Oblates of St. Charles

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OBLATES OF ST. CHARLES

(OSC); an English institute of secular priests founded by Henry Edward manning in London (1857). The great increase in the Catholic population at that time, because of Irish immigration and conversions resulting from the Oxford Movement, led Cardinal wiseman to depute Manning to establish this group. Manning modeled the new institute on the Oblates of Milan, but modified their rule, composed by St. Charles borromeo, to suit English conditions. Pius IX approved the rule in 1877. The aim was to have diocesan priests living in communities and engaged in pastoral and domestic mission labors. Under Manning, the first superior, the Oblates established four parishes in the western section of London, built primary and secondary schools, and introduced several sisterhoods into the Westminster archdiocese to aid them. Herbert vaughan, while an Oblate, founded the millhill missionaries.

Bibliography: e. s. purcell, Life of Cardinal Manning, Archbishop of Westminster, 2 v. (4th ed. London 1896).

[d. ward/eds.]