Twenty candidates started their six-month intensive training at Gnanodhayam, Mannar, Sri Lanka on the 2nd of February 2014. There were ten candidates from the Oblate Province of Colombo and ten from the Oblate Province of Jaffna Four more candidates from Colombo were expected to join later. They will be initiated to the Oblate way of life by the veteran formator Fr.Emmanuel P. Jesudasan OMI assisted by Fr. Yacop Satheeskumar omi and Fr. Siluvairajah Arul Sutharson omi. Lecturers from different academia in Sri Lanka will visit Gnanodhayam on a weekly basis to give intensive training to the candidates.