Evangelising the Poor — the First, the Most Abandoned
Since the first Oblate missionaries arrived in Ceylon in 1847, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate have answered the call of St. Eugene de Mazenod to bring the Good News to those most in need. Today, the Oblates of the Colombo Province — formed at St. Joseph's Seminary, Kohuwala — carry this flame across all eleven dioceses of Sri Lanka and beyond.
Apostolic Ministry
Core MissionThe seminarians at St. Joseph's, Kohuwala are formed not only in the classroom but also on the mission field. Apostolic engagements form an integral part of their Juniorate experience, preparing them to step into active ministry upon Ordination. These placements are guided by the Oblate principle of being the best Christians possible — reaching out to every person, regardless of faith, race, or social standing.
Parish Apostolate
Seminarians assist in local parishes on weekends and feast days, supporting liturgy, catechesis, and pastoral visits to families, the elderly, and the sick.
Liturgical Ministry
Active participation in Sunday Eucharist, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, and the Way of the Cross — often celebrated publicly in the streets around Kohuwala and Nugegoda.
Street Theatre & Drama
An Oblate tradition in Sri Lanka: seminarians use street plays, dramatic enactments, and creative arts to proclaim the Gospel to Catholics and non-Catholics alike in open-air spaces.
Interfaith Encounter
Located in a multi-religious society, Oblate apostolate fosters genuine dialogue and respect across Buddhist, Hindu, and Catholic communities through service and shared witness.
Mission Parishes
Pastoral CareThe Oblates of the Colombo Province oversee parishes situated intentionally in difficult and remote mission areas — communities that other congregations have been unable to reach. These parishes are characterised by populations who are mostly non-Catholic (Buddhist or Hindu) and economically marginalised: plantation workers, day labourers, and poor farmers who face social discrimination.
Reaching the Most Remote
Oblate parish priests regularly travel long distances, often without reliable electricity or running water, to celebrate the sacraments and serve their communities. This dedicated presence is a living witness to the Oblate charism.
- Diocese of Colombo — urban and peri-urban missions
- Diocese of Badulla — estate plantation communities
- Diocese of Mannar — post-conflict pastoral care
- Diocese of Trincomalee — coastal mission stations
- Diocese of Jaffna — Tamil-speaking communities
- Pre-schools, women's empowerment & income generation
- Non-formal education & tuition programs
- Emergency food and relief distribution
Mission Preaching
Grand MissionsThe Oblates are known across Sri Lanka as Grand Mission Preachers — a tradition stretching back to the congregation's founding charism under St. Eugene de Mazenod in France. In Sri Lanka this tradition was formalised in 1948 at Nazareth House, Wennappuwa, and the preaching band continues its work today from Amaithi-Aham, Vavuniya.
Parish Missions
Multi-day mission programmes combining morning Masses, evening liturgies, family visitations, and sacramental preparation across rural and urban parishes throughout the country.
Youth & School Retreats
Seminars and retreat programmes tailored to school children, youth groups, and young adults — helping the next generation encounter Christ and discover their vocation in the Church.
Adult Formation Seminars
Workshop programmes on Scripture, Sacraments, Marian devotion, and family life, enabling the lay faithful to mature in their Christian commitment.
Open-Air Events
Street processions of the Blessed Sacrament, public Way of the Cross, and the Rosary — staged in public spaces to make the Gospel visible and accessible to people of all faiths.
Media Ministry
Adapting the preaching tradition to digital and broadcast media, reaching Catholics and non-Catholics beyond the physical reach of parish missions.
Children's Ministry
La-Kri-Vi MovementOne of the most distinctive fruits of Oblate ministry in Sri Lanka is the La-Kri-Vi Movement — "Valiant Children of Action" — founded by the Oblates and open to all children aged 5 to 15, regardless of race, religion, or sex. It is an integral development movement run by the children themselves, guided by youth volunteers who serve as animators.
La-Kri-Vi Movement
Over 9,000 children enrolled in approximately 400 village-level cells across 40 districts, guided by around 450 youth volunteer animators throughout Sri Lanka.
Children's Homes
The Oblates manage St. Vincent Home, Maggona, in the South and Amala Aanai Children's Home, Mulankawil, in the North — caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.
Faith Formation
Through the La-Kri-Vi cells, children deepen their faith and develop spiritual awareness while building respect for children of other religious traditions in Sri Lanka's multi-faith society.
Leadership Development
The movement develops the personality, leadership qualities, and social consciousness of young people through physical, mental, and spiritual formation activities.
Counselling & Spiritual Renewal
Healing MinistryThe Oblates of Sri Lanka have pioneered a unique psycho-spiritual approach to ministry, recognising that true human flourishing requires both psychological healing and spiritual renewal. Qualified Oblate counsellors — trained in Canada and the USA — have established a network of centres across the island.
Psychological Counselling
Individual and group counselling services for those experiencing deep wounds, trauma, grief, and personal crisis — provided by professionally qualified Oblate counsellors in local languages.
Spiritual Direction
One-to-one accompaniment for those seeking to deepen their relationship with God, discern vocation, or navigate spiritual difficulties on their journey of faith.
Shrines & Renewal Centres
The Oblates administer shrines and renewal centres across Sri Lanka — hundreds of which are dedicated to Our Lady — as places of pilgrimage, prayer, and sacramental ministry.
Lay Formation
Training programmes enable lay people to become qualified counsellors and spiritual directors — multiplying the Oblate healing ministry far beyond what priests alone could achieve.
Marian Devotion
Our Lady's ApostlesThe Oblates of Mary Immaculate are, by name and charism, consecrated to Our Lady. Sri Lanka has been blessed with hundreds of churches dedicated to Our Lady as a direct fruit of Oblate missionary efforts. At St. Joseph's Seminary, devotion to Mary is woven into every aspect of community life.
Marian Shrines
Oblates administer major Marian shrines throughout Sri Lanka, serving as centres of pilgrimage and spiritual renewal for thousands of faithful annually.
The Holy Rosary
Public rosary processions in streets and open spaces — a visible sign of Catholic faith and an invitation to all people to encounter Our Lady's intercession.
Marian Churches
Hundreds of churches dedicated to Our Lady across all eleven dioceses of Sri Lanka stand as lasting monuments to the Oblate Marian apostolate.
Education & Teaching Ministry
Formation of YouthA significant number of Oblates serve as teachers and lecturers in schools, universities, and the major seminaries of Sri Lanka — in both government-sponsored and private institutions. This academic presence is understood as a vital avenue for reaching youth who hunger for spiritual inspiration and intellectual formation.
Schools
Oblates serve as principals and teachers in Catholic schools, including the historic St. Joseph's College, Colombo — one of Sri Lanka's most distinguished educational institutions, founded by the Oblates in 1896.
Seminaries & Theology
Oblate faculty serve at the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka, Kandy, the Oblate Scholasticate, and the De Mazenod Scholasticate, Jaffna — shaping the next generation of Sri Lankan priests.
Missionary Formation
Sri Lanka now sends its own Oblate missionaries abroad — to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and beyond — trained at St. Joseph's and the wider formation network of the Colombo Province.
Catechesis
Catechetical programmes for children, youth, and adults in mission parishes — including preparation for Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation in remote communities.
Join Our Mission
Whether you feel called to serve alongside us as a volunteer, a co-worker, or a future Oblate missionary, we warmly invite you to get involved in the apostolic life of St. Joseph's Seminary.
Social Outreach
Service of the PoorFaithful to their charism, the Oblates of Sri Lanka have continually responded to the nation's most urgent human crises — from three decades of civil conflict to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. This integral evangelisation, which addresses both the spiritual and material needs of people, is the hallmark of Oblate social ministry.
Shelter & Relief
Emergency temporary shelter, food packages, and relief supplies distributed to conflict-affected and tsunami-displaced families.
Women's Empowerment
Income-generating programmes and skills training for women in plantation and rural communities to foster economic independence.
Non-Formal Education
Tuition programmes, pre-schools, and school dropout support for children and youth in underserved mission parishes.
Care for the Displaced
Assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons, and those affected by conflict — present in the most difficult pastoral settings.
Elderly & Widows
Regular visitation, material support, and spiritual accompaniment for widows, the elderly, and the lonely in Oblate mission areas.
Integral Ecology
Seminarians participate in community care of the environment — garden and land stewardship as an expression of care for creation.
International Solidarity
During the civil war and tsunami, hundreds of Oblate collaborators and donors from around the world joined the Sri Lankan Oblates to provide relief and rehabilitation. This solidarity continues through the Oblate international network in their ongoing response to poverty and displacement.