541 - February 2014
January 4th, 2014 - January 28th, 2014

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

“By naming Archbishop Quevedo cardinal, Pope Francis is giving a signal to all of us: it is the recognition of a very committed missionary, a priest and bishop who leads by serving others, whose main concern is the Gospel and the poor and who has worked tirelessly to promote friendship between Christians and Muslims, to support their struggle to live together in respect and peace,” stated Fr. Louis Lougen, OMI, Superior General of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate , the religious congregation to which Msgr. Quevedo, Archbishop of Cotabato, on the island of Mindanao, belongs.

Fr. Lougen explains: “Archbishop Quevedo is a man of the Church with many gifts and who has always chosen to live simply and whose option as a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate has always been to be very close to the poor. He is a man of compassion, joy and generosity. Pope Francis is showing what kind of Church we are called to be by naming Archbishop Quevedo as cardinal”. The Superior says he is convinced that for Quevedo, this honor at being designated a cardinal is not to be “a prince of the Church” but is a confirmation that the Church, and Archbishop Quevedo’s own life, are “to be like Jesus, a servant who washed the disciples feet”.

“As Oblates of Mary Immaculate we are happy and proud,” he continues, “and rejoice in his being recognized for his prophetic ministry as religious, missionary, priest and archbishop”.

Fr. Lougen concludes with a hope for peace in Southern Philippines: “The process of peace depends on the efforts of everyone. It is my hope that this honor may bring attention to the importance of dialogue, respect and peace-building and may reinforce the commitment of all of us to this process.” (Fides, 14 January 2014)

“In our day…!” Often Brother Vito DI BIASE would lament the past as he faithfully carried out his duties at the General House. On January 10, 2014, he went to his eternal reward at the Oblate community in Santa Maria a Vico, Italy, where he had moved in 2012 after 60 years of service at the International Scholasticate (until 1959) and then at the General House. He had arrived for the first time at the community in Santa Maria a Vico to begin his Oblate formation in 1938. He ended his earthly journey in the same place, which happens to be the first Oblate community in the former Italian Province. He had pronounced his first vows in 1941, in the midst of an ugly war that caused him much personal distress.

Countless visitors at the General House will remember Brother Vito who preferred to speak only Italian, although it is suspected that he knew more French than he would admit. But in English, he could wish his fellow Oblates “Good appetite!”

The last visit to the General House

Fr. Fabio CIARDI, in his personal blog, sums up beautifully the personality of Brother Vito:

“Discipline! Silence! In the days of Father LABOURÉ….” It was Brother Vito’s theme song, as he lamented the fact that in the house there was too much noise (some tiny disruption in the long, silent corridors!); that there was no longer the strictness of the beautiful days when Fr. Labouré was Superior General (in the 1930’s!).

“Were those days really better?” I asked him when he came by my office to stop and chat. And he would answer immediately: “No, no, these days are better, even without the silence and the discipline. Now people love each other more.”

He suffered in his days because there was the old mentality (not so much Christian but rather the legacy of feudal customs) of the rigid division between the Fathers and the Brothers.

Now old and sick, he spent his days praying the rosary and watering the flowers on the window sills. From the past, he kept the good traditions of punctuality, regular faithfulness to community prayer and a sense of sacrifice.

Yesterday when I went to see him at Santa Maria a Vico, in Caserta, where for a year he had retired in the infirmary, I was greeted with the usual smile in his eyes. He left us for Heaven 24 hours later. Like every Oblate, he presented himself at the gates of Heaven with this passport: “I am an Oblate of Mary Immaculate.” Eugene said that that was enough to get in.

At his funeral at Santa Maria a Vico, in the presence of about 30 Oblates, the homilist was Fr. Gilberto PIÑÓN, Assistant General and former superior of the General House. He remarked: “Bro. Vito has already reached his final day. And we give thanks to God for the gifts received in the person of Bro. Vito: gifts of service and the witness of his religious life. Bro. Vito not only survived the Second World War but many other types of “wars” that he experienced in so many years spent in religious life: wars of fatigue in the humble service of a Brother, wars of illness.

“Often he said: “I remember our old days…”, remembering religious life before Vatican II as he continued his life of service, always remembering in his heart “those days”, but accepting the newness of consecrated life. It was not easy, but he leaves us with a very valuable testimony of Oblate perseverance.”

*Of whom 47 are bishops and 3 are priests in temporal vows

In the above table, each Oblate is counted in the Region to which he belongs. For example, the Oblates in Zambia are counted only in Africa-Madagascar, although they are members of the United States Province. The scholastics in Rome are listed in their home Region. “B1.” indicates perpetually professed Brothers, and “B2” the Brothers who are still in first formation. PD refers to an Oblate Brother who is a permanent deacon

Summary
(as of January 1, 2014)

 Personnel by Unit
(as of December 31, 2013) 

General Administration

 Asia-Oceania 

 Canada-United States 

*Please note that these numbers include Oblates who either professed vows or were ordained in previous years but the fact had not been reported to the General Secretariat before January 2014.

 Deaths and Departures - 2013