ...
. Each province is administered by a provincial superior, appointed by the superior general and his council for four years. He is assisted by three counsellors elected at each provincial chapter, which meets every four years, at an interval of six years between the regular general chapters.


Apostolate

Oblates engage in a wide variety of areas of service. Oblates are apostolates of education, parish work and foreign missions. They also work as teachers at religious and secular colleges and missionary areas as well as serving in military, campus, hospital, and convent chaplaincies and in inner-city social work.


Formation

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales offer an Associate Program, designed to help young men discern a possible call to religious life and priesthood during their college years. The Postulate period lasts for a year, during which the candidate with and participates in the life of an Oblate community, in order to smooth the transition from his present lifestyle to Oblate community living. The one-year Novitiate is taken up with studies, particularly Salesian spirituality. For the first three years following first vows, Oblate renew their vows annually, and then profess perpetual vows. Generally, a Ministerial Internship takes place after the novitiate. Candidates for ordination pursue further studies in academic, professional and pastoral education. In the early 20th century they had the following membership: In
Walmer Walmer is a town in the district of Dover, Kent, in England. Located on the coast, the parish of Walmer is south-east of Sandwich, Kent. Largely residential, its coastline and castle attract many visitors. It has a population of 6,693 (2001), i ...
(Kent, England) they operated a
boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...
for boys, the chaplaincy of the Visitation Convent and Academy of Roselands and a small parish in
Faversham Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2, which follows an ancient Briti ...
. To this province belonged the Apostolic Vicariate of Orange River.


Oblates in Africa

When the Vicar Apostolic of Cape of Good Hope, Bishop John Leonard, heard that the Society of African Missions of Lyons had decided to recall its subjects from Namaqualand and the North Western Cape, he made a trip to Europe in 1880 in hopes of finding a Congregation willing to assume the responsibility of evangelizing these districts. In 1881 Fr. Brisson spoke with Pope Leo XIII and accepted a foreign mission to South Africa which put the governance of the Oblates under the Pope through the Propagation of the Faith.OSFS North American Provinces
/ref> Fr. Brisson sent five missionary priests in 1882, to fulfill Bishop Leonard's request.
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
Missions were founded in
Pella Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. On site of the ancient cit ...
in 1882, Matjieskloof in 1885, Nababeep in 1900, O'kiep in 1904, and
Port Nolloth Port Nolloth is a town and small domestic seaport in the Namaqualand region on the northwestern coast of South Africa, northwest of Springbok. It is the seat of the Richtersveld Local Municipality. The port was previously a transshipment point ...
in 1904.
Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
Missions were founded in Heirachabies in 1896, Warmbad in 1907, and Gabis in 1907.


Oblates in North America

In 1893, the first Oblates priest arrived in the United States to serve as chaplain for the
Sisters of the Divine Compassion The Sisters of the Divine Compassion (also known as Religious of Divine Compassion (RDC)) are a Roman Catholic religious institute founded in New York City in 1886 by Mother Mary Veronica (formerly Mary Dannat Starr), Thomas Scott Preston, Msgr. Tho ...
, a religious community founded in 1886 in the Archdiocese of New York by Mary Dannat Starr and Monsignor Thomas S. Preston. In 1903, the first English speaking province was established in
Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Unami language, Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North ...
, as was Salesianum School, a high school for boys. After early years of modest expansion, the American Province flourished during the 1940s and 1950s with many vocations from schools it conducted in the Wilmington,
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, Toledo,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, and
Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and named after the fame ...
, areas. DeSales Spirituality Services is a web based ministry of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province offering resources in spirituality.The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
/ref> As of 2017, there were 145 priests, brothers and seminarians in the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province. In 1966, the American Province was split into the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province, which encompassed the eastern and southern states, and the Toledo-Detroit Province, which encompassed the central and western states.


Child Abuse

''McCartney v. Oblates of St. Francis De Sales'' was a court case appealed to the Ohio Court of Appeals in which a former teacher at St. Francis de Sales School in Toledo, Ohio sued the principal and a student advisor for slander. In 1983, the teacher was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor by providing alcohol to one of his students. Although his contract was subsequently not renewed, the teacher, a former yearbook advisor, remained in touch with the yearbook staff. On a subsequent yearbook "overnight", it was reported to the faculty advisor that his predecessor had been seen drinking beer in the school parking lot with two students and that they subsequently left the premises. The faculty adviser conveyed this information to the students' parents, along with information regarding the previous conviction. The former teacher sued the school for slander. The lower court found in favor of the school and the appellate affirmed court. In 2015, James Roth, an Oblate priest, admitted that he perpetrated child sexual abuse in Ohio.


Wilmington/Philadelphia Province

*
Bishop Ireton High School Bishop Ireton High School is a Roman Catholic high school located in Alexandria, Virginia, less than one mile from Old Town Alexandria. The school was founded in 1964 by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, and named in honor of Peter Leo Ireton, ...
– Alexandria VA (formerly staffed by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales)
Saint Paul VI High School
– Fairfax VA (formerly staffed by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales) *
DeSales University DeSales University (DSU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. N ...
– Center Valley PA * Northeast Catholic High School – Philadelphia PA (merged into Father Judge after 2010 school year) *
Father Judge High School , motto_translation = He will not fall away , address = 3301 Solly Avenue , location = , region = , city = Philadelphia , county = , state ...
Philadelphia PA Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
* Nativity Preparatory School – Wilmington DE *
Salesianum School Salesianum School is a Catholic independent school for boys located in Wilmington, Delaware. It is run independently within the Diocese of Wilmington and is operated by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. The current enrollment is about 930 s ...
– Wilmington DE


Toledo/Detroit Province

* DeSales Catholic High School – Lockport NY (formerly staffed by the Oblates) * Judge Memorial Catholic High School – Salt Lake City UT (formerly staffed by the Oblates) *
Lumen Christi Catholic High School Lumen Christi Catholic School is a private Roman Catholic high school located in Summit Township, just outside Jackson, Michigan, in the United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, it was established in 1968 from the merger ...
– Jackson MI * St. Francis de Sales High School – Toledo OH * St. Mary's High School – Stockton CA


References


External links


The Oblate Toledo-Detroit Province

The Oblate German Province

The Oblate Austrian-South German Province

The Oblate Switzerland Community

The Oblate Netherland Province

The Oblate South American Region

The Oblate Monaco

Oblate Mission Asia

The Oblate Namibia / South Africa Region
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oblates Of St. Francis De Sales Salesian Order