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In 1858, Oblates established themselves for the first time in the Mexican border city of Matamoros, which borders with Brownsville, Texas. After being expelled twice from Mexico, the Oblates made a permanent establishment in Paraguay in 1925. Parish missions in Uruguay and Argentina came next, followed by pastoral work with the tin and nitrate miners of Chile and Bolivia. The worker suburbs of large cities, like Mexico City and S o Paulo, welcomed the Oblates, as did Churches that had few priests, like Haiti, Surinam, Peru, Recife, Uberlandia, MarabĘ, and Puerto Rico. An apostolate also began for refugees in French Guyana. | |
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Today, over four hundred Oblates are ministering in 15 countries in Latin America, ministering to the Amerindians, Afro-Americans, peasants, miners, prisoners, children of the street, drug addicts, and AIDS victims. Oblate outreach to the poor is carried out in apostolic communities. Frequent fraternal gatherings, times of shared prayer, retreats and occasional days of reflection fuel the missionary enthusiasm of Latin American Oblates. Until recently, the majority of Oblates in Latin America came from Europe, Canada, and the United States. Latin America is enjoying an abundance of vocations, with many native ordinations on the way. |
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