oblate sisters

oblate sisters

Background

The Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 50 Warner Road, Liberty, will participate in a Mass of Thanksgiving at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Columba Cathedral, 154 W. Wood St., Youngstown, in recognition of the beatification of foundress, Blessed Mother Maria Teresa Casini. Bishop George V. Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown will celebrate the Mass with other priests.

Foundress: Blessed Mother Casini founded the Oblate Sisters in 1894 in Italy as a contemplative, cloistered order whose mission was “to pray for priestly holiness.” Teresa Casini was born Oct. 27, 1864, in Frascati, Italy. At 18, she began to follow God’s call to give herself completely to Jesus by way of the evangelical counsels. On Oct. 17, 1892, she began to live a common life with two companions at Grottaferrata, Italy. On Feb. 2, 1894, she founded the Institute of the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1925, she started the work of the “Little Friends of Jesus” to promote and cultivate priestly vocations. On April 3, 1937, Blessed Mother Casini died in Grottaferrata, Italy, and on July 7, 1997, the Church declared her venerable. She was beatified during a Mass Oct. 31, 2015, in the Cathedral Frascati, St. Peter the Apostle.

Miracle: In 2003, Jacob “Jack” Sebest, then 5 years old, drowned. Today, he is a senior at Ursuline High School. His recovery was documented as a miracle through intercessory prayer to Mother Casini, which led to her beatification. A second miracle must be shown for Blessed Mother Casini to be canonized and declared a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

Oblate Sisters in the Valley: Oblate Sisters Clara D’Amico and Chiarina Antonucci arrived in the United States in 1946. Bishop James McFadden invited the order to the newly established Diocese of Youngstown. By 1949, 10 other sisters arrived from Italy and formally began the USA Foundation.

Ministries: Oblate Sisters are devoted to a life of prayer for priests, praying for priests to be holy. In the Diocese of Youngstown, the order operates two priest retirement homes for retired and convalescent priests. At the convent, Villa Maria Teresa, the sisters have a preschool and kindergarten. They also teach religious formation on elementary, secondary and adult levels in the diocese. In ministry with priests, Oblate Sisters serve as parish directors of religious education or pastoral ministers, assist in catechist formation, visit the sick in hospitals, work with youth and take the Holy Eucharist to the homebound. They also have taught in schools in the diocese.

Worldwide: Oblate Sisters serve in Brazil, South America; India; Guinea Bissau, Africa; and Peru.

Contact information: Villa Maria Teresa, 50 Warner Road, Liberty; call 330-759-9329 or email to vmtoblate@aol.com. Website is www.oblatesister.org.