The
National Committee for Missionary Oblate Associates serves the United States
Provincial Council by giving focus and direction to the Oblate Associate
program, implementing the call of Oblate Rule #37a:
In concert with the
General Administration, Provinces and Delegations will—
v
Foster the development of
associations with the laity;
v
Assure that these associations
faithfully reflect the Oblate charism;
v
Contribute to the formation of
the laity by giving them access to the sources of the Oblate charism;
v
Specify the relations between
the Congregation and the associations, i.e., “The Oblate charism is the
living link between us, lay and religious… we respect the specific nature of
each other’s unique vocation.” (33rd General Chapter,
1998)
The members of the National Committee are
selected to reflect the diversity of the Oblate mission of the United States
Province. The Provincial Council appointed the
following Committee members to serve a three-year term (until April 2008):
 Born
in East St. Louis, Illinois, Geri Furmanek serves the Province as
National Director for Oblate Associates and Director of Mission Enrichment,
a program that orients Oblate employees to the values of the Missionary
Oblates, the charism of St. Eugene, and the mission of the Oblate ministries.
Majoring in Theology, she received a BA from St. Louis University; and a
Master’s degree in Pastoral Studies in Spirituality from Aquinas Institute
of Theology, St. Louis, MO. She has known Oblates all her life and worked
with Oblates from various parts of the world while serving at the
International Spirituality Center for the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, in
Rome, Italy from 1994-1998.Born
in Cebu, Philippines,
 Fr. José Arong, OMI, is the Pacific Area
Vocation Director. Before that, he served as Pacific Area Superior and
Provincial liaison for the Office of Mission Enrichment and Oblate
Associates. When asked to be the spiritual director for a Cursillo group,
Fr. Arong introduced them to the charism of St. Eugene and the Oakland, CA
Associates began their journey. Ordained in 1966, much of his ministry has
been in the field of education, including President of Notre Dame University,
Cotabato City, Philippines.
 Fr.
Warren Brown, OMI, from Midland,
Texas, was ordained in 1982 and worked for nine years in Hispanic pastoral
ministry in the Diocese of Brownsville, including serving as Rector of the
Cathedral in Brownsville, Texas. He is Professor of Canon Law at Oblate
School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas where he also served as interim
president from 2004-2005. He also serves the Province as a Provincial
Councilor-at-large.
 Alva
Peña of San Juan, Texas has
worked in partnership with different Oblate pastors for the past 20 years.
Under their care and influence she has learned to care for the various needs
of the many people who make their home in or visit San Juan. As an Oblate
Associate she gives a voice to the voiceless poor in that community who seek
to live a better life. Alva is married and the mother of three daughters.
Her middle daughter, Elizabeth served a year as an Oblate Lay Missionary in
the San Fernando Valley, CA. Presently Alva is Director of Religious
Education ministry at St. John the Baptist Parish.
 A
native of Belleville, Illinois, Jack Weck has been an Oblate employee
for the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate since May 31, 1960. His
job descriptions have changed over those years: from Bindery worker to
Photographer to Manager of the Shrine Restaurant to Advertising Supervisor
to Assistant Creative Manager to Manager of Premium Development. In 1996 he
was chosen to attend the International Congress of Lay Associates at Aix-en
Provence, France. On Feb. 17, 1998 he received the DeMazenod Award. He has
served on various Oblate, Diocesan, parish and school committees and boards.
He has been married to Sandy for 43 years and they have 1 son, 5 daughters
and 16 grandchildren.
 Fr.
Tom Ovalle, OMI is a Texan, and has been in various ministries in his native state,
including vocation and formation ministry, as well as a pastor. Ordained in
1977, he was serving as director of the Christian Renewal Center in
Dickinson, Texas when he was appointed as Southwest Area Provincial
Councilor.
 Marilyn
Lawrence was active for many years in the Virginia Oblate Partners. After a
recent move to Florida, she is working to begin a new Oblate Associate group
there. Retired from the U.S. Foreign Service, Her educational background
includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from Boston University; and a MA
and PhD in Political Science, also from Boston University, with
specialization in African affairs. Most of her career was spent in
Washington, D.C, with experience as Legislative Assistant to Senator Edward
W. Brooke; Chief of the congressional liaison for the White House Drug Abuse
Prevention Office, and many years as the senior Congressional Liaison
Officer for the U.S. Information Agency.
 Ken
Amerson is Associate Director of
Oblate Missions in San Antonio, Texas where he assists the Oblate Director
in the day-to-day administration of its fundraising and Oblate missionary
endeavors around the world. His tenure with the Oblates began in 1977 within
the communications office of the Oblate School of Theology. Married to his
wife, Jane, in 1977, they have two daughters. Ken is active in his local
parish of St. Francis of Assisi and with the parish based, lay retreat
movement known as ACTS. He has a BA through Louvain, Belgium, a M.Ed. from
Antioch University (OH) and an MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University
(TX).
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