Fr Ron Rolheiser Comes to South Africa!

by Erin Carelse · May 29, 2018

Fr Ron Rolheiser. (Photo: YouTube)

Popular Canadian writer Fr Ronald Rolheiser , whose column appears weekly in The Southern Cross, will visit South Africa to deliver a public lecture to his fellow Oblates of Mary Immaculate on June 1.

Fr Rolheiser will be in South Africa for the annual meeting of the Association of Oblate Institutes of Higher Learning, a meeting of all the OMI institutes around the world where the presidents of each institute get together for a week to discuss and network.

This year St Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara, near Pietermaritzburg, is the host, and will present the inaugural Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies Lecture to coincide with the meeting.

Fr Rolheiser will speak on the topic “The Oblate Charism Today: Its Essence, Its Modesty, Its Vitality, Its Struggles, and Its Urgency”.

Fr Ewan Swartz OMI, acting president of St Joseph’s, said he is looking forward to having Fr Rolheiser as keynote speaker.

“Having heard Fr Rolheiser speak before, and reading his articles and books, we are assured that he will impart wisdom, insight, and understanding on the topic,” he told The Southern Cross.

“His ability to expound on such themes is inspiring and will surely provoke and awaken in all a spirit of hope and enthusiasm. I hope he will enlighten us on the struggles we face, not only as Oblates, and especially offer ways of overcoming these.”

Oblate Charism

The programme for the day also includes talks by Fr Paul Decock OMI, on Archbishop Denis Hurley’s contribution to the development of St Josephs, and Fr Joseph Phiri OMI, on the challenges to formation in the Oblate charism, as well as musical items by the Drakondale Girls Choir School, and responses to Fr Rolheisers talk.

“This being the inaugural lecture, we are humbled that it will take place at St Joseph’s,” Fr Swartz said. “We are looking forward to hosting all our foreign and local visitors for this auspicious occasion and are certain that it will be well attended,” he said.

The event will be live-streamed to make it available throughout the world. The link to the live streaming will be available on St Joseph’s website closer to the time.”

Due to limited capacity, it is important to RSVP by contacting Tracy Naidoo at or phone 087 353-8940 during office hours.