Zambia Delegation
History
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate arrived in Zambia in 1984, with four pioneers from Texas, namely: Fr
Pat Gitzen, Fr. Paul Duffy, Fr. Jack Joyce, and Bro. Joseph
Kaplinger, who started the mission.
Fr. Pat Gitzen is currently the member of staff at
Our Lady of Peace Novitiate in Doebra - Namibia whilst Fr. Paul Duffy
is the current Bishop of Mongu Diocese. Fr. Jack Joyce and
Br.
Joseph Kaplinger past away; May their souls rest in eternal
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Today, Oblates of Mary Immaculate are working in three
missions in Kalabo, Limulunga and Lukulu in Mongu diocese
with Mary Immaculate Parish in Lusaka as the fourth and
latest addition.
Within the context of these parishes, we also run the
youth ministries and we are also involved in mass media Oblate Radio Liseli in
Mongu, the provincial Capital of Western Province of Zambia.
This radio station covers the whole of Mongu and most of the Province.
The membership of the Delegation is growing, as the Lord blesses
us with more vocations. At the moment membership totals 45.
Among our ranks, we have 1 Bishop, 15 priests, 1 brother, 28
scholastics. We also have 13 Novices and 25 pre-novices.
Our
formation process starts starts in Lusaka at the formation house
called pre-novitiate. Then the candidates go to one of the three
Novitiates: Our Lady of Peace in Doebra - Windhoek, Namibia; Our
Lady Hope, Johannesburg - South Africa, and Our lady Hope
Novitiate, Illinois U.S.A.
Our scholastics are also found in
most of our international scholasticate with the majority being
sent to St. Joseph's scholasticate near Piertermaritzburg in
South Africa. Others go to San Antonio, Texas, Chicago in U.S.A.
and Rome.
The leadership of the delegation is such that we now have a
locally born superior - who is also the first Zambia Oblate to
be ordained priest in 1998.
history
