On February 17, 2022, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate celebrated the 196th anniversary of the papal approbation of the Constitution and Rules. Rules or constitutions of a congregation are fundamental codes that outline the “governance of the institute, the discipline of the members, the admission and formation of members, and the proper object of their sacred bonds” (Canon 587, § 1). Typically, once a new congregation is formed, the Church would soon approve the group’s rules, authenticating the original divine inspiration and validating the order.

Understanding the Founder of the Oblates, St. Eugene de Mazenod, is easier by looking at the Oblate Constitution and Rules. In the communication surrounding the 1826 approval of the Constitution and Rules, St. Eugene’s enthusiasm and unbounded faith in the Church and his undertaking come out. The approval of the Constitution and Rules in 1826 helped the Oblates become a religious order, reaffirming St. Eugene and his Oblates on their chosen path.

For further information, visit the Oblate world site by clicking here.