OMI - Assumption Province

On this day, the entire Oblate Family celebrates the feast of its founder, St. Eugene de Mazenod. Oblates from the GTA and surrounding areas gathered in Brampton on this day to give thanks for the Founder’s charism and to pray for the Congregation and the Province.
(TJ/ Photos: Beata Jędrzejczak)

The Oblate community joyfully marked the completion of the prenovitiate formation of JC in a celebration filled with gratitude and hope. The occasion was graced by the presence of Bishop Anthony Krotki, together with the formators, the Provincial, members of the Oblate community, and the family of JC, whose support and prayers have accompanied him throughout this important stage of discernment.

In his words of encouragement, BP. Krotki highlighted the importance of listening attentively to God’s call and remaining faithful in service to the Church and God’s people. The gathering reflected the spirit of communion and missionary zeal that continues to inspire vocations within the Oblates.

The completion of the prenovitiate marks an important milestone in JC’s journey of formation, preparing him for the next step in religious life at the novitiate. The Oblate family gives thanks to God for this blessing and assures JC of continued prayers and support as he continues his vocation journey.

(Fr. Marcin Serwin OMI)

March for Life 2026 - OMIAP Oblates of Mary Imaculate Assumption Province

The Extreme Way of the Cross.
This is the ninth time that Polish parishes in the GTA have participated in the EDK. As is tradition, participants gathered at St. Casimir Parish in Toronto, from where, after Mass, they set out on a path leading to St. Eugene Parish in Brampton. Every year, dozens of pilgrims complete this nearly 40-kilometer route.
(TJ; photos & videos- Mateusz Grecki; Ewa C, Violetta G)

“I Am the Immaculate Conception” is a feature-length documentary from 2024 directed by Michał Kondrat, which explores the phenomenon of the Immaculate Conception and the role of Mary. The film combines interviews with experts from Poland, the United States, and France with dramatizations of Gospel scenes . The film explains the apparitions and Mary’s significance in the plan of salvation.

And it was this film that parishioners and guests of St. Stanislaus Parish in Hamilton had the opportunity to watch. The projection was organized by the parish priest, Fr. Marian Gil, with the participation of the director, who spoke about the film and its production after the projection and answered questions from the audience. This is not Mr. Michał Kondrat’s first visit to Canada to promote his films. He is the creator of such well-known films as *Two Crowns*, a story about St. Maximilian Kolbe; *Love and Mercy*, about St. Faustina; and *Purgatory*, based on the visions of Fulla Horak, as well as many other productions.

After the movie and meeting with the audience, we asked the Director a few questions, which you can read here... https://omiap.org/collection/movie-projection-at-st.-stanislaus-parish-in-hamilton

Lent is a time of repentance and conversion. The retreats preached in many parishes are intended to encourage and help the faithful in conversion and renewal. Each year we entrust this mission to the retreat preachers from the Polish Province of the Oblate Missionaries.
This year we host Fr. Dawid Stefaniszyn OMI whom I had the opportunity to ask a few questions.

1. What impression did Canada and the parishes where you preached Lenten retreats make on you?
The retreat tour in Canada is a nice change from my annual Lenten ministry in Poland. It allows me to gain new experiences and a broader perspective on the diversity of the Church and the work of the Oblates in a context different from ours in Poland. The parishes I visit are close-knit communities deeply involved in parish life, which undoubtedly stems from the fact that, in addition to their pastoral role, they also serve as a link to Polish culture.
2. Has anything changed since your first visit to Canada with the Gitary Niepokalanej band? Is this a different or similar experience of our Polish community’s reality?
When I was in Canada for the first time, I got to know it from the perspective of a seminarian. Our stay was short and intense. It also had something of a tourist trip about it—that is, the desire to see such a distant corner of the globe. Today, I have more time to experience the Polish community in Canada, and I see it more deeply because I am here as a priest, a missionary, with whom many share their life stories and current challenges.
3. Tell us why you became the Oblate? What do you like about our Congregation?
I first met the Oblates while they were preaching a Lenten retreat in my home parish in Świdnik. What I value most in the Oblate charism is community life within the congregation and missionary ministry outside it. These are elements that create a healthy, complementary balance.
4. Tell us what your ministry in Poland is like?
The work of a mission preacher (i.e. retreat leader) in Poland is seasonal, meaning our commitments vary depending on the time of year. Of course, Advent and Lent are times of intensive retreats, followed by assisting with a lot of confessions. Winter is the season when we help with pastoral visit at parishioners homes. After Easter, in turn, the time of parish missions begins, which, with a break for summer replacements of some parish priests, lasts until late fall. In the meantime, there is also a time for preaching in different parishes about the Oblate work in the missions ad gentes and distributing our mission calendars. This is a vast variety, quite different from the repetitive nature of certain cycles of work in the parish. It also allows us to meet many new people and experience the reality of numerous parishes, which enriches our perspective on the Church.
5. What will you remember most about Canada when you return to Poland?
When I leave, I will certainly take with me a sense of gratitude toward the many Oblate brothers I had the opportunity to meet during this time. It is wonderful that, through the Congregation, I have such a large and diverse family. I will also remember the many conversations with parishioners who shared with me their experiences of emigration. These are values I would not have gained had I not been invited to Canada this year.

Fr. Dawid Stefaniszyn, OMI, was born in Lublin in 1994. He was ordained a priest in Obra on May 29, 2021. For two years, he served as an associate pastor at St. Eugene de Mazenod Parish in Kędzierzyn-Koźle, and since 2023, residing in the same community, he serves as a missionary and retreat preacher.

(TJ/DJ; photos: st. Eugene Parish Brampton, st. Stanislaus Parish Hamilton, fr. Janusz Błażejak OMI)

Praying the Stations of the Cross with St. Eugene

To honor St. Eugene’s transformative Good Friday experience and celebrate the bicentenary of the Congregation, we are pleased to publish Stations of the Cross with St. Eugene.

On Good Friday in 1807, during the adoration of the Cross, St. Eugene de Mazenod came face-to-face with Christ’s love and goodness. He later wrote of this moment, “My soul was longing for its ultimate goal, God, the unique good whose loss I deeply felt.”

To honor St. Eugene’s transformative Good Friday experience and celebrate the bicentenary of the Congregation, we are pleased to publish Stations of the Cross with St. Eugene. This work is the fruit of a collaborative journey within the Oblate family, featuring particular contributions from Mary Tyrrell, Dawn Benbow, Fr. Michael Hughes, and Fr. Lorcan O’Reilly.

Whether used for individual reflection or communal prayer, these Stations invite a personal meditation on Jesus’ journey to the Cross. Our hope is that all who pray them will, like St. Eugene, come face-to-face with the profound love of God in this present moment.

The Stations of the Cross are available for download on the OMIWORLD website. The Oblates
👉 🔗 Link in the first message.