Welcome to Oblate Academy!

Introducing our children to stories and experiences that model the virtues are important for their development in cultivating a virtuous and purposeful life.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us:
A virtue is a firm attitude to do what is right. Its direct opposite is a vice. A vice is a habit to do what is wrong. Prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance are called the human or cardinal virtues because they forge our human character. These four habits assist us in developing a pure heart that is open to God’s will.

“The moral virtues grow through education, deliberate acts and perseverance in struggle. Divine grace (God’s special help that strengthens us) purifies and elevates the virtues in our lives.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church #1839

I hope you will enjoy the straightforward and easily understandable explanations and resources we have prepared to help you teach and model the virtues.

Fr. David P. Uribe, OMI

This Month’s Virtue is: Prudence

“The naïve believe everything, but the shrewd watch their steps.” (Proverbs 14:15)

Teaching Tips:

  • Explain to your child the meaning of prudence. Prudence means being careful about your choices, stopping and thinking before acting. Basically, it is the strength of restraint and not taking unnecessary risks. This helps keep you from saying or doing things that you might regret.
  • Teach your child that being careful with their money/allowance is an important virtue of prudence. They should save their money and check to make sure they have enough money to spend on the things they need and not just want. Use the Prudence Save and Plan worksheet help your child save and plan.
  • Discuss with your child that a prudent person is one who does good things, as opposed to just knowing what the good thing is. As an example, ask your child what they would do if they found a wallet. Should they keep it, or should they try to find the owners of the wallet? Explain to your child that a prudent person would look for the person who lost their wallet because it is the right thing to do.
  • Explain to your child that at night we pray for others as well as ourselves. We ask God to help guide us to make good decisions and practice prudence. Model this by showing your child how you pray following the virtue of prudence.
  • Teach your child that prudence can bring knowledge. Instead of giving your child chores, ask your child to use the attached Prudence: Day by Day worksheets to create a list of things they can do out of courtesy for others. Remind them to show graciousness, gratitude, and generosity.
  • Activity Sheets:
  • Worksheet #1
  • Worksheet #2
  • Worksheet #3
  • Worksheet #4

Welcome to Oblate Academy!

Exposing our children to stories of the Saints is important for their faith development. The Saints are heroes of the faith! We are called to be like them and to live for Jesus.

I hope you will enjoy the story of St. John Neumann and have the same hunger for learning about God’s will that he did!

Much like St. John, my brother Missionary Oblates spend their lives in faithful service to our Lord Jesus Christ, ministering to the poorest and most abandoned throughout the world.

Saint of the Month for February:
St. John Neumann

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind” (Hebrews 13:16).

St. John Neumann was born March 28, 1811 in what is now the Czech Republic. His father was a stocking knitter, and his mother was a harness maker. He was one of six children. He was baptized on the day he was born in the village church.

Neumann’s mother called him her “little bibliomaniac” because of his love of books and reading. At ten years old, his parents allowed him to continue to attend school after his grammar studies instead of starting work. At the age of 20, he was faced with a tough choice: did he want to become a physician, a lawyer, or a priest? When his mom saw his strong desire to become a priest, she encouraged him to apply to the seminary.

Neumann entered the seminary of Diocese of Budweis in November of 1831. After completing his studies, he decided to devote his life to the missions, where he would have to learn English to travel to America. Upon his completion of his studies, he was saddened to learn that he was not going to be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Ernest Ruzicka because the bishop became very ill and the Diocese of Budweis had more priests than they needed. It meant that he would not be ordained prior to leaving for America — and as a result, his family was very sad and disappointed.

Neumann faced many obstacles trying to get to America to become a missionary. Finally, he was able to sail to America on a voyage that lasted 40 days. When he arrived in America, he learned that he would be accepted as a priest for the diocese of New York. He was ordained at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral to the subdiaconate on June 19, the diaconate on June 24, and the priesthood on June 25. He celebrated his first Mass the next morning on Sunday, June 26.
After his ordination, he was on the move for four years, traveling on foot from house to house in harsh weather, visiting the sick, aiding the dying, baptizing the newborn, and instilling faith in those who’ve stepped back, or away, from their spiritual teachings.

After years of this work, he moved to Baltimore and served as pastor of St. Augustine Church in Maryland, where he was then appointed Bishop of Philadelphia on February 5, 1852. During his administration, he completed nearly one church a month and encouraged saving to support the Catholic community. He created the Beneficial Bank in 1853 — a mutual savings for the community which was helpful for helping immigrants settle and receive social services.

So many parents wanted their children taught in the Catholic tradition, so Neumann was the first bishop to organize a diocesan school system. He increased the number of schools from one to 200. His ability to speak many languages helped him to reach the community of immigrants. Neumann actively invited religious institutes to establish new houses within the diocese to provide necessary social services. The large diocese was not wealthy, and Neumann became known for his frugality.

Neumann collapsed and died on January 5, 1860, on a Philadelphia street while running errands. He was 48 years old. Neumann was declared venerable by Pope Benedict XV in 1921. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI On October 13, 1963, and was Canonized on June 19, 1977. His feast day is January 5, the date of his death. After his Canonization, the National Shrine of Saint Neumann was constructed at the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia. In 1980, Our Lady of the Angels College, founded by the congregation of Franciscan Sisters he had founded and located within the archdiocese, was renamed Neumann College.

St. John Neumann’s
Prayer for Students

St. John Neumann, please be my friend.
Help me to be like you and practice charity with others
and share the gifts God has given me every day.
Pray for me so I might serve the poor and others in their time of need.
St. Neumann, pray for us!

Download the activity sheet and please send me your prayer requests and petitions in the form below!