OFFICIAL NAME
OASIS MOVEMENT
ESTABLISHED
1950
HISTORY
The Oasis Movement was founded in Rome on 1 November 1950, the day of the promulgation of the dogma of the Assumption of our Lady, by a group of students who took up the proposal made by Fr Virginio Rotondi S.J. to commit their youth to the pursuit of the ideal of holiness. Subjected to discernment by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (in those days the Holy Office) it was officially recognised in 1952. That same year, Pius XII received its members in a special audience at Castel Gandolfo, and delivered a policy address to them which still remains to this day the Magna Charta of the Movement. Since Pius XII, subsequent Popes have also expressed their gratitude and given encouragement to the pastoral work of the Movement. The Movement is incorporated into the life of the Church at the universal, national, diocesan and parish levels. In June 1992, it was also welcomed into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
IDENTITY
The specific spirituality of the Oasis Movement is to view one’s own life as a service of love. This service is summarised under five points or commitments that help young people in particular to grow humanly and to mature spiritually: "knowing how to serve", "being interested in the world", "taking on the attitude of a servant", "delivering oneself to Christ", and "delivering oneself to our brothers and sisters". Its specific charism is vocational in the modern and ecclesial sense of that term: to lead people to see themselves as an affirmative response to the universal vocation to holiness; to any call of God, the Church and our brothers and sisters; to the quest for God’s will, to be done at all times in one’s own social, professional, political or ecclesial state of life. The Movement emphasises the pastoral ministry of vocations for young people and families, and sets out to bear witness to a spirit of total devotion, generosity and total fidelity to the Pope, the Church and her Magisterium. The formation pathway of the members, which is performed through a series of courses - the outline of which is based on the words of Fr Rotondi that "our life is perfected to the extent that it is geared to and harmonised with the will of God" - has four levels, each of which has a particular form of commitment: service, promise, consecration, animation.
ORGANISATION
Because of the spread of the Movement to different countries, it became necessary to establish an International Secretariat to support the work of the animators throughout the world. After the death of the Founder on 13 April 1990, an International Team was put in place, made up of the national Oasis Animators and the International Secretariat, which is responsible for preserving and developing the Oasis concept, faithful to the teachings of Fr Rotondi.
MEMBERSHIP
Since it is not a structured association, it is difficult to put a figure on the number of members of the Movement. Over 50 years it has helped to form hundreds of thousands of people in the spirituality of "serving for love", actively committed in many different apostolic ecclesial movements, associations or organisations. The Oasis movement is now present in 8 countries as follows: Asia (1), Europe (4), North America (1), and South America (2).
WORKS
Villaggio Nuova Speranza at São Matesu in the state of Espirito Santo in Brazil: this is a social work which looks after about 500 children every day from the nearby "favelas" in the kindergarten and five elementary school classes. The school syllabuses, which are also designed for the human development of the children, integrate farming activities, and notions of handicraft and hygiene. The children are given food every day. The aim is to influence families through the children.
PUBLICATIONS
Crescere, published monthly.
WEB SITE
HEADQUARTERS
Centro Internazionale Movimento Oasi
C.P. 14
Via dei Laghi, km 8.500 - 00040 Castel Gandolfo RM - Italy
Tel. [+39]06.9495831 - Fax 06.9495842
Email: info@movimento-oasi.it
