It's a weekday noon at St. Ferdinand's rectory, and nine Oblate Fathers have gathered for prayer and their mid-day meal. Painted on the refectory wall behind them is a mural of the parishes they serve: Mary Immaculate in Pacoima and Santa Rosa and St. Ferdinand in San Fernando.

More than a decade ago, the Oblate pastors and priest associates at the three parishes decided to live together in community at St. Ferdinand. The move reflected a desire to work even more collaboratively for their parishioners, totaling a combined estimate of 20,000 people who attend weekend parish Masses at the three parishes.

"There are not a lot of places where you'd find nine men in community, particularly in a pastoral community," said Oblate Father Stephen Conserva, pastor at St. Ferdinand. According to the Boston native, the local Oblate community is the largest concentration of Oblates in pastoral ministry in the country.

Oblate Father John Lasseigne, the new pastor at Mary Immaculate who previously lived in a two-priest rectory in Texas, says collaboration is a by-product of community life. "You can't live under the same roof without talking a lot about what's going on in these parishes and bouncing ideas off one another," said Father Lasseigne.

Recently, for example, the Oblates have discussed how to educate parishioners about Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban initiative on the Nov. 4 ballot. In mid-October, a bilingual education and discussion night open to all tri-parish parishioners will be held at Mary Immaculate.

For at least nine years, the parishes have staged joint youth events, including youth leaders' training, girls' quinceanera instruction and youth ministry Lenten retreats. Between 250 and 300 youth from the three parishes are expected for the upcoming "Confirmation Year A Experience." In August, nearly 1,000 parishioners gathered for a tri-parish picnic at San Buenaventura State Beach Park.

"There's an excitement in coming together, especially in youth ministry," said Gabriel Hernandez, tri-parish youth coordinator. The Santa Rosa parishioner also serves as the coordinator for St. Ferdinand's new outreach center providing emergency food, rent and utility assistance as well as immigration information services.

According to St. Ferdinand parishioner Monica Montero-Aceves, the outreach center is an example of the Oblates' concern for the local community. That concern, she notes, also extends to helping Mexican immigrants get their "matricular" papers in order through the Mexican consulate.

"For me as a Mexican immigrant, the church is the focus of my family," said Montero-Aceves, a parish lector and mother of five whose teens have enjoyed attending the tri-parish youth events. Twice a month, she assists the director of the Oblates' "School of Lay Pastoral Ministry," a two-year lay leadership formation pilot program for Spanish speakers.

"The Oblates have an open door for lay people," commented Montero-Aceves, who is finishing a graduate degree in religious studies at Mount St. Mary's College thanks to encouragement and support from the Oblates.

"We hope to have parallel [lay pastoral ministry schools], first and second year, in English and Spanish --- that's the dream," said Father Conserva. The 25 second-year participants meet twice a month for six hours and will have completed 240 hours by the end of the course.

"It seems very close to what the [archdiocesan] Synod was calling for in terms of lay leadership and training," said Father Lasseigne.

Mary Immaculate parishioner Juan Garcia, in his second year attending the lay pastoral ministry school along with his wife, says he is taking the course to improve his knowledge and his ministry in religious education. He thinks tri-parish formation training is an advantage "because we have more diversity" in the classroom.

"I'm so happy the Oblates started this school. I use the knowledge I receive here in my family, my neighborhood and especially in my work," said Julia Frias, a parishioner at St. Ferdinand who works with children.

Maricruz Rodriguez, who volunteers with small faith communities at Santa Rosa, said she is attending the school at the invitation of her pastor, Oblate Father Carlos Alarcon. "I am here because I want to know how to help the community… how to share my faith experience, and how to work in my own family and other families [toward] unity and harmony," said Rodriguez.

School director Hector Quiroz said the tri-parish pilot school provides a rare opportunity for grassroots lay leadership formation. Students agree to minister at the parishes for three years after they graduate from the program. The participants "are saying 'yes,'" said Quiroz "They are really dedicated and good people, working for the church, giving their best. I'm really proud of them."