The Oblates of St Francis de Sales

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales trace their roots to the dream of St. Francis. It was a dream born of the conviction - that all people, of every social stratum, of every position, of every job, talent, or condition, were called to holiness. He did it by preaching, teaching, and writing', which reflects the love of God, and the characteristics of gentleness and equanimity. He died before our Order was founded, so the Visitation Nuns kept the dream alive until their chaplain, Father Brisson founded our Order in 1873.

The Oblates came to the United States in 1893. Our first high school, founded in 1906, was Salesianum in Wilmington, Delaware. This was followed by North Catholic and Father Judge in Philadelphia; Bishop Ireton in Alexandria, Virginia; Paul VI in Faifax, Virginia; and Bishop Verot in Fort Myers, Florida. In 1962, the Oblates founded DeSales University near Allentown, Pennsylvania. There are foreign mission in Brazil, Namibia, South Africa, India, and the Philippines. The Oblates now staff sixteen parishes in the Raleigh Diocese. 

Father Bob Brown, OSFS (Oblate of St. Francis de Sales) was raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the youngest of eight children. He is uncle to 17 nephews and nieces and great-uncle to 24 nephews and nieces. Father Bob attended Muhlenberg College and graduated from Niagara University in 1961 and received an ROTC Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Infantry. Later he attended the Institute of International Relations at Catholic University. He was ordained during a Latin Liturgy on October 21, 1967 by Bishop McDevitt of Philadelphia. The next day the American church changed to the English Mass.

Father Bob was a high school teacher at Father Judge in Philadelphia, and Salesianum School in Wilmington, Delaware. He also served as a correctional chaplain at Glen Mills schools near Media, Pennsylvania.

While in the Philadelphia area he founded and directed three group homes for delinquents in Philadelphia. The first 10 room house cost $1,800 (funded by tax money) and required some renovation. A grade school friend owned Lehigh Tile and Marble and donated bathrooms and materials. The City of Philadelphia leased a historical house (the former University of Pennsylvania upriver sculling house) for one dollar a year. The former St. Agatha's rectory, a twenty-five room house in West Philadelphia, was used for several years in connection with the Child Guidance Clinic.

Father Bob served as associate pastor and pastor of St. Cecilia's, in Fort Myers, Florida from 1984 to 1991 and directed the expansion of the church. The only plaque on the church reads, "Built by the People of God." For 14 years, he served as the pastor of St. John Neumann Church in Reston, Virginia and managed the completion of a new church and a religious education facility for 1,400 children. During that time, the parish increased from 1,700 to 3,600 families. After substituting for a pastor on sabbatical last year in Fort Myers, Florida, Father Bob (with his boxer dog "Molly") arrived here on Hatteras Island to become pastor in June 2006.

Father Bob's avocations are golfing, sailing, hunting, fly fishing, oil painting, travel, reading history, and raising boxer dogs when possible. His boxers have been Spike, Big Ms., Mizz, Mitzy, and now Molly Brown. For his 25th ordination anniversary he sailed for a month in the Bahaman islands. He has survived driving without accident in Spain, France, and Italy. His Mother was born in County Donegal, Ireland, and he has traveled the West Coast many times and enjoys playing the links golf courses.