The Oblate Sisters Celebrate 25 Years
The Missionary Oblate Sisters of Mary Immaculate are a young religious institute that came into existence in Spain in 1997. Nine women came together at that time to live in community with the intention of following the charism of St. Eugene de Mazenod, the founder of the Missionary Oblates.
The sisters make up part of the greater Oblate Family, and they see their institute as a grace flowing from the canonization of St. Eugene de Mazenod in 1995. As women consecrated to God, they live the same charism as the Oblates: “to bring the Good News to the poor.” This year marks the 25th anniversary since they first came together in community.
Back in 1997, a courageous group of young women, ages 19 to 24, commenced to experience community life in the Emmaus Retreat House in Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid. These women, who were deeply in love with Jesus the Savior and felt called to live out the charism of St. Eugene in religious life, set out to respond to God’s call, thereby embarking on a new journey in the Church.
This seed of the spirit has been growing in each of these sisters. Their communities are places of hospitality and welcome — places where they live and experience the joy of the Gospel, despite the ups and down of life. From the beginning of their existence they have lived the gift of internationality. They describe their mission in the following way:
“Our missionary spirituality, driven by our Oblation motivates our actions and keeps us continually available and open for mission. We carry it out as apostolic women following the example of Mary, virgin and mother, in communion with the Church and her shepherds and open to collaboration with other Gospel workers. Our way of carrying out the mission is characterized by the evangelization of the poorest from the personal experience of salvation, wanting to arouse or awaken faith in those we meet.”
As the sisters celebrate 25 years, the guiding theme which will accompany and inspire them into the future will be: “Giving life to the heart of St. Eugene in our times.”