On May 7, 2016, in St. Nickolas church in Kiev, the first Oblate and first priest ever from Turkmenistan was ordained – Fr. Anton LITVINOV.The new priest received the Sacrament of Holy Orders from his Oblate brother, Bishop Radoslaw ZMITROWICZ, Auxiliary of Kamyanets-Podilskyi. Turkmenistan is a vast country, 80% of which is a desert. Since...

What next for St. Anne’s? was the remark in the Sunday newsletter, ‘come along to a meeting in the presbytery on Monday night at 7pm’. Everyone was curious to know what was happening, word had spread quickly, as between 30-40 people turned up for the meeting. For the past 2 years, Mgr. Pat Browne and...

The Coliseo del Colegio Salesiano Santa Rosa in Huancayo served as a temporary “Cathedral” for the April 17 episcopal ordination of Oblate Bishop Carlos SALCEDO OJEDA, the first Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Huancayo and the first Peruvian Oblate bishop. Pope Francis had named him to that service in the Church on January 30,...

Fr. James FIORI tells of a special project undertaken by his parish in the capital of Canada. Some months ago, even before the plight of the refugees had reached a fever pitch, someone at Canadian Martyrs Parish in Ottawa asked the question: “Can we and should we, as a parish, sponsor a refugee family?” A...

Rajabima Oblate Centre, situated in the ancient sacred Buddhist city of Anuradhapura, is a community established also with the view of reaching out to the poor of other religions. Following the teachings of the Church after the second Vatican Council, the Oblate community at Rajabima has taken the initiative to invite the pastors and community...

The following homily was given by Fr. Ray Warren OMI, Provincial, at the St Michael’s Commemorative Mass. The Gospel is a story of not only hope but of resurrection. That is a transforming hope that changes lives. Remember the disciples were living in fear after the events of Jesus passion and death. Jesus had shown himself...

The Missionary Oblates were the first group to organise pilgrimages to Lourdes from Britain and Ireland and have been organising pilgrimages to Lourdes since 1883. Every year pilgrims join us from Ireland, Britain and the Channel Islands. In traveling to Lourdes, we follow in the footsteps of many thousands of pilgrims from all over the...

Having been challenged and encouraged repeatedly by that “dear old man” Pope Francis, we could not resist being drawn into his ideal world. “Leave your comfortable and lovely churches and go into the dirty and dangerous outskirts of humankind. Seek out the sinners, the rejected, the marginalized, the least ones in our society and bring...

The encyclical of Pope Francis on the Care of our Common Home speaks a truth that expresses the Spirit’s gifts while it also indicates danger, warning, caution and challenge. This year 2016,is a convergence of three very significant happenings: how we take up the challenge of Laudato Si’; the Jubilee Year of Mercy for the...