Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest later recognized as a Catholic saint. (Oblate means a person dedicated to God or God's service.) The congregation was given recognition by Pope Leo XII on February 17, 1826. As of January 2020, the congregation was composed of 3,631 priests and lay brothers usually living in community. Their traditional salutation is Laudetur Iesus Christus ("Praised be Jesus Christ"), to which the response is Et Maria Immaculata ("And Mary Immaculate"). Members use the post-nominal letters, "OMI".
Missionariorum Oblatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis Immaculatae | |
| Abbreviation | Post-nominal letters OMI |
|---|---|
| Established | 25 January 1816 |
| Founder | Charles Joseph Eugène de Mazenod |
| Founded at | Aix-en-Provence, France |
| Type | Clerical Religious Congregation of Pontifical Right (for Men) |
| Headquarters | General House, Via Aurelia 290 Rome, Italy |
Region served | Worldwide 2020 |
Membership (2020) | 3,786 (2,741 priests) |
Superior General | Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso |
Motto | Latin: Evangelizare pauperibus misit me. Pauperes evangelizantur English: He has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor. The poor have received the Good News. |
Mission | To bring the Good News of Christ to the Poor |
Ministry | Parochial, Foreign mission, educational work |
| Affiliations | Roman Catholic Church |
| Website | OMI |
Formerly called | Missionaries of Provence |
As part of its mission to evangelize the "abandoned poor", OMI are known for their mission among the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and their historic administration of at least 57 schools within the Canadian Indian residential school system. Some of those schools have been associated with cases of child abuse by Oblate clergy and staff.: 399–452