Dear brothers and friends, the whole great Oblate family: we have the great joy of announcing to you that during the Oblate youth congress this year, held on September 22, 23 and 24 at Saint Eugene de Mazenod Parish in the city of Teniente Irala Fernández, Paraguayan Chaco, we have developed and launched a triennium of Oblate youth.

The Oblate youth and vocation ministry team in Paraguay, with the support of the rest of the brethren, have decided to make an option for youth during a three-year period — some intense years when we want to promote work with young people, in line with the pastoral option of our Church in Paraguay and a large youth population.

What motivates us to make this option? There are three principal reasons: the option for youth, called a second priority at the last General Chapter of our Congregation; the Triennium of Youth begun by the Paraguayan Church in December 2016; and the call of Pope Francis for a Synod to reflect together on youth, the faith and vocational discernment.

For each year of the Triennium of Oblate Youth, we have proposed three themes with their corresponding objectives:
2017: youth and poverty
2018: youth and the Oblate vocation
2019: youth and the Virgin Mary

The great challenge that remains now is to continue what has begun during the youth congress, responding to the concerns of young people and their communities, especially regarding the impact of poverty on their lives, with its consequences: poor health, uneven education, the absence of opportunities for work etc.

Cherished too is a dream for the creation of an Association of Oblate Youth, inspired by the pastoral work of our founder with the youth of Aix. (Fr. Guido Acosta, OMI)