The German-Speaking Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales recently welcomed a new member. On Sunday, September 13, 2026, Mr. Franz Hubmann made his first religious profession during a solemn Mass in the chapel of Gymnasium Dachsberg, the Oblates’ secondary school in Upper Austria. After completing his novitiate, a year of intensive religious formation, Franz chose a life of poverty, celibacy, and obedience within the Oblate community.
In his welcoming address, the German Provincial, Fr. Josef Költringer, OSFS, said: “You have decided to become a religious brother because you have found your vocation in this path, and the Salesian way helps you grow closer to God, to other people, and to yourself.” He added that those who have recognized Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, are called to tell others about Him. Each person has a part to play in this vocation, and everyone can trust that God walks alongside us on the journey.
Fr. Thomas Vanek, OSFS, gave the homily and asked the congregation, “Who is Jesus to me?” The answer to this question is crucial to following Christ, he explained, for without a personal relationship with God, life as a religious brother or priest would be meaningless. To illustrate the importance of cultivating that relationship, Fr. Vanek used the image of a diamond, which Blessed Louis Brisson (1817–1908), founder of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, once used himself. Just as a diamond must be cut and polished, those who follow Jesus need intensive daily training in personal growth to become who they truly are: beloved sons of God.
Franz Hubmann was born in 1999 in Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Bavaria, and became acquainted with the Oblates through their secondary school in Fockenfeld, Bavaria. After studying to become a teacher of German and religious education in Regensburg, Bavaria, he decided to join the Oblates. He will now continue his theological studies in Upper Austria and teach at the secondary school in Dachsberg.
Please pray for Franz and all men in the Oblate formation process.
Photos by Fr. Herbert Winklehner, OSFS