OUR FOUNDING VISION TODAY: FINANCE AT THE SERVICE OF MISSION

Action on behalf of justice, peace and the integrity of creation is an integral part of evangelization.
Responding to the call of the Spirit, some Oblates identify themselves with the poor, sharing their life and commitment to justice; others are present where decisions affecting the future of the poor are being made.

CC&RR, Rule 9a

Since we are a missionary Congregation, the temporal goods of our Institute are, above all, at the service of the mission.

CC&RR, Constitution 150

Since the placement of the Congregation’s funds is not unrelated to issues of justice, particular care should be taken that our investments do not support enterprises which exploit the poor or damage the environment, but rather those which benefit them in some way.

R 150b

Several years ago, many Oblate units entrusted the management of their financial resources to an entity called the Oblate Investment Pool.

The initial mission of the OIP was twofold;

  • professionally manage the financial resources of the units of the Congregation as the patrimony of the poor
  • to do so in a faith consistent and ethical manner

The OIP has evolved into an avenue of missionary enterprise that has been integrated into the congregation’s missionary outlook and reputation. It has furthermore been effective in reaching beyond the limited horizon of a solely Oblate focus to include other institutions in terms of the invitation to participate and its investment horizon…

In light of the ever increasing influence that privately organized public corporations exert over people, communities and the health of the planet, faith based investors and stakeholders have opened up a new avenue for missionary activity.  The process of engagement with publically listed corporations that active shareholder ownership enables must be a part of the work of evangelization.  This model has created distinctively new opportunities for missionary activity.  The exemplary dimension of this missionary effort is further honored through the proactive use of the financial resources to advance social benefits through faith consistent concessional and impact investing.  This type of contemporary missionary activity and presence by the Missionary Oblates has been recognized as an innovative dimension of our missionary profile.  It has opened an agora (public forum) where the light of the gospel under and the direction of the spirit will continue to open new avenues of evangelization.  (S. Finn OMI and R. Whitley OMI)

For more information : https://oiptrust.org

 

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1 Response to OUR FOUNDING VISION TODAY: FINANCE AT THE SERVICE OF MISSION

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    Wealth is not wrong; but it seems to me that we all need to look at how we gained/gain our wealth and what we do with it. Is it given back and shared or is it simply a means to get more? This morning I keep thinking of Eugene and his now-famous Lenten Homily at the church of the Madeleine. Yes he was speaking to the poor and offering them another way of seeing who they were but I wonder if there were wealthy there who heard him. I wonder what they thought as they looked inward and experienced the view of their lives. Did they walk away in disgust or were they also able to look and see through the eyes of our crucified Saviour?

    I will never be in the world of high finances but still I can apply what OIP offers, just though in much smaller ways. I can speak out when larger companies forget that they are about providing a service and how they do that – just because something is said to be ‘good business’ – who is it good for? I can look at my own actions and ways of being with others. Is it life-giving or is it only designed to make me feel better about myself? It would have been very easy to slough of these last two days of reflections that have been offered to us for I am not nor am I likely ever to be wealthy or in a position to affect the kind of changes that OIP offer. But still this can all apply to my life.

    If nothing else what kind of presence will I be to others?

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