10-16 August 2026

Vatican News

From Parish to Nation: CHARIS India's five-year fight for life (Photo: Vatican News)More than 5,000 people gathered at Stella Maris College in Chennai on 9 August 2026 for India’s fifth National March for Life, an event organised by CHARIS India under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. The march highlighted five years of grassroots efforts by families, students and lay volunteers who built parish-level Pro-Life Cells to protect unborn children in a religiously and culturally diverse nation. Cardinal Antony Poola, CBCI president, urged dioceses to turn commitment into sustained action for the voiceless, while Archbishop Francis Kalist traced the movement’s strength to lay leadership that began in local communities. Church leaders including Cardinal Poola, Archbishop George Antonysamy and Archbishop Francis Kalist attended the event. Read more →

Sisters work to restore the dignity of female victims of exploitation (Photo: Vatican News)For 30 years, the Missionaries of Mary Queen of Heaven, founded in 1996 by Sr. Corazon J. Salazar in the Philippines, have supported women and girls who are victims of sexual exploitation or trafficking by providing shelter, counseling, education, and vocational training. The congregation runs rehabilitation centers like ‘House of Love’ in Tuburan and ‘My Bonita Girls’ Home’ in San Jose, which offer rehabilitation, counseling, education, and vocational training to help survivors reintegrate into society. During a recent visit to ‘House of Love,’ Archbishop Alberto S. Uy of Cebu praised the sisters’ ministry, calling for greater support to expand their care for vulnerable children and young women. The sisters also address the root cause of trafficking through the ‘Regina Coeli Education Assistance Program,’ which protects youth from illegal recruiters who target impoverished rural communities, including through digital platforms. Read more →

60th World Day of Peace theme: Disarming technology for peace (Photo: Vatican News)Pope Leo XIV marked the 60th World Day of Peace on January 1, 2027, by choosing the theme “Disarming Technology, Serving Peace: Politics as Preventive Responsibility,” as announced by the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development. In his encyclical *Magnifica humanitas*, the Pope warned that no algorithm can justify war and called for shared agreements to uphold human dignity in the face of advancing AI and military technology. During its presentation on May 25 in the New Synod Hall, he described the conviction that “Artificial Intelligence must be disarmed” as disturbing yet necessary, stressing that technology must serve the common good without weakening conscience. Reflecting on his missionary work in Peru after floods, he noted that rebuilding requires restoring bonds and rekindling hope, not merely replacing what is lost. Read more →

Activities of the General Council

2027 A Year Of The Vow Of Poverty (Photo: OMI World)The Superior General, Fr. Rafał Chilimoniuk, OMI, and Fr. Luis Ignacio Rois Alonso, OMI, together with the Central Government, declared 2027 a Year of the Vow of Poverty for the entire Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Congregation. This initiative, rooted in the Constitutions and Rules and inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Exhortation *Dilexi Te*, aims to deepen conformity to Christ’s poverty, strengthen prophetic witness, and foster communion with the poor. A year-long resource has been prepared, structured around monthly themes and the "Three Mirrors" method, examining personal holiness, communal life, and mission to the poor, to guide Oblates in reflection, examination, and action. The goal is to renew the grace of their vocation and enhance the credibility of their mission to serve the poor and most abandoned. Read more →

Regional Activities

Latin America

Solidarity and Hope in the Wake of Colombia’s Devastating Earthquake (Photo: OMI World)On Monday, August 10, 2026, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, causing severe damage in 14 departments and 357 municipalities, with Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales, and Armenia hardest hit. The disaster left 265 dead, 3,449 injured, and 496 missing, while destroying or damaging thousands of homes, schools, health centers, and roads. The Catholic Church in Colombia mobilized food banks to deliver 50 tons of essential supplies, including food and hygiene products, and the Oblate communities outside the disaster zone are gathering donations and supplies from local parishes. Rescue efforts continue as officials warn of rising casualties amid ongoing utility outages and logistical challenges. Read more →

Europe

Passport to Heaven: San Silvestro al Quirinale (Photo: OMI World)On February 17, 2026, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate gathered at Rome’s Church of Saint Sylvester at the Quirinal to mark the bicentennial of their pontifical approval, celebrated in a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit led by Bishop Guillermo Steckling, OMI. The event recalled how Saint Eugene de Mazenod, founder of the Oblates, had sought and received papal approval in the same place 200 years earlier, transforming what began as a formal procedure into a spiritual mandate he called a “passport to heaven.” The Mass highlighted how that approval granted the Oblates legitimacy and freedom to pursue their missionary work under the authority of the Holy See. Read more →

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