WYD: The Oblate Charism leads us to the Church

Grzegorz GLABAS, OMI

Grzegorz GLABAS, is an Oblate originally from Poland, missionary in Aosta, northwestern Italy. The pilgrimage to the World Youth Day in Lisbon, with young people from his parish, renewed his conviction that the Oblate Charism leads us to the Church.

All human growth is gradual

Our founder, Saint Eugene de Mazenod, teaches us that all human growth is gradual. We have lived this experience during WYD 2023. The first stage of the pilgrimage for the Youth of the Parish of Mary Immaculate of Aosta took place at the Mother House of the Oblates in Aix-en-Provence, where we were received by the Oblate community and Fathers Mario BRANDI and Paolo ARCHIATI. In Aix we deepened our understanding of the history and charism of the congregation and then went to Pozuelo, Madrid.

In the footsteps of the Oblate Martyrs

In the house of the Oblate Martyrs of Spain, together with Father General, Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, OMI,  the Provincial of the Mediterranean Province, Gennaro Rosato, OMI, and the almost 300 young people from the Oblate communities, we continued our study of Oblate history, following in the footsteps of the Oblate Martyrs and strengthening our unity. Enriched by this experience, we went to Lisbon where, together as Oblate community, we let ourselves be guided first by the words of Father General and then by those of Pope Francis. 

Our hearts and our horizons expanded

In this way, progressively, our hearts and our horizons expanded.  It was as if we had heard the voice of Saint Eugene who, from our Oblate parish surrounded by the Alps, invited us to go out and go further and further and more numerous to join a million and a half pilgrims in prayer at the vigil on the esplanade of Campo da Graçia in Lisbon. Our commitment is to not let go the enthusiasm we received from Father General and from the witnesses we met: zeal that, once again, has been given to us by Saint Eugene de Mazenod.

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