News Archives » Homepage News
![](http://omiusajpic.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Founders-Day-2019.jpg)
Dear Brother Oblates, and all our Brothers and Sisters who live the Oblate Charism, We celebrate, on this feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the 203rd anniversary of the foundation of our Congregation. We are concluding the Congregation-wide “Year of Oblate Vocations,” an initiative requested by the Congress of Mission with Youth and the Congress on Oblate Vocations, and endorsed by the members of the 2016 General Chapter. This Year of Oblate Vocations has raised the consciousness of the entire Congregation to our responsibility to believe in the future of the Congregation as an instrument of missionary evangelization in the Church. We are all called to pray and work for vocations of vowed Oblates who will live the charism of Saint Eugene de Mazenod.
Read the full statement here.
![](http://omiusajpic.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/March-for-Life-2019.png)
“…that I should not lose anything of what he gave me…” John 6:39
The 46th Annual March for Life will take place in Washington, DC on Friday, January 18, 2019, at 11:30 AM on the National Mall. A full schedule of the pre and post programs, travel information, printable march route, downloadable March for Life app, etc, can be found at the official website: https://marchforlife.org/mfl-2019/rally-march-info/
OMI JPIC has also created a resource that can be used in parish bulletins, with community groups, or for personal reflection, to encourage awareness and action around life issues.
Download the one-page resource here.
For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week, which provides an opportunity for the Church to highlight the presence and situation of immigrants, refugees, victims, and survivors of human trafficking. The week serves as a time for both prayer and action in support of immigrants and refugees.
Organized by Justice for Immigrants at the U.S. Conference for Catholic Bishops, the theme for this year’s celebration is “Building Communities of Welcome.” It emphasizes our responsibility and opportunity as Catholics to engage and welcome newcomers on their arrival and help to ease their transition into a new life here in the United States. To read more about this observation and to download resources visit Justice for Immigrants’ website or at the link below.
Educational materials and other resources for National Migration Week are available for download at https://justiceforimmigrants.org/take-action/national-migration-week/.
![](http://omiusajpic.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2017-Advent-festival-candles-285x300.png)
Advent is a liturgical season of prayer, anticipation, hope and joy leading to the birth of Christ. This Advent season we invite you to join in prayer and reflection on how can we care for the Earth our common home; empower our youth to serve; resolve the plight of migrants and refugees; and protect the gift of human life.
We are pleased to offer 1-page weekly reflections on these issues to share with your congregation, communities and use in your own personal prayer time. Reflections will be available in English and Spanish.
A big thank you to our Missionary Oblates and JPIC Committee members for developing the resources. A SPECIAL thank you to Bro. Lester Antonio Zapata, OMI, for providing Spanish translation.
WEEK 4 — December 21
WEEK 3 — December 16
WEEK 2 — December 9
WEEK 1 — December 2
December 10th is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the United Nations is leading world leaders and the international community in celebrating the adoption of these set of principles (30 in all) that were established to safeguard the inherent dignity of every human being.
Among the many activities taking place around the world, the Alliance Defending Freedom International will deliver thousands of signatures from more than 170 countries in support of The Geneva Statement, which urges the international community to uphold the fundamental right to life, family, and religious freedom, as recognized by the declaration. The Geneva Statement calls for new commitments from the international community.
The United Nations was founded in the aftermath of WWII in 1945. Some of the principal objectives for founding the organization as outlined in the preamble of the UN Charter were; “to prevent the occurrence of future atrocities by affirming faith in fundamental human rights, in dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women, and of nations large and small and the commitment to promote better standard of life in larger freedom.” These fundamental human rights are all captured in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10th December 1948. This day is observed every year as the International Human Rights Day.
The human rights doctrine is also influenced by tenets of Catholic Social Teaching – in the basic concept of human dignity. The Declaration has many phrases from Catholic Social in the documents. Some of examples are outlined in a 2001 book, A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written by former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon. This book is widely considered one of the definitive histories of the human rights document. While Catholic ideas can be found in the document, author Mary Ann Glendon notes that it is just “one of many sources of influence on this impressively multicultural document.”
![](http://omiusajpic.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/universal-declaration-of-human-rights-1-300x284.jpg)
Still relevant today as they were in 1948, the UN Declaration of Human Rights has been translated into 513 languages, making it the most translated document in history.
LEARN MORE
Video: History of the UDHR: https://bit.ly/2B9wnX2
Short articles on each of the 30 Articles of the UDHR: https://bit.ly/2BFvDpg
Read more at UN News: https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/12/1027981
70 years of progress on Human Rights: https://www.humanrights70.org/#home
Return to Top