"He who preaches with love, preaches effectively.”
St. Francis de Sales
Retirement
Seeking God in every season of life
Oblate retirement is a reminder that the living of our religious vows does not end when we leave an apostolate or finish a ministry assignment. The vows remind us of our commitment to God, the Church, and our religious family. Our life as Oblates calls us to be who we are to and to be that well. Living that out continues each day of our lives.
After many years of faithful and generous service, retired Oblates who reside in parishes or at our retirement communities stay involved in the community, celebrating Masses, hearing confessions, and contemplatively praying for the Church and its many friends and benefactors.
Retired Oblates live in parishes, school communities, and our retirement center, Annecy Hall.
Annecy Hall
The Oblates in America follow the time-honored Church tradition of younger members of a religious community dutifully caring for their older brothers. This is done around the Provinces and mostly at Annecy Hall on the Oblate property in Childs, MD. Tucked between rolling farmlands and Interstate 95, this location has served many purposes over the years. Decades ago, Oblates first arrived at Childs as young, eager postulants and novices.
With the support and generosity of many friends and donors, the property at Childs was restructured and Annecy Hall was built in 1994.
Named for the beautiful city in the French Alps where Francis de Sales lived, ministered, and became a saint, the retirement center’s name reminds the Oblates of the call to service and sanctity.
Annecy Hall is a place where retired and infirm priests and brothers, even with the challenges of aging and illness, can continue to minister to others through their prayers and good works. When a priest or brother is in his final days, community members will keep prayerful vigil by his bedside and bring comfort and support to his family and friends.
Donate to Support Oblate Retirement
Gifts for retirement can be allotted to each province. You can also give in memory of or in honor of a loved one or Oblate.
“Since at every season of life, in youth or in old age, God looks upon us with love, now is the time to cast yourself into His arms and to serve Him faithfully.”
St. Francis de Sales
