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Bishop Duffy, Outspoken Advocate for the Poor: Requiem in Pacem August 26th, 2011

Bishop Paul Francis Duffy, OMI – an outspoken Oblate missionary and Zambian bishop whose social justice work brought him threats from government officials – died Tuesday in San Antonio.

Father Billy Morell, OMI said Bp. Duffy was known throughout Zambia for fearlessly advocating for the rights and freedoms of people in the country’s poorest areas.

In his 27 years there, Bp. Duffy was credited with helping establish Oblate Radio Liseli, the Mongu Diocese Development Center, three schools, a teachers college, a hospital and several home-based care projects, including one for people with HIV/AIDS.

“He was a major political voice for the poor in Zambia,” said Father Jim Chambers in San Antonio. “He loved Zambia, and you could see that. He had a deep concern for the sufferings of the poor, and he let the government know.”

Bishop Duffy will be buried in Mongu, Zambia.

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Oblate JPIC Committee Meets in Godfrey, IL April 12th, 2011

Oblate JPIC staff and members of the U.S. Oblate Province Justice and Peace Committee met in Godfrey, Illinois, April 6-8 for the 2011 spring meeting to discuss the progress made on justice and peace issues. The purpose of the meeting was to share updates on the work of the JPIC staff and committee members and strategize on issues of importance to the JPIC initiative.

Issues discussed included work on housing foreclosures in San Fernando, a report on ICCR-related work on access to water and access to medicines, the Oblate Ecological Initiative, updates on Immigration reform and the death penalty, efforts to stem the flow of human trafficking and the experience of the 2011 World Social Forum held in Senegal. The Oblate JPIC committee meeting provides an opportunity to strategize on the issues as well as to connect with the local Oblate community where the meeting is held. During this particular meeting, Oblate novices and their staff – who provided wonderful hospitality to the participants – joined the morning session.

Mentoring Students in Social Justice Work November 1st, 2010

Fr. Daniel Renaud, omi is interested in developing a program for students to learn about social justice work by engaging with people at the grassroots or through issue advocacy. If you are an Oblate involved in social justice work, he would like to connect with you to discuss the possibility of a student coming to work with you for a period of time.

Father Renaud is Chaplain at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He has recently been named chair of the Canadian Catholic Campus Ministry Association. This association, mandated by the Conference of Canadian Bishops, supports campus ministry in promoting the mission of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Daniel Renaud has been the Chaplain at Saint Paul University since 2004. His email is: drenaud@ustpaul.ca The University website is www.ustpaul.ca

Fr. Renaud explains his idea in this interview with the Oblate US JPIC Office Watch the video:

(Watch the video on YouTube)

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