Jarosław Różański, Henryk Marciniak, Les Oblats de Marie Immaculée : Délégation à Madagascar 1980-2020, Toamasina : Délégation des Oblats de Marie Immaculée – Madagascar 2020, pp. 544.
On December the 3rd, 1980 5 Oblates missionaries arrived in Madagascar. Initially, they took over the existing parishes in Marolambo and Ambinanindrano founded by French missionaries. Following this, they also took over the parishes of Mahanoro and Masomeloka These missions were located in the Southern part of the Diocese of Toamasina (Tomatave) which is on the Eastern part of the island of Madagascar. This area is primarily inhabited by the Betsimisarka ethnic group. In 1987, they took over the mission in Toamasina, Notre Dame de Lourdes, which is the headquarters of the diocese and is also the primary city on the Eastern coast.
Towards the end of the 1980’s, the missionaries expanded their work to include increasing vocations among the local population. Their work later grew to include an additional branch in Tsaratanana, which was located in another dioceses.
In order to support their success in identifying and growing vocations among the local populace, the Oblates created formation houses and other administrative functions necessary to the operation of their congregation. This growth also led to the building of new missions in Toamasina, Antananarivo and Fianarantsoa. Later this led to the founding of two completely new parishes in Toamasina and Fianarantsoa.
A particularly significant achievement during this time was the creation of an audio visual center.
Missions taken over and established by the Polish Oblates: Marolambo (1981), Ambinanindrano (1981), Mahanoro (1985), Masomeloka (1985), Toamasina – Notre Dame de Lourdes (1987), Tsaratanana (1989-1996), Antananarivo-Soavimbahoaka – Administration House (1992), Toamasina-Tanamakoa (1996), Fianarantsoa – the Scolasticate, Audiovisual Center „OMIFilm” and the Saint Eugène de Mazenod parish in Sahalava (1998), Toamasina-Analakininina (2006), Morondava – Saint Jean-Paul II parish (2012), Befasy (2016).
Continued rapid growth led to the founding of a satellite branch of this religious order tied to the Polish province. By 2011, the local members of the order outnumbered the Polish Oblates. Open access: www.academia.edu/44806321/