The “General Chapter” is a source of grace, and a moment of discernment in the life of a Congregation.Representatives from Oblate provinces and delegations come together for four weeks every six years to reflect, take stock and set directions for the following six years.
The themes of the last four General Chapters are a good indicator of what is at the heart of Oblate Life and Mission today:
1986: Missionaries in Today’s World (MTW)
1992: Witnessing in Apostolic Community (WAC)
1998: Evangelizing the Poor at the Dawn of the Third Millennium (EPD)
2004: Witnessing to Hope (WH)
Missionary Oblates are Priests and Brothers who aspire to embody and communicate the Good News of Christ in an increasingly diverse and secular world. Our mission is to witness to who every person is in the eyes of God:
"...a son, a daughter of God... co-heirs with Jesus Christ"
As Missionary Oblates, we are committed to:
- A mission to the poor, one in which ministry on behalf of justice, peace and integrity of creation is an integral part;
- A mission in a world which is largely secularised;
- A mission adapted to a variety of cultures;
- A mission in collaboration with the laity;
- A mission accomplished within the Church;
- A mission through apostolic community;
- A mission that promotes ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.
In Apostolic Community
Like the Founder, St Eugene de Mazenod, Oblates gather around the person of Jesus Christ so as to achieve solidarity of compassion, to become a single heart that can be food for the life of the world.
We choose to live in community as a way to be continually evangelized, and to witness to the Kingdom of God in this graced moment of history. Recognizing that what we dream alone will remain always just a dream, but what we dream with others can become reality, we acknowledge the limits of the individual and the value of community.
