Oblate News

Holy Family of Bordeaux Bi-centenary

1820 -2020: Celebrating 200 years of their congregation on Trinity Sunday

Celebrating 200 Years

On Trinity Sunday 1820 the Holy Family of Bordeaux was founded by Pierre Noailles, a priest of Bordeaux, a contemporary of St Eugene De Mazenod. Fr Noailles was a man seized by God’s love and full of passion for the reign of God. 

We are an International, Spiritual and Apostolic Family comprising all vocations in the Church drawing our inspiration from the Holy Family of Nazareth and the early Christian community. The Sisters arrived from France in 1868 to Leeds and Newbridge Co.Kildare following an invitation from Fr. Cooke OMI. The Holy Family of Bordeaux and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate continue to work alongside each other in many parts of the world. Today there are over 4000 members in 27 countries across 4 continents.

In a globalised, interconnected world, we are called to live interdependence, strengthening the interrelatedness with humanity and with Earth itself.

Within this global world we encounter people who are obliged to be “on the move” in inhuman conditions: migrants, refugees, homeless and displaced persons, those who are marginalised, trafficked, deprived of their dignity, in search of meaning in their lives. This reality commits us to live in a state of exodus, moving out of our feelings of powerlessness, to “be with” offering our gift of communion.

As we enter our 3rd century, facing a time of great change and uncertainty not unlike the early 19th century France of our Founder’s time we hear him saying to us “Go Forward……trusting in Divine Providence, and may Jesus, Mary and Joseph be always with you.”

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