ACCEPTANCE OF NEW POSTULANTS (26 JULY 2022) I assure you. Something great awaits you here in this place. These were the words of Provincial Superior Fr. Gerry Gamaliel de los Reyes, OMI as he officially welcomed the eight incoming postulants into the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI). They come from different backgrounds, upbringings, and locations in the Philippines, but all of them shared the same desire: to serve our Lord Jesus Christ by participating in the evangelical charism of the founder St. Eugene de Mazenod.   Postulancy or Pre-novitiate is a ten-month orientation that serves to initiate these young men to the daily activities of the community. During this period, they will be exposed to the various challenges encountered when preaching the Gospel and ministering to the poor, especially in far-flung areas untouched and ignored by society. The Christian path, however, is more than just difficulties and struggles—our God is a God of peace, joy, and fulfillment, and they are guaranteed to find His presence in the most abandoned.   Among the eight young men, five are philosophy graduates of the Junior Oblates of Mary Immaculate (JOMI) seminary in Notre Dame University: Zhuntyll Jeorge Bargo, Karl Dominic Buot, Alfonso Chuidian, Algene Nelcris Ervite, and Selwyn Ralph Yllica. The remaining three are young professionals who have found their calling after serving in secular jobs: Pete Lorenzo Jumagdao is an accountancy major, Noel Luis Nuñez is a former registered nurse and freelance writer, and Jomar Villarosa served as a public-school teacher.   At the solemn Acceptance Mass attended by several priests and brothers of the community, each postulant was given a small cross emblazoned with an image of Christ the Good Shepard as a sign of their entrance into the religious order. It is the hope of their superiors and elders that they will wear this icon at all times, not only as a token of appreciation but also as a reminder that Jesus loves them and is ready to bear their burdens on His shoulders as they walk the way of an Oblate.   May God grant the new generation the courage and strength to persevere as they take up the mantle of the old, and may He bless the Catholic Church with more holy workers to tend to His growing vineyard. (NL Nuñez)