Refounding & Reconfiguring Process

This page is designed for Oblates of St. Francis de Sales as we engage in a Refounding & Reconfiguring Process

 
 

Toledo- Detroit Regional Meetings

  • September 30th: SFS Faculty House, Toledo, OH

  • October 1st: Virtual - Zoom  

  • October 29th: Loren Street House, Jackson, MI

Wilmington-Philadelphia Regional Meetings

  • October 8th: Our Mother of Consolation, Philadelphia, PA

  • October 15th: Our Lady of Good Counsel, Vienna, VA

  • October 22th: St. Thomas the Apostle, Glen Mills, PA

  • November 5th: Holy Infant Catholic Church, Durham, NC

  • November 13th: DeSales Center, Childs, MD 

  • November 20th: Our Lady of Light, Estero, Florida

2025 - 2026 North American Provinces Calendar

MAR

  • Knight of the Vine (Toledo, OH)

  • Night of DeSales (Center Valley, PA)

APR

  • Apr 13th - Second nominating ballot

  • Apr 26th - Promulgation of the new statutes

  • Apr 27th - Ballots are done via email and sent to Nancy Myron.  All results received are tallied by Nancy Myron 

MAY

  • May 11th -  Nominee results shared with all Oblates by the Provincial Leadership Selection Committee  

  • May 30th - Jonathan Dick’s Ordination, St. Anthony of Padua, (Wilmington, DE)

JUNE

  • June 20th - 21st -  Pre-Convocation Retreat (Anthiochian Village) 

  • June 22nd - 25th - Convocation and Selection of North American Provincial (Anthiochian Village)

OCT

  • Oct 3-5th - 150th Celebration in Troyes, France 

  • Oct 7th - 150th Anniversary of the death of the Good Mother

  • Oct 12th - Feast of Blessed Brisson 

  • Oct 16th - Business Network Breakfast & Retreat (Phila, PA)

DEC

  • Dec 1st - First nominating ballot opens

  • Dec 15th - Ballots are due to Nancy Myron 

JAN

  • Jan 5th  - Nominee results shared with all Oblates by the Provincial
    Leadership Selection Committee  

  • Jan 24th - Guerin Dinner Dance (Philadelphia, PA) 

  • Jan 26th - All nominees are asked to respond to their nomination 

FEB

  • Feb 2nd - Blessed Brisson’s Death, died 2/2/1908

  • Feb 4th - 8th Congregational Treasurers Workshop (Wilmington, DE)

  • Feb 13th -15th  DWU Weekend Meeting 

Convocation 2026

June 20 - 21, 2026 Pre-Convocation Retreat

June 22 - 25, 2026 Convocation

Antiochian Village Retreat Center

Bolivar, PA

The Foundational Texts: The True Understanding of the Congregation According to Fr. Brisson

Texts of Fr. Brisson chosen by Fr. Roger Balducelli, OSFS, edited and revised by Dialogue With US, Common Identity Subcommittee

You can view the entire compilation below. These texts cover a variety of topics pertaining to Oblate life and are organized by these topics:

#11 “Understand well, my Friends, this theology of abnegation.”

#12 “Why do the Swiss only make cooked cheese?”

#13 “In the last analysis, what makes a man?”

#14 “Understand well your dignity in being your own master.”

#15 “Here is the true meaning of obedience: it is an act of true independence of the will.”

#16 “In thus obeying God, in the fullness of our freedom, we are truly a person; otherwise we are nothing at all.”

#17 “It is your duty to preside, but how are you to preside?”

#18 “The mortification of charity” and “the mortification of a good Capuchin.”

#19 “The Superior General is not established as Superior General of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales to do what is done everywhere.”

#20 “The great difficulty with obedience stems from the person who commands rather than with the order itself which is the object of the obedience.”

#21 “In every congregation, there is a foundational vision grounding the establishment of the congregation.”

#22 “Let us return to our origins.”

#23 “What did the Good Mother mean by the expression: The Way?”

#24 “It is imperative that we be apostles of the Gospel.”

#25 “From our education, we have fake notions of mental prayer.”

#26 “Firm up your principles: what is evil is evil and can never become good.”

#27 “There are some who do not feel obliged to be charitable toward their Superiors.”

#28 “The motto for all our works ought to be: ‘Do well and let them talk!’”

#29 “It is absolutely necessary to determine the true meaning of the Good Mother’s words.”

#30 “To be abreast with our age, we must have contact with workers.”

#31 “We need to get out of the rut!”

#32 “The precept of charity well understood ought to inspire in us respect for one another.”

#33“Individualism: each one stays in his own little corner; each one remains in his own little house.”

#34 “God has desired of you all that you have done in your work.”