With praise and thanksgiving to God for the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Congregation, the Jaffna Oblates gathered at Gnanatheepam, Ariyalai, Jaffna for the formal closing of Oblate Triennium.
Fr. S. M. Sebastian, OMI, the Jaffna Province Oblate Triennium coordinator, presided over the service assisted by the singing of the scholastics choir. During the service, he invited the oblates to ‘look at the past with gratitude,’ to ‘live out the present with passion,’ and to ‘embrace the future with hope.’
Basing on 2010 General Chapter theme, the long three year period of triennium was a animation of personal and communal conversion to Jesus Christ. At the end of the formal closing of Oblate Triennium, Fr. Provincial thanked Fr. S. M. Sebastian, OMI for his many meaningful initiatives throughout the Oblate Triennium.
As the Oblate Triennium is closed the missionary vision of the 2016 General Chapter will be our principal guide during the next six years. Thus, Jaffna Oblates underlined one of the highlights of the General Chapter, viz. The Mission with Youth by opening up a ‘Youth Empowerment Center,’ called “GNANATHEEPAM,” which was blessed and declared open for youth ministry.
