Admittedly, we Oblates who work in parish ministry look--to the casual observer--like most priests.  Yet, our parishioners will note that there is sometimes a difference to worshipping in a parish staffed by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. 

It is a challenge to identify just what makes this difference, but a recent gathering of Oblates who work in parish ministries pointed to a number of the elements that feed the Oblate mark on a parish. 

Monday and Tuesday of this week, more than 30 Oblates gathered in a North Carolina hotel to discuss Oblate vocations, formation, parish life and development, and means to integrate our Salesian spirit into the culture of the local church community.  An important time for fraternity and prayer, the event welcomed Raliegh Bishop Michael Burbidge for lunch and fellowship and St. John Neumann parishioner Carol Swiger from Reston, VA, who reported on the importance of Salesian spirituality at her parish.