Oblates of Mary Immaculate

What Does OMI mean?

O . M. I. – Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the seventh largest congregation of men in the world. It was founded by St. Eugene de Mazenod who was born into a wealthy and influential family of France on August 1, 1782 and died on May 21, 1861. He gathered some holy priests to take care of the urgent needs of the poor. Later, this group was named Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Pope Leo XII approved this religious congregation taking on the motto: “He has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor. The poor have the Good News brought to them.”

The mission of the Oblates is to bring the Good News of Christ to the poor. To nourish their faith. To enrich their spirits. To live and work with them. Sharing the demands and joys of a full Christian life.

We, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate of the Philippine Province, are called to incarnate in our ministry and life the compassion of Jesus, the Crucified Savior, and thereby cooperate with him in reconciling all things to the Father in the Spirit.

We follow him by our liminal calling as prophets of God’s Kingdom, in and through our apostolic communities, with Mary, in the spirit of St. Eugene.

We fulfill our task in healing the world by understanding its evolutionary character, by critically engaging its contemporary spirit, and by meeting its new needs in new ways.

We seek out and immerse ourselves in the lives of the most abandoned in their many faces and voices, and struggle with those most affected by conflicts.

With Gospel values we dialogue with peoples of different cultures, faiths, and religions, in the search for an integral transformation of society; we work with others to safeguard human dignity, nurture family, foster harmony, promote a culture of peace, and respond to the calls of justice and integrity of creation.

We embrace a new way of being church. We commit ourselves to form basic human and ecclesial communities, and renewed leadership and laity. We are open to creative forms of ministry, new movements, and new expressions of spirituality.

Realizing the importance of internationality, inter-culturality, and interdependence as essential in our missionary thrust, we witness with immense hope to the Good News beyond all frontiers.