History of the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, a religious congregation of priests and brothers founded in France in 1875 by Father Louis Brisson, came to the United States in 1893.

The primary goal of the Oblates is to “Live Jesus,” to imitate Christ, following the optimistic spirit and teachings of their founder while ministering to the people of God in the modern world in a gentle and humble way in the spirit of their patron, St. Francis de Sales.

The Oblates have been serving the Catholic people of North Carolina since 1966. Today, the Oblates staff parishes throughout the Unites States. See below for listing.

The ministry of the Oblates in North Carolina began as the result of a close friendship between Father William D. Buckley, OSFS, and Bishop Vincent S. Waters of the Diocese of Raleigh. Both had great plans for the Oblates in North Carolina.

Father Joseph Maule, OSFS, named Pastor of St. Barnabas Parish in Arden on January 19, 1966, was the first Oblate to take up residence in North Carolina. Shortly thereafter, in May of 1967, Father Anthony Dougherty, OSFS, was named Principal of Asheville Catholic High School.

Visit the Oblates and Salesian Family Worldwide. Use google translate to visit pages in other languages.

The Oblates, at present, serve the Church in the following dioceses:

Allentown Diocese

• DeSales University, Center Valley, PA

Arlington Diocese

• Bishop Ireton High School (Affiliated School), Alexandria, VA
• Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Washington, DC
• St. John Newmann, Reston, VA
• Our Lady of Good Counsel, Vienna, VA

Boston Archdiocese

• Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Camden Diocese

• Immaculate Conception Cathedral Church, Camden, NJ
• Our Lady Star of the Sea, Cape May, NJ

Charlotte Diocese

• Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point, NC

International Parishes and Missions

• St. Charles, Monaco
  
• Helping Hands for Haiti, Haiti
• South Africa

Philadelphia Archdiocese

• Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA
• Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, Philadelphia, PA
• Father Judge High School, Philadelphia, PA
• Fraternal Order of Police Chaplaincy, Philadelphia, PA
  
• Holy Family University, Philadelphia, PA
• Our Mother of Consolation, Philadelphia, PA
• St. Joseph University Press, Philadelphia, PA

Raleigh Diocese

• Holy Infant, Durham, NC
• Holy Redeemer by the Sea, Kitty Hawk, NC
• Immaculate Conception, Wilmington, NC
• Our Lady of the Seas, Buxton, NC
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Fayetteville, NC

Toldeo Diocese

• St. Francis de Sales High School, Toledo, OH

Venice Diocese

• Our Lady of Light, Fort Myers, FL
• St. Ann, Naples, FL
• St. Cecilia, Fort Myers, FL
• Jesus the Worker, Fort Myers, FL

Wilmington Diocese

• Annecy Hall Assisted Living, Elkton, MD
• Immaculate Conception, Elkton, MD
• Nativity Preparatory School of Wilmington, Wilmington, DE
• Padua Academy, Wilmington, DE
• St. Anthony of Padua, Wilmington, DE
• Salesianum School, Wilmington, DE

Other Oblate and Salesian Links

• De Sales Service Works, Camden, NJ
• Bee Still Studio, Artwork by Br. Mickey McGrath

Oblates and Salesian Organizations

• Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Generalate
  OSFS Toledo-Detroit Province
  OSFS French Province
  OSFS German-Speaking Province
  OSFS Italian Province
  OSFS Netherlands Province
  OSFS South American & Caribbean Province
  OSFS South African Region
  OSFS Indian Mission
  International Commission for Salesian Spirituality
  Live Jesus! Communities
  The St. Francis de Sales Society
  Second Federation of the Visitation
  Second Federation of the Visitation - Brooklyn
  Second Federation of the Visitation - Mendota Heights, MN
  Second Federation of the Visitation - Minneapolis
  Second Federation of the Visitation - St. Louis
  Secular Institute of St. Francis de Sales
  The Sisters Of the Visitation of Tyringham