The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate reached a milestone in the history of the congregation last week on Jan. 25 - the 200 years of their foundation. The story of the OMI begins amidst the ashes of the great upheaval of the French Revolution which has had repercussions worldwide. It was an era when the Catholic Church in France was devastated and held in contempt and ridicule. Nevertheless, on Feb. 25, 1816 in Aix-en-Provence in southern France near Marseille, a handful of zealous priests headed by their leader St. Eugene de Mazenod, committed themselves to serving the lost, the least and the last, bringing them the Good News of Jesus. To know about the OMI, we talked to Sri Lankan Oblate Father Shanil Jayawardena, the director of communications of the OMI at the order’s headquarters here in Rome. Last week, in the first part of the interview, Fr. Jayawardena explained the simple but meaningful way they marked the bi-centenary of thei...
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate reached a milestone in the history of the congregation last week on Jan. 25 - the 200 years of their foundation. The story of the OMI begins amidst the ashes of the great upheaval of the French Revolution which has had repercussions worldwide. It was an era when the Catholic Church in France was devastated and held in contempt and ridicule. Nevertheless, on Feb. 25, 1816 in Aix-en-Provence in southern France near Marseille, a handful of zealous priests headed by their leader St. Eugene de Mazenod, committed themselves to serving the lost, the least and the last, bringing them the Good News of Jesus.
To know about the OMI, we talked to Sri Lankan Oblate Father Shanil Jayawardena, the director of communications of the OMI at the order’s headquarters here in Rome. Last week, in the first part of the interview, Fr. Jayawardena explained the simple but meaningful way they marked the bi-centenary of their foundation in Aix-en-Provence on Jan 24 and 25. He narrated the humble beginning of the OMI which today has grown to almost 4000 members in 68 countries. Originally planned for evangelizing the poor and abandoned of Aix-en-Provence, the OMI later reached out to France and the rest of the world, making their first entry in Asia through Sri Lanka in 1847. From Sri Lanka, the OMI later spread to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Today, Fr. Jayawardena begins the final part of this interview telling us about the charism of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
Families, donors, and others gather with Bishop Erik Pohlmeier for the dedication of the "Precious Ones Baby Mausoleum" at the San Lorenzo Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida, on April 23, 2024. / Credit: Fran Ruchalski/courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. AugustineCNA Staff, Apr 26, 2024 / 09:51 am (CNA).Families gathered with St. Augustine Bishop Erik Pohlmeier on a sunny Tuesday this week for the dedication of the "Precious Ones Baby Mausoleum" at the city's San Lorenzo Cemetery.Six years in the making, the 44,000-pound granite mausoleum is designed for babies lost at a young age through miscarriage, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or stillborn births. A brick walkway marked by a charcoal cross leads up to the brilliant white mausoleum, which is full of burial spaces that are ready to honor little ones. Miscarriages are common events, and women often suffer through them quietly, one 2018 study found. About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, usually be...
Kennedy opened up to veteran EWTN News anchorman Raymond Arroyo about his family's strong faith growing up, how his faith helped him overcome drug addiction and how it impacts him in his day-to-day life in the travails of U.S. presidential politics. / Credit: EWTN News "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" / ScreenshotWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 26, 2024 / 06:30 am (CNA).Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discussed the importance of his Catholic faith in his daily life, his plan to reduce abortions without federal restrictions, and his opposition to biological males playing in women's sports during an exclusive interview on "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" Thursday night.Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, is running a vigorous independent campaign to be the next president of the United States. He launched an independent bid for the White House last October after initially challeng...
Pope Francis prays during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on April 24, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, Apr 25, 2024 / 16:10 pm (CNA).Asked during a new interview if he has any message for Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who instigated the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis stated that "a negotiated peace is better than an endless war."CBS News broadcast some excerpts April 24 from a new interview conducted by journalist Norah O'Donnell with Pope Francis at St. Martha House, the pontiff's residence in the Vatican.During the exchange, the full version of which will be released on May 19, the Holy Father reflected on world conflicts and especially on the suffering of children during wars.O'Donnell asked the Holy Father if he had any message for Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine, to which the pontiff replied: "Please, countries at war, all of them... Stop the war. Seek to negotiate. Seek peace. A negotiated peace is better than an e...