The Oblates

What The Oblates does

The Oblates, formally the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation founded in 1816 in Aix-en-Provence, France, by St. Eugene de Mazenod and now present in more than 60 countries. In the Anglo-Irish Province, the congregation numbers roughly 140 Oblates operating across parishes, retreat houses, and pastoral ministries in the UK (arrived 1841) and Ireland (arrived 1856), supported by approximately 9 paid administrative staff. Its core activities include parish ministry, running retreat centers, leading the annual Lourdes Pilgrimage (in operation since 1883), youth ministry through the Oblate Youth Service (since 1987), and international missionary work coordinated through appeals and the Partners in Mission team.

The congregation's product surface spans in-person spiritual and pastoral services, published books and prayer materials, the "A Moment to Pause" daily podcast, and a small online shop selling cards, prints, books, and gifts. Underlying "technology" is fundamentally non-digital: community-based ministry, formation programs, and physical retreat infrastructure rather than a software or platform stack.

The business model is a charitable donation and contribution model. Revenue is generated through parish collections, retreat-house contributions, pilgrimage fees, sales of devotional media, and legacy/bequest giving; the entity operates as a registered charity and is not a commercial enterprise. Customer segments are diffuse: parishioners, retreatants, pilgrims, youth, lay associates (Friends of St. Eugene, Oblate Associates), and beneficiaries of overseas mission appeals across 60+ countries.

Name

The Oblates

Legal name

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

Website

https://oblates.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1816

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Oblates (Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate) are a Catholic religious congregation providing parish ministry, retreat houses, pilgrimages, youth services, and international missions across the UK, Ireland, and 60+ countries, funded by donations and charitable contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Religious Ministry

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Christian Pilgrimage & Holy Land Tour Operators (THAKAHAB), Pilgrimage Packages (Air-Inclusive) Tour Operators (THAKAHAK), Religious Retreats & Spiritual Wellness Travel Agencies (THAKAHAM), Religious Festival & Event Travel (e.g., Kumbh Mela, World Youth Day) Agencies (THAKAHAN), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Catholic parish ministry
• Spiritual retreat services
• Religious pilgrimage programs
• Missionary volunteer programs
• Youth faith formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates as a registered charity (Britain: 223318, Ireland: CHY 3671 & CRA 20004651) relying primarily on donations from supporters, parishioners, and benefactors to fund missionary work and ministry operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Oblates provide Catholic spiritual formation, pastoral ministry, sacraments, and community worship through a network of parishes, retreat centres, and pilgrimages across Britain and Ireland. They run residential retreat facilities, organize the annual Lourdes Pilgrimage, deliver youth ministry and overseas missionary volunteer programs, and coordinate international development projects through the Mission Development Office. Services are supported by donations and offered largely free of charge, with retreat accommodation and pilgrimage packages operating on a suggested-donation or per-package basis.

Product overview

The Oblates (Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate) is a Catholic religious congregation offering a portfolio of spiritual and community services rather than a commercial technology product. The core offerings include parish ministries across the UK and Ireland, retreat centres (Wistaston Hall and De Mazenod House), annual Lourdes pilgrimage programs, youth services (Oblate Youth Service and World Youth Day participation), overseas missionary volunteer experiences, a Mission Development Office supporting international development projects, a Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation ministry, Friends of St. Eugene lay communities, and spiritual media content including the 'A Moment to Pause' daily podcast and Oblate Connections newsletter. Additional services include an online mission shop for religious materials and prayer intention submission. These services are provided free of charge as part of the congregation's religious mission to serve the poor and marginalised.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oblate Lourdes Pilgrimage Annual pilgrimage program to Lourdes, France (since 1883), providing assisted pilgrims with special care needs, including medical staff and volunteers, with services such as Mass at the Grotto, Torchlight Procession, Stations of the Cross, and Anointing of the Sick.
• Oblate Retreat Centre, Wistaston Hall A holistic spiritual life centre in Crewe, England offering individual and group retreats, meetings, conferences, and chaplaincy services, with comfortable accommodations, gardens, and labyrinth facilities.
• De Mazenod House, London A spirituality centre in London's Tower Hill area providing events, retreats, spiritual accompaniment, and community services including addiction recovery support groups and Christian meditation.
• Oblate Youth Service (OYS) Youth organization within the Anglo-Irish Oblate Province that organizes service projects including Lourdes pilgrimage assistance, overseas missionary experiences, summer camps, and various community outreach programs for young adults aged 18-35.
• Overseas Missionary Experience Annual summer program sending teams to Zimbabwe to live and work for a month as missionaries, supporting projects like the Sandra Jones Children's Village and St Luke's Mission Hospital.
• Mission Development Office Office supporting development projects in impoverished communities worldwide, including healthcare facilities (Seboche Mission Hospital, St Luke's Mission Hospital), children's education and disability services (Ferrando Resource Centre), nutrition programs, and leadership development initiatives.
• Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Ministry responding to Pope Francis's Laudato Si invitation, focusing on environmental awareness, climate justice, and advocacy for marginalized communities affected by climate change.
• Friends of St. Eugene Lay community groups (9 groups across the UK with approximately 80 members) learning about St. Eugene de Mazenod's life and mission, undertaking Advent and Lent projects to help the poor and marginalised locally and abroad.
• Daily Reflection Podcast - A Moment to Pause Daily 90-second reflection podcast providing meditation and Gospel perspectives, published every day at 8:30am via Podbean.
• Oblate Connections Newsletter publication providing news and spiritual content about the Oblate mission, updated regularly with articles and reflections.
• Mission Shop Online Online shop for purchasing Mass cards, prayer cards, and other Oblate religious materials.
• Oblate Parishes and Centres of Mission Network of 7 parishes and mission centres across the UK and Ireland including London (English Martyrs, Sacred Heart Kilburn, Immaculate Heart Kilburn), Edinburgh (St Mary's Star of the Sea, Leith), Dublin (Mary Immaculate Inchicore, Our Lady of the Wayside Bluebell, St Michael's), Darndale-Belcamp, and Wales (Anglesey parishes, St Joseph's Colwyn Bay), providing Catholic worship and community services.
• World Youth Day Program Program enabling young people aged 18-35 to attend World Youth Day celebrations, connecting with other Catholic youth globally.
• Partners in Mission Team based at Denis Hurley House in London, inviting lay people to share Oblate spirituality and mission in their communities.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans): One of the largest Catholic religious orders with a parallel missionary, parish, and retreat ministry profile across Britain and Ireland.
• Mill Hill Missionaries: UK-origin Catholic missionary congregation with a very similar model — parish ministry in Britain/Ireland, overseas missionary work, and vocation-focused identity.
• Society of Jesus (Jesuits): The largest Catholic religious order of men, with a global presence and a similar portfolio of parishes, retreat houses, schools, and missionary work. Highly comparable structural model.
• Redemptorists: Catholic religious congregation with a comparable ministry profile centred on parish missions, retreats, and preaching to the poor and marginalized.
• 206 Tours: A specialized Catholic pilgrimage tour operator — directly comparable to the Oblates' Lourdes Pilgrimage programme in offering organized religious pilgrimage packages.
• Salesians of Don Bosco: Catholic religious congregation with a comparable missionary identity, strong youth focus, and an international footprint overlapping the Oblates' evangelization of the poor.
• Society of African Missions (SMA): Irish-based Catholic missionary society with overlapping presence in West Africa, similar international mission development programmes, and a comparable home-base operating model.

Emerging players

• Focolare Movement: International Catholic lay movement with comparable spirituality, community living arrangements, and retreat programmes; overlapping on lay-associate and youth engagement.

Broad incumbents

• CAFOD: The Catholic aid agency for England and Wales; comparable in mobilizing Catholic donors for international development projects, though operating as a single-charity funding body rather than a religious congregation.
• SCIAF: Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund — a peer Catholic development charity that channels donations to overseas mission projects, comparable in fundraising model and donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theoblates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheOblates
• Facebookfacebook.com/theoblates
• Instagraminstagram.com/theoblates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-oblates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Oblates