Diane O’Brien Represents Mount at International Oblate Congress

Oblate Diane O’Brien was the representative of Mount St. Scholastica at the September 2023 International Benedictine Oblate Congress in Rome. (Mount Oblate Judith Valente also attended the Congress as a member of the planning committee.)

Diane said the days at the Congress were made up of three components: prayer, education, and community. Prayer included Lauds, Mass, and Vespers each day. Diane noted,

“Gathering with a global community and praying in a variety of languages emphasized for me that we are all part of the one body of Christ.”

Diane O’Brien

The education component of the Congress consisted of presentations, workshops and “islands of silence.” Conference speakers addressed the challenges and opportunities open to oblates as they daily live out their calling. In the workshops, participants discussed their thoughts on formation, how to attract others to Benedictine spirituality and oblation, and how to stay connected as a global oblate community. The “islands of silence” component provided the opportunity to learn about silence and the importance of seeking it as a means of deepening our relationship with God. Community was experienced most especially at meal time as oblates gathered around the long, refectory tables.

Diane said, “Three other experiences from the Congress were very meaningful to me. The first two were our trips to visit the Sacra Speco (holy) cave at Subiaco where St. Benedict first lived as a hermit, and Monte Cassino, the monastery St. Benedict founded in 529 and the place where he wrote the Rule we all try to live by. The final experience of the Congress, and one for which I am profoundly grateful, was the opportunity to have a special audience with Pope Francis and to meet him. His words to us were kind and heartfelt as he gave thanks to us for our oblation and invited us to continue to expand our hearts and to entrust them every day to God’s love. May it be so for you and for me.”