Minutes of Hope

Oblate store, the first ever OMI store designed to support and help poor families, recently opened in To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong. The store opened on March 19, 2021 during the feast day of St. Joseph.   Fr Slawomir Kalisz, OMI and Fr. Mark Anthony Serna, OMI who are directly involved in the ministry of helping poor families in Hong Kong came up with the idea of renting a space where they can sell different products to support the ministry- and so the Oblate store was created.   The main thrust of the Oblate store is to support the increasing number of poor families in Hong Kong. It also serves as vocation promotion, creating awareness of the OMI mission in Hong Kong and to the world, to encourage the OMI mission partners and other people and to take part and develop the spirit of love and care for the poor by donating some used items that are salable.   With the arrival of pandemic in Hong Kong since last year, the number of affected poor families increased. And...

Thailand – The Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a religious, missionary and international congregation. Its broad mission has brought its identity “experts in difficult missions” as OMIs are assigned in many parts of the world where difficulty and danger are not hindrances for doing mission.   Formerly a lay minister while working in M&S company, Fr. Catanus experienced a crucial moment where an RPG hit the house where he lives in Plamango, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat during the all-out-war in 2000. Fortunately, he was not in the house at that time. He felt that it was his second life and so decided to enter the seminary to serve in the Church.   Fr. Ben Catanus, OMI is a missionary assigned in Thailand. He was ordained priest on September 11, 2011 and received his first obedience to work as a missionary in Thailand. He is from Tacupan, Carmen, Cotabato and now the parish priest of Christ the King parish in the Diocese of Udonthani, Thailand.   Thailan...