Parish Work

Together… we deepen their faith

Parish work is a longstanding dimension of Oblate ministry. In 1837 St. Eugene was named Bishop of Marseille, France. During his tenure as Bishop the Oblate founder greatly increased the number of parishes and religious associations in the diocese. He said the Eucharist should be the Oblates’ “living center of communication.” He asked his fellow Oblates to follow in this mindset: “While identifying ourselves with Jesus Christ, we shall be at one with Him, and by Him and in Him we shall be at one among ourselves.”

The Oblates work in parishes throughout the United States, including White Earth, Minnesota; Buffalo, New York; Lowell, Massachusetts; Chula Vista, California and Brownsville, Texas.

In 1916 the Oblates began serving the people of St. Casimir parish in St. Paul, Minnesota. Father Bill O’Donnell, O.M.I., believes the Oblates are an important presence in the St. Paul area. “These are the kind of people the Oblates have worked with and ministered with for a long time,” he said. “We’re in a very diverse neighborhood. There are Hmong, Hispanics, Africans, African Americans, whites,” he said. “We’re trying to improve life in the neighborhood. The first step is to emphasize the issue: people have different ethnic backgrounds, but we’re all made in God’s image.”