In the midst of uncertainty, a new beginning brings the promise of hope. The Church faced a time of unparalleled uncertainty in the early 19th Century. Many feared that the flame of faith would expire forever. Even Catholics experienced a startling disconnect between what they believed and how they lived their daily lives. As one historian puts it, “The Church’s prestige
sunk to historic lows; some elites in Europe thought there would be no successor to Pius VI and jokingly referred to him as ‘Pius the Last.’” In the midst of this uncertainty, the Venerable Bruno Lanteri set out to find a community of priests and brothers who would change the world by proclaiming the merciful love of God.

The story of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary began with three friends, priests from a small town in the Archdiocese of Turin, Italy. They felt a call from the Lord to do something about the rampant loss of faith after the French Revolution. They wanted to begin a revolution of a very different kind, a “new evangelization.” These friends had plenty of energy and enthusiasm, but no plan, no vision, and no experienced general to lead them. Then came a provident encounter with Venerable Bruno Lanteri, who not only shared their zeal but also knew exactly what
the world needed.

Venerable Bruno Lanteri understood that this kind of revolution would require a band of saintly warriors who knew how to wield weapons of sanctification first in their own lives and then in the lives of others. These weapons, of course, were the Word of God, the Sacraments, personal prayer, fidelity to the Holy Father, and love for one another. He knew that spiritual warriors need training and he wanted the Oblates to be directly involved in the formation of the clergy. He knew the power of a good book to counter the anti-Catholic propaganda so prevalent in society, and so the Oblates were to use the media to combat current errors. Ahead of his time, he realized that the real transformation of culture was the work of the laity. The Oblates were to form men and women who could be leaven in the world. Above all, Venerable Bruno Lanteri had witnessed no more powerful means than the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to make almost anyone “a saint, a great saint, and quickly.” All of these elements came together in the Oblates’ Rule of Life approved in 1817 and continue to articulate the Oblate mission today.