1. OUR CALL
Each of us has been made by God for a purpose. Our challenge is to first learn who we are in the eyes of God then discern how he wants to live out our baptismal call. This involves our career, our marital state and the general direction of our lives.
2. TO LIVE JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ through his teachings in Scripture and through the Church sets for us the goals by which we are to live, He strengthens us by sharing his life with us in the Sacraments of the Church. We need to strengthen our belief in Jesus. Jesus should be our model. We try to see Christ in the people around us.
3. IN APOSTOLIC COMMUNITY
Togetherness and loyalty to each other, based on a strong friendship are seen as typical of the Oblates. This togetherness should be the foundation of a strong loyalty to Church. Oblates should be community builders both in Church and society.
4. AMONG THE MOST ABANDONED
Our commitment is to those most in need. eg. our friendship, spiritual and material help, etc.
5. LEAVE NOTHING UNDARED
We will give our all in the defense of God, the Church and in upholding the values that promote the dignity of each person.
6. WITH DARING, HUMILITY AND TRUST These three words describe how we will pursue our goals: we help 'things' happen without a big show.
7. WITH MARY IMMACULATE
The Faith and Commitment of Mary to God is our model for life. We also see her as our Mother and Guide throughout our life. Mary is a great spiritual support. She listens to our requests and answers quickly.
8. RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP
We will not be afraid to look for the best way to live out our commitment to Christ and his Church. The challenge is to be relevant today.
9. PURITY
We endeavour to respect our own sexuality and that of others. This involves a very sacred respect for members of the opposite sex.
10. POVERTY
While providing for our own well being, we will endeavour to share with those who need our help.
11. OBEDIENCE
Since God is the centre of our lives we will always seek to do His will.
12. LIVING FAITH
We achieve unity in our life only in and through Jesus Christ.
Who are the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Buffalo?
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate began in 1816 when a young French priest, Eugene DeMazenod, formed a group of priests to revive the Faith, which had been widely forsaken during the French Revolution of 1789. They went from parish to parish evangelizing, baptizing and re-establishing the Church. Soon other priests joined the group. They became a Religious Congregation in 1826. Later Father DeMazenod became Bishop of Marseillles. In 1861, at his death, 400 Oblates were working in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Today, almost 3500 Oblates work in over 60 countries in every branch of ministry. St. Eugene DeMazenod was canonized on December 3, 1995 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Vatican City.
On August 21, 1851, three Oblate priests: Fr. Chevalier, Fr. Soulerin and Fr. Corbett arrived here from Montreal in response to Bishop Timon's 1849 invitation to work with him for the church and the people of Buffalo, a largely immigrant and minority Catholic population.
In July of 1852, land was purchased in the "suburban" area known as Prospect Hill and by 1856 foundations were laid for a permanent church which was blessed by Bishop Timon on May 10, 1859. Holy Angels Parish (which had been operating from various temporary venues for almost a decade) finally had a permanent home.
Bishop Timon had also asked the Oblates to conduct a seminary for the diocese of Buffalo. While the diocesan seminary project was short lived due to low enrollment, the Oblates later (1891) began operating an educational institution for their own aspirants but which was also welcoming of any interested lay students in a building adjacent to Holy Angels Church. This educational institution later added a high school division and became known as the Holy Angels Collegiate Institute (H.A.C.I.) Although classes at H.A.C.I. were discontinued in 1910, the seminary itself remained a residence for Oblate seminarians. The young candidates for the Oblate priesthood attended classes at Canisius High School and Canisius College until H.A.C.I. was reopened in September of 1932. In 1947, the seminary section of H.A.C.I. was transferred to Newburgh, NY.
By 1950, growing lay enrollment at H.A.C.I. required larger facilities here in Buffalo and so a Main Street campus was opened under a new name: Bishop Fallon High School(in memory of an Oblate former pastor at Holy Angels made Bishop of London, Ontario. For the next 25 years, this Oblate educational institution trained many thousands of young men to take their place in the service of God and country. In 1961, the great success of Fallon High school prompted Bishop Burke to invite the Oblates to accept the administration and staffing of a second high school - this time in suburban Williamsville, NY.
For 18 years the Oblates ran co-ed St. John Neumann High School. The hallmarks of the Oblate education apostolate were always scholarship, character development and religious formation. Another apostolate which engaged the Oblates almost from the outset of their arrival in Buffalo was the preaching of Parish Missions. Prior to the turn of the century, due to the pressing nature of parish and educational concerns and the manpower which had to be devoted to them, this preaching outreach to the larger church in western New York and beyond was necessarily sporadic and done at great sacrifice but it was done.
By the early 1900s a band of Oblate missionaries exclusively devoted to the preaching of parochial missions had been constituted and Buffalo became one of its hubs. Very quickly the Oblate Mission Band became renowned from coast to coast.
Each of us has been made by God for a purpose. Our challenge is to first learn who we are in the eyes of God then discern how he wants to live out our baptismal call. This involves our career, our marital state and the general direction of our lives.
2. TO LIVE JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ through his teachings in Scripture and through the Church sets for us the goals by which we are to live, He strengthens us by sharing his life with us in the Sacraments of the Church. We need to strengthen our belief in Jesus. Jesus should be our model. We try to see Christ in the people around us.
3. IN APOSTOLIC COMMUNITY
Togetherness and loyalty to each other, based on a strong friendship are seen as typical of the Oblates. This togetherness should be the foundation of a strong loyalty to Church. Oblates should be community builders both in Church and society.
4. AMONG THE MOST ABANDONED
Our commitment is to those most in need. eg. our friendship, spiritual and material help, etc.
5. LEAVE NOTHING UNDARED
We will give our all in the defense of God, the Church and in upholding the values that promote the dignity of each person.
6. WITH DARING, HUMILITY AND TRUST These three words describe how we will pursue our goals: we help 'things' happen without a big show.
7. WITH MARY IMMACULATE
The Faith and Commitment of Mary to God is our model for life. We also see her as our Mother and Guide throughout our life. Mary is a great spiritual support. She listens to our requests and answers quickly.
8. RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP
We will not be afraid to look for the best way to live out our commitment to Christ and his Church. The challenge is to be relevant today.
9. PURITY
We endeavour to respect our own sexuality and that of others. This involves a very sacred respect for members of the opposite sex.
10. POVERTY
While providing for our own well being, we will endeavour to share with those who need our help.
11. OBEDIENCE
Since God is the centre of our lives we will always seek to do His will.
12. LIVING FAITH
We achieve unity in our life only in and through Jesus Christ.
Who are the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Buffalo?
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate began in 1816 when a young French priest, Eugene DeMazenod, formed a group of priests to revive the Faith, which had been widely forsaken during the French Revolution of 1789. They went from parish to parish evangelizing, baptizing and re-establishing the Church. Soon other priests joined the group. They became a Religious Congregation in 1826. Later Father DeMazenod became Bishop of Marseillles. In 1861, at his death, 400 Oblates were working in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Today, almost 3500 Oblates work in over 60 countries in every branch of ministry. St. Eugene DeMazenod was canonized on December 3, 1995 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Vatican City.
On August 21, 1851, three Oblate priests: Fr. Chevalier, Fr. Soulerin and Fr. Corbett arrived here from Montreal in response to Bishop Timon's 1849 invitation to work with him for the church and the people of Buffalo, a largely immigrant and minority Catholic population.
In July of 1852, land was purchased in the "suburban" area known as Prospect Hill and by 1856 foundations were laid for a permanent church which was blessed by Bishop Timon on May 10, 1859. Holy Angels Parish (which had been operating from various temporary venues for almost a decade) finally had a permanent home.
Bishop Timon had also asked the Oblates to conduct a seminary for the diocese of Buffalo. While the diocesan seminary project was short lived due to low enrollment, the Oblates later (1891) began operating an educational institution for their own aspirants but which was also welcoming of any interested lay students in a building adjacent to Holy Angels Church. This educational institution later added a high school division and became known as the Holy Angels Collegiate Institute (H.A.C.I.) Although classes at H.A.C.I. were discontinued in 1910, the seminary itself remained a residence for Oblate seminarians. The young candidates for the Oblate priesthood attended classes at Canisius High School and Canisius College until H.A.C.I. was reopened in September of 1932. In 1947, the seminary section of H.A.C.I. was transferred to Newburgh, NY.
By 1950, growing lay enrollment at H.A.C.I. required larger facilities here in Buffalo and so a Main Street campus was opened under a new name: Bishop Fallon High School(in memory of an Oblate former pastor at Holy Angels made Bishop of London, Ontario. For the next 25 years, this Oblate educational institution trained many thousands of young men to take their place in the service of God and country. In 1961, the great success of Fallon High school prompted Bishop Burke to invite the Oblates to accept the administration and staffing of a second high school - this time in suburban Williamsville, NY.
For 18 years the Oblates ran co-ed St. John Neumann High School. The hallmarks of the Oblate education apostolate were always scholarship, character development and religious formation. Another apostolate which engaged the Oblates almost from the outset of their arrival in Buffalo was the preaching of Parish Missions. Prior to the turn of the century, due to the pressing nature of parish and educational concerns and the manpower which had to be devoted to them, this preaching outreach to the larger church in western New York and beyond was necessarily sporadic and done at great sacrifice but it was done.
By the early 1900s a band of Oblate missionaries exclusively devoted to the preaching of parochial missions had been constituted and Buffalo became one of its hubs. Very quickly the Oblate Mission Band became renowned from coast to coast.
- Holy Angels Church (the oldest parish continuously staffed by the Oblates in the United States) today continues its ministry on the West Side of Buffalo with outreach to the newest immigrant population in the area, this time, Hispanics.
- In 2005, the Oblates accepted pastoral responsibility for inner-city Our Lady of Hope Church - a short distance from Holy Angels and a parish community with which Oblates have had a long association. From 1998-2006, the Oblates also staffed St. Rose of Lima parish in North Buffalo. It was always customary for the large number of Oblates in Buffalo to maintain more than one house in this remote city of western New York. The Our Lady of Hope foundation, and until lately, the St. Rose of Lima foundation, have maintained that important and long-standing custom.
- Since 1991, a pre-novitiate house of formation for Oblate seminarians (aptly named the Bishop Fallon Residence) has been housed on the 3rd floor of the Holy Angels Oblate Rectory. There are typically a half dozen or more young men in the program. These candidates for the Oblate priesthood take their classes in Philosophy and Religious Studies at D'Youville and Canisius Colleges during this phase of their seminary training.
