st. Mary's Young Adults

Father Bruno Lanteri (1759-1830) the founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, was a priest who lived in Northern Italy at a time of great spiritual turmoil. The aftermath of the French Revolution and it's anti-Catholic ideologies which led many away from the Church, and the heresy of Jansenism that obscured the truth of God's love and mercy and kept many from the Sacraments. In the midst of this time Fr. Lanteri prompted fidelity to the Church, and the truth of God's truth in mercy.

Central to the apostolate of Fr. Lanteri was his collaboration with certain groups called the Amicizie Cristiane (Christian Friendships). The Amicizie were something new to the times. They were groups of lay people and priests committed to a serious spiritual life, and to making an impact on the culture by circulating Catholic books. Fr. Lanteri guided and accompanied these groups for no less than thirty years.

Such groups have continued through the ministry of the Oblates, in different places and times. The current AC group was founded in February 28, 2025 by the Oblates at St. Mary's in Alton, IL in collaboration with some lay people and the Franciscan Sisters of the Martyr St. George.