TheOblates of Jesus the Priest is aRoman Catholicreligious congregation ofsisters. Founded in Mexico in 1924, it is now represented in Mexico, the United States, Italy, and Ecuador. Theircharism is “to love the priesthood and to make it loved,” so theapostolates of the sisters predominantly center on assisting priests and promoting thepriesthood. These include, but are not limited to, ministering inseminaries, aiding retired priests, sewingvestments, assisting inrectories, working as secretaries forbishops, and conducting religious education in someparishes. TheOblate sisters are also very musical, emphasizing singing and playing instruments during their liturgies and sometimes writing their own music.[1]
The prayer life of the order is especiallyEucharistic with at least a half hour ofEucharistic adoration every day for each sister, as well as dailyMass,Liturgy of the Hours, andRosary. As this congregation is part of the Family of the Cross, their spirituality is centered on the Spirituality of the Cross. Essentially, this spirituality emphasizes that Jesus was both priest and victim when he died on the cross, and so by uniting oneself with him, even in the mundane events of daily life, it is possible to also be mediators and offerings to God. The motto of the order is “In Oblation to the Lord”. Currently, the number of sisters worldwide is close to 120, with thirteen of their twenty convents located in Mexico. In the United States, the sisters, numbering around 22, can be found in thearchdioceses of Chicago,New York, and San Francisco.[1][2]
The Oblates of Jesus the Priest was founded in Mexico City on February 9, 1924, byFélix de Jesús Rougier, a French priest who first came to Mexico as a missionary in 1902. Rougier founded four congregations, including the men’s community known as theMissionaries of the Holy Spirit (1914) and three women’s congregations: the Daughters of the Holy Spirit (1924), the Guadalupan Missionaries of the Holy Spirit (1930) and the Oblates of Jesus the Priest. The Oblates were founded inTlalpan, Mexico City, on February 9, 1924. They first became anassociation of the faithful on January 31, 1935, and on December 12, 1937, was approved as a congregation ofdiocesan right. On February 12, 1975, theHoly See elevated the congregation to the rank of institute ofpontifical right.[2][3]
Rougier was originally a priest of theSociety of Mary; his superiors eventually gave him permission to join the community that he founded for men. He was aided by a widow and mystic namedConcepcion Cabrera de Armida, or "Conchita" who wrote about 200 volumes of spiritual writings. Shortly after it became an official congregation, Rougier died on January 10, 1938. He and Cabrera de Armida were both made venerable byPope John Paul II – she on December 20, 1999 and Rougier on February 15, 2000. As of 2014[update] the Family of the Cross included eighteen religious and lay institutes.[2][3][4]
The sisters are particularly devoted to themagisterium and thePope. They participate in theMarch for Life andWalk for Life. In the United States, they have chosen not to participate in either theLeadership Conference of Women Religious or theCouncil of Major Superiors of Women Religious.[5]
