Mr. and Mrs. Teófilo become full Oblates of St. Benedict!

Folks, I want to share with you some joyful news: my wife and I were received today as full Oblates of St. Benedict in a simple ceremony held at St. Vincent's Archabbey in Latrobe, PA. After an invocation to the Holy Spirit, a "questioning and admonition," we promised to "dedicate ourselves to the service of God and neighbor according to the Rule of Saint Benedict." We then did recited our act of final oblation as follows:

Peace! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I...offer myself to almighty God, through the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Holy Father Benedict, as an Oblate of Saint Vincent Archabbey and promise to dedicate myself to the service of God and neighbor according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, insofar as my state in life permits.

We then went to the altar and signed and dated our full names on the Oblation certificate.

I assumed the name of "Teófilo," in honor of the person who St. Luke addressed his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, as well as another "Theophilus" who was a Bulgarian Benedictine, martyred during the iconoclastic controversies in the 8th century. A saint of the East as well as of the West, and a Benedictine to boot! My wife chose "Therese," in honor of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Doctor of the Church, whose life my wife has assiduously studied.

Thus commences for us a new walk in faith and in the Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Deo Gratias.

- Read more about Benedictine Oblate ceremonies here, or find out more of what it means to be an Oblate of St. Benedict here.

In anticipation of a ceremony set to take place this afternoon.