Features of the Oblates of Notre Dame Schools The oblates of Notre Dame Schools are generally small parochial schools owned and managed by the Oblates of Notre Sisters. There are usually located in small towns where there are no other catholic Schools existing and where poverty is keenly felt by the people. In such a given context, the ministry strives to bring hope and joy to the people by facilitating a kind of education which is geared towards transformation of self and society. The oblates of Notre Dame school ministry must be viewed not independently from the overall perspective of the Oblates of Notre Dame Society. It must be noted that Oblates of Notre Dame is an indigenous Religious Society founded in Cotabato, Philippines, born out of the pressing pastoral needs of the contemporary church. The Society is identified by its distinctive evangelical hallmark of being poor and seeking to evangelize the poor, the deprived, the oppressed, the marginalized and the exploited. In administering the school, the Oblates of Notre Dame strive to inculcate a pastoral perspective in the direction of the school. This perspective stems from very essence of their primary apostolate which is pastoral catechesis. It is from this context that the Oblates of Notre Dame schools are known for their Pastoral Hallmark. This includes the following elements: 1. Agents of change, 2. Missionary in nature expressed
through their preference for the poor, 3. Commitment to the building of the church of the poor through Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) and Basic Dialogue Communities (BDC). As a whole, the OND EDUCATIONAL CREDO is
summed up in the firm belief that the role of the OND Schools is: TO DEVELOP
THE STUDENTS, THE TEACHING AND NON-TEACHING STAFF, AND THE ADMINISTRATORS TO BE
TRANSFORMING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. |
