Benedictine Oblates are lay people who choose to follow St Benedict's Rule with a monastic community of their choice, without taking vows or living in a monastery.
Fr Chad (Oblate Master) and two Oblates recently spent a busy week in Rome with 150 Oblates from around the world, exploring how to live the wisdom of the Rule.
It was a demanding and inspiring week, involving talks and workshops, eating and praying together, pilgrimages to Subiaco and Monte Cassino, and a final, private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican (see Fr Chad meeting the Pope in the below image).
You can read Pope Francis' message to the Benedictine Oblates who participated in this year's Congress here.