Missionary Oblate Partnership Annual Meeting and Oblate Forum

During September 28 – 30, the Missionary Oblate Partnership celebrated its 2012 Annual Meeting and Oblate Forum.  More than 40 Partners, Oblates, and friends participated to reflect on the topic of Faith Serving Justice.

The meeting started on the evening of Friday, September 28, with a video and a moving “Personal recollection of Vatican II” by Fr. David Power, OMI, to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Council.

On Saturday, September 29, Partnership staff provided the annual report to partners, presentation that was followed by two panel discussions.  The first panel, integrated by Partners Paul Dietrich, Bob Klosterman, Rob Lively, Bill Ritter, Sr. Theresa Sandok, OSM and moderated by Seamus Finn, OMI, reflected on Faith Serving Justice in Corporate and Public Life.  The second panel that included Bill Antone, OMI, Seamus Finn, OMI, Rufus Whitley, OMI, discussed the topic of Faith Service Justice in Religious and Church Lifeand was led by Andrew Small, OMI.

A high point of the Saturday agenda was when Partners Len and Marge Busch and Richard and Linda Scott received the [Blessed] Joseph Gerard Award from the hands of Oblate Provincial Superior, Fr. Bill Antone, OMI.  With this Award, named after one of the first Oblate Missionaries to Africa, the Partnership thanked these partners for their continued and valuable contributions in support of the poor and most abandoned around the world, charism first outlined by Oblates’ founder St. Eugene de Mazenod.

During the weekend, Partners also had a chance to do some sightseeing, to visit the Capitol building, led by Partner Rob Lively, KOM, and Maggie Pingolt, and to attend Mass in the Crypt Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.   An outdoors BBQ at the OMI House ended the productive gathering.

Double click on each photo for a better view.