Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Loreto (Fides Service) - Italian Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate with laymen and young people who share the same Oblate charisma will be in Loreto for two days, 23 and 24 April to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the canonisation of their founder St Eugene De Mazenod. It was in fact on 3 December 1995 that the late Pope John Paul II canonised the holy Bishop of Marseilles: “Eugene de Mazenod was an apostle who prepared the modern times, our times. He had a deep sense of the universal nature of the Church’s mission” the Pope said in his homily. The celebration programme includes a Mass presided by superior general Fr. Wilhelm Steckling and talks by Fr Marcellino Sgarbossa superior provincial, Fr Frank Santucci postulator general and Fr. Fabio Ciardi. The event will be held at the Centro Giovanni Paolo II which the OMI Missionaries took over some years ago. There will also be an evening prayer vigil at the Shrine of Loreto on Sunday 24 with groups of pilgrims from Germany and Fr. Vincent Gruber, French Oblate who will illustrate the life Eugene De Mazenod. Today there are 4,400 Oblate Missionaries in the world in 70 different countries (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 22/4/2005; righe 14; parole 199)
