Fr. Harry Winter
Oblate Missiologists
February 2020 Revised Edition of Oblate Missiologists
By Harry Winter, OMI
Feb. 2020 edition of Oblate Missiologists, A Workbook, features the mention of the first Oblate martyr, Brother Alexis Reynard (1828-75).
Our first Oblate martyr died defending a young 14-year-old orphan girl, Genevieve Duquette, from their guide, Louis Lafrance, on a journey in the Arctic in 1875. Brother Alexis Reynard (1828-1875) and the girl both were murdered by Louis. Details are given by Ileana Chinnci, COMI (Oblate Missionary Cooperator), in Oblatio Studia 8, “Oblation and Martyrdom,” pp. 161-64.
Click here for more details on Bro. Alexis Reynard
For the Feb. edition of the Workbook, with a further contribution by Bishop Wieslaw Anthony Krotki, O.M.I., of Hudson Bay, CLICK HERE.
Information about Bibliographia Missionaria
With disappointment and great regret, I want to inform you that after eighty-three years of activity the publication of the Bibliographia Missionaria comes to an end. Despite having the right staff and editor, the Rector of the Pontifical Urban University has taken the decision to conclude this important work for missiology. One of the few missiological journals published for so long, appreciated by many specialists, thus ends. As one of the publishers, I feel to remember the story of this publication. Read More Click Here
The Story of Brother Alexis Reynard, O.M.I., Our First Oblate Martyr. 2019/2020
Feb. 2020 edition of Oblate Missiologists, A Workbook, features the mention of the first Oblate martyr, Brother Alexis Reynard (1828-75). Click Here to Learn more
Oblates Preserving Hmong Culture in Minnesota (February 27, 2018)
How does a church named after the patron saint of Ireland, located in St. Paul, Minnesota, become the focal point of outreach to an ethnic group from Laos? It’s a testament to the diversity of ministry of the Missionary Oblates. Click Here to learn more
A Love Letter to One Oblate and all Oblates, as the Hmong language is Constructed. (June 6, 2017)
On behalf of the Catholic Hmong congregation here at St. Patrick, I want to Thank you Father for bringing us to this church. Without you, we might not be here today. So thank you so much for everything that you have done to find us a home. Click Here to learn more
Oblate Yves Bertrais and others construct the Hmong language. (October 4, 2018)
Although multiple attempts were made to spread the gospel to the Hmong in Asia, the most well known and successful was that of an Oblat of the Immaculate Heart priest namesed Yves Bertrais (Txiv Plig Nyiaj Pov). Click Here to learn more
For Lucien Bouchard OMI’s Ministry to Hmong in Laos
I’m writing these notes about my missionary life in Southeast Asia and will relate especially about my 18 ½ years stay in Laos from Nov. 17, 1956 to May 8, 1975. After I was forced out of Laos by the Communist Lao regime in 1975, I then joined six French ex-Laos missionaries and went with them to Indonesia where we arrived at the end of January, 1977 in the city of Jakarta. Click Here to learn more
Fr. Anatole Baillargeon, OMI (1914-2008) was among the many Oblates who have been involved with US Catholic Mission Association (USCMA), Executive Research Assistant, U.S. Catholic Mission Council. For more information, click here.
As the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Pontifical Urbaniana University Library discuss dropping the hardcopy annual edition of Bibliographia Missionaria, or perhaps ceasing publication entirely, it is helpful to review this priceless contribution by our community to the study of missiology.
Not only has the yearly issue been of immense help to missiologists of every denomination, but it has shown that German missiologists could work in a then French religious order, to be succeeded by Polish, and most recently, a Madagascar missiologist. Consult “Bibliographia Missiologia: Thermometer of Missiology,” for a sketch of this accomplishment:Click Here.
Based on the pioneering work in missiology bibliography by Oblates Robert Streit and Johannes Dindinger, the first volume of Bibliographia Missionaria was published in 1935 by Johannes Rommeskirchen, OMI. He edited the annual volume for the next 20 years.
In 1977, Willi Henkel, OMI assumed the role of editor. He was assisted by Josef Metzler, OMI, Nickolas Kowalski, OMI and Werner Rorig, OMI. For a detailed explanation of his predecessors by Henkel, see his 1982 “Bibliographers in the Service of Mission,” Oblate Missiologists, pp. 37-45, Click Here.
Marek Rostkowski, OMI, assumed the editorship in 1998, and published it until 2016, when Alphonse Rakontondravelo, OMI, took that position. Alphonse has been involved with the 2017 edition, which may be the first and last to be published online.
As the Urbaniana University decides whether an internet edition is possible, let us thank God for the 78 issues so far published. What an accomplishment by our Oblate missiologists! May the Holy Spirit help all concerned in the decision.
For a unique contribution by the Oblates to the study of Missiology, Ecumenism, and World Religion Click here to learn more
National Workshop on Christian Unity May 2017 praises Oblate Missiologists, Click Here Use link for OMIUSA Four Oblates
Letitia Preston Floyd: A direct descendant, Austin Floyd, has found many more unedited letters of the Floyd Family, at West Virginia University Library. More about this in the future.
It is fitting that this most spirited defense of a Catholic being able to serve in American politics, was written by the son of Letitia Preston Floyd (see below for our calling her an Oblate missiologist). Benjamin Rush Floyd penned this in 1852, See how far Catholics have come (and Jews and Southern Baptists and members of other faiths): Click Here to Learn More
Corona Virus: An Opportunity to Work with Fundamentalists, click here.
Ron Rolheiser OMI notes that the Oblates of Mary are the best kept secret in the missionary world. May this booklet help us become more grateful for the great witness God has enabled us to make.
Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Bishops of Buffalo, NY: Ecumenism for Evangelization. Some Oblate Reflections.
For Archived Oblate Missiologist Articles Please Click here
For June 3rd article on Letitia Preston Floyd Click Here; for more see below:
Letitia Preston Floyd Rediscovered (see third item below). Dr. Jim Glanville has recently publicized the importance of Letitia Preston Floyd, with three articles in The Smithfield Review, vol. 19, 2015. Working with Ryan S. Mays, he published “A Sketch of Letitia Preston Floyd and Some of Her Letters,” (pp. 77-120), and “Governor John Floyd, Letitia Preston Floyd and the Catholic Church” (pp. 121-36). He worked with Fr. Winter and edited the article Fr. Winter originally wrote in 1990 “Letitia Preston Floyd: Pioneer Catholic Feminist” (pp. 137-45). Copies of The Smithfield Review may be obtained: info@smithfieldplantation.org.
Much information on Letitia and her family is available on the website maintained by Dr. Glanville: www.lynnside.org.
Update on “Thermometer of Missiology”: the accomplishment described at the end of this paragraph is now edited by Marek Rostkowski, OMI, and the 77th volume, for the year 2014, has now grown to 4,727 bibliographical entries, 41 reviews, and 301 journals indexed. Any publication regarding ecumenism, interfaith dialogue, and social justice, as part of evangelization, is recorded. It has its own website: Bibliographia Missionaria. Please Click Here
Greg Gallagher OMI; Robert Schreiter, CPPS – 2014
The following article from the Summer 2014, Mission Update of the United States Catholic Mission Association (USCMA) explains why the ecumenical American Society of Missiology is so important. Twice Robert Schreiter, CPPS, is presented. Schreiter has taught many Oblates who have studied at the Chicago Theological Union.
Greg Gallaher, OMI, is currently President of the USCMA Click Here and look for pages 6 and 7.
An Oblate Missiologist: Letitia Preston Floyd (1779-1852)?
In what sense is this woman an Oblate missiologist? Her influence on spreading Catholicism in the States of WV, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee is enormous, through her children whom she encouraged to become Catholic at a time when Catholicism was despised and rejected. She was the sister of a governor of Virginia, James Patton Preston; the wife of a governor of Virginia, John Floyd; and the mother of a governor of Virginia, John Buchanan Floyd.
When Fr. James MacGee OMI became pastor of Monroe County, WV, he discovered St. John’s Chapel , Sweet Springs, WV, built by Letitia’s daughter Letitia Floyd Lewis. When I succeeded MacGee as pastor, I took up the story of the Floyd’s and Lewis’. Below is an article describing the high point, on Aug. 15, 1990, when the bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, Bernard Schmitt, dedicated the marker on Mrs. Floyd’s grave.
Recently a Virginian historian, Jim Glanville, has discovered the article and is mining the correspondence between Mrs. Floyd and Bishop Vincent Whelan, for her actual entry into the Catholic Church. We hope to post his article soon.
Thus Mrs. Floyd is an Oblate Missiologist in the sense that she led many into the Catholic Church, and in the sense that Oblates have discovered her influence. Click here for the Aug. 15, 1990 article. Click here for article
April 18th 2013 Oblate Convocation. The interest group on Missionary Ecumenism was presented twice. Fr. Ron Rolheiser OMI introduced it Harry Winter OMI facilitated and Dan Nassaney OMI concluded each session. Click here for introductory material
We now have the first doctoral dissertation (1983) done on Father Andre Seumois, OMI. Click here for the PDF version.
This article of Marcello Zago has appeared in the June 2012 issue of Ecumenical Trends. click here to view BONDING PROCLAMATION, ECUMENISM AND DIALOGUE