Consecrated Life: Renewed Encounter with Constitutions and Rules

Hosted by the Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies at Oblate School of Theology, this special gathering marks the 200th anniversary of the papal approval of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Constitutions and Rules. While honoring this milestone, the event also recognizes the importance of Constitutions and Rules in consecrated life more broadly, as living expressions of each community’s identity and charism.

Through prayer, presentation, dialogue, and shared reflection, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Explore the role of Constitutions and Rules as sources of identity, mission, and formation.
• Share personal and communal experiences of living out Constitutions and Rules.
• Celebrate the diversity of charisms present in San Antonio’s religious communities.
• Connect with others through conversation and congregational displays.

Participants will gather for a morning of prayer, learning, and shared reflection centered on the meaning and vitality of Constitutions and Rules in consecrated life.

The day will begin with a welcome and opening prayer, followed by a presentation from Fr. Frank Santucci, OMI on the historical and biblical roots of the Rule—exploring where Constitutions and Rules come from, their foundation in Scripture, early monastic traditions, and how they have evolved through history, including the renewal called for by Vatican II.

Afterward, participants will engage in guided table discussions reflecting on how they have personally encountered and lived their Constitutions and Rules, concluding with large group sharing to highlight common insights and experiences.

Following a brief break for refreshments, the program continues with a presentation by a woman religious on living Constitutions and Rules today and tomorrow. This talk will focus on discerning a path forward amid contemporary realities such as community mergers, diminishing numbers, and intercultural community life—asking, Who is God calling us to be going forward?

Participants will then return to table discussions to envision how their Constitutions and Rules might continue to guide their communities into the future, with a final opportunity for large group sharing to exchange wisdom across congregations.

The gathering will close with expressions of gratitude and a prayer of sending forth, celebrating the shared mission and charisms that unite consecrated life today.

All religious men and women of San Antonio are warmly invited, along with lay collaborators and friends of consecrated life, to join in this day of renewal, dialogue, and celebration.

The Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies
Established in 2017 at Oblate School of Theology, the Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies is the first endowed chair dedicated to the study of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The Chair promotes the history, charism, spirituality, and mission of the Oblates through teaching, research, enrichment programs, and the annual Kusenberger Lecture. It also fosters collaboration with institutes of higher learning around the world to serve the Oblate General Administration and all those inspired by the charism of St. Eugene de Mazenod.

Made possible through the generosity of the Kusenberger family, this Chair ensures that the Oblate legacy continues to inspire and form future generations of religious and lay leaders.

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Host or Publisher Oblate School of Theology