June 1st marks a milestone in the Oblate Family calendar. We celebrate 162 years of a mission that, far from being a mere historical memory, continues to beat powerfully in the present. More than a century and a half after its founding, the congregation celebrates an uninterrupted journey dedicated to opening doors, creating safe spaces of welcome, and accompanying the life journeys of women experiencing prostitution, trafficking, and social exclusion.
From Ciempozuelos to the world: a legacy without borders
The seed that originally sprouted in the Madrid town of Ciempozuelos, Spain, quickly demonstrated that its vocation wasn’t meant to remain confined within the walls of a single home. That first founding step expanded organically to weave a vast network of international support.
Currently, this work is carried out through a multitude of communities, social projects, and multidisciplinary teams. This dynamic organization is present precisely where a woman needs to be heard and supported, focusing daily on human closeness, comprehensive care, and the unwavering defense of fundamental rights.
162 years later, the Oblate Family continues to move forward and integrate into an ever-changing reality. Faced with new challenges, the congregation continues to be challenged by the present, adapting its methodologies while maintaining intact the original intuition that gave it meaning: to be close to those most in need, ensuring that justice and dignity are a tangible reality for every woman.
The Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer are a group of women called, gathered in community, and sent to follow Jesus, being the Good News of the Kingdom for women who practice prostitution and/or are victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
Our being Oblates leads us to commit our lives to equality, justice, liberation, and life.
This exciting project, initiated by our Founders, José María Benito Serra and Antonia María de la Misericordia, develops into a shared Mission with the entire “Oblate Family,” giving rise, through different forms of collaboration, points of view, life experiences, and professional profiles, to creative and bold responses.
We are currently present in 15 countries.
