In
1816, St. Eugene de Mazenod of Provence, France, founded the
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a religious order of priests
and brothers.
The Oblates have dedicated their lives to
the service of the world's most forgotten and abandoned people. From
the Arctic to Africa and the Philippines to Scandinavia, they spread
the message and love of Christ through many spiritual and charitable
good works.
Pope Pius XI called the Missionary Oblates
of Mary Immaculate "Specialists of the Most Difficult
Missions." More recently, Pope John Paul II described them as
"men consecrated to evangelization, particularly among
underprivileged people."
Although it is gratifying to have their
missionary efforts recognized, the Oblates feel that how others
describe them is not nearly as important as what they stand for and
what they are doing to reach out to those in physical, emotional, or
spiritual need.
Though the Oblate's primary ministry is a
spiritual one, the more than 4,500 Oblate priests and brothers
worldwide are also involved in many charitable works among the
needy.
Following the example of their founder, St.
Eugene De Mazenod, the Missionary Oblates help provide wells for
communities without clean water ... shelter, food, and medicine for
the needy ... a home for orphaned and abused children ... care for
the sick and the elderly ... and administer the sacraments in
parishes in rural communities and inner-city areas. They also have
established churches, schools, and special ministries, like the
From their humble beginnings in France in
1816, the Missionary Oblates have grown to become the eighth-largest
religious congregation in the world.
Oblates first arrived in North America in
1841. Their missions for both Native Americans and European settlers
soon stretched from Canada to Texas. In Texas, Oblate missionaries
were called the Cavalry of Christ because they often rode horses
when traveling from one mission site to another.
