The Society of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart (OSH), Kottayam is a "Society of Common Life according to the Manner of Religious" specially governed by the norms according to CCEO cc. 554-562.
By the very nature of the Society, it is a "Society of Common Life according to the Manner of Religious in the eparchial right, erected in the Archeparachy of Kottayam, in the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church".
On 21st November, 1921 a dream was realized, the dream Mar Mathew Makil had been cherishing in his heart since his visit to the OMI congregation at Colombo with Fr. Chandy Chulaparambil, the then secretary of the bishop. Inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit, his successor Mar Alexander Chulaparambil, on the look out for a suitable place for monastic life, spotted 'Chengalakattu-kunnu'. There he founded OSH, fulfilling the long cherished need for consecrated life for men in the Archeparachy of Kottayam.
Bishop Chulaparambil bought the land on 28th May, 1921. On 1st November, 1921, a statue of the Sacred Heart was erecteded at the entrance of the land and was christened as Sacred Heart Mount (S.H. Mount). It is about three kilometers away from Kottayam town.
Bishop Chulaparambil was an ardent devotee of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. While studying in Candy Seminary, Sri Lanka, he fostered a strong devotion to the Sacred Heart and a special attraction to the lifestyle of St. Francis De Sales, which was highlighted in his pastoral letter, dated 21st November, 1931. With a view of founding a religious institute, he invited a few priests interested in religious life from the Archeparchy. On 20th November, 1921, the bishop blessed a little chapel and the first house of the society; and later with the approval of the Holy See, Mar Chulaparambil, raised this association as an institute for priests and lay brothers in the Archeparchy of Kottayam and named it the 'Oblates of the sacred Heart (OSH)'.
On 29th January, 1924 the first members made their religious profession in the presence of the eparchial bishop. The first members of the Society of OSH were a group of clerics and brothers of the Archeparchy of Kottayam. They were Fr. Simon athazhakattu, Fr. Kuriakose Kuzhimulil, Fr. Luke kallidanthyil, Fr. Thomas Maplettu, bro. Lukekattapurath (later he became priest), Bro. Stephen Mudiyoorkunnel and Bro. Ittikunju Alnkatharayil.
Rev. Fr Simon Athazhakatt was the first superior general. They remain our constant source of inspiration in living the consecrated life.
Bishop Chulaparambil, by his Decree dated 29th January, 1930, canonically erected the Society by framing its general rules based on the Rules of St. Charles Borromeo's Oblates of St Ambrose. The founder bishop, by erecting the Society of the OSH, envisaged not only the personal sanctification of its members but also their availability for various ministries in the Archeparchy as well as in the Universal Church.
Kottayam
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