Experiences with Barnabite Fathers

[TradCatholic7]

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone has had an experiences with the Barnabite Fathers (Cleric Regulars of St Paul). I’ve read their great in San Diego, (Staff Our Lady of the Rosary Parish), and they also direct the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in NY. I really have no experience with them, but was wondering if anyone here has and could give me there opinions of them.

Thanks.

 

[odile53]

I live near the Basilica and Shrine. The Barnabite Fathers celebrate the post Vatican II Mass (no Tridentine is offered,) but do so reverently. The preaching is pertinent and solidly Catholic. They are good confessors, and encourage devotion to the Rosary, as well as the First Saturday devotions. One of them functions as a pastor to the small church on the nearby Tuscarora territory (Indian reservation,) and participates in a talk show on the local Catholic radio station. They’ve managed to organize an active K of C chapter based at the shrine, and organize many ethnic outreach events through the course of the summer season which are very well attended. They operate a well-stocked gift and bookstore and a cafeteria at the facility, and one of the fathers is famous for his fish fry, which is held every Friday night throughout the year. Yeah, he actually does cook the fish (which is reasonably priced as well as pretty good. This review is noteworthy in that Western New York is prime fish fry country, and it takes a lot to impress us!) A Bible study is offered every Monday night, and a couple of the fathers are active in the pro-life ministry, organizing fundraisers and support events for a local Catholic crisis pregnancy center.

Most of them are personable and likeable, the way I think priests ought to be.

Here’s a link to the shrine website:

fatimashrine.com/index1.html

 

[Lamentation]

To be honest, I find the Fathers at Fatima Shrine to be rather… Varied. Especially compared to some of the other religious communities I’ve had the pleasure of meeting (the Vincentians who run Niagara University coming to mind…)

I’ve heard that they’re somewhat hard to get to along with from a clergy-laity standpoint, but like I said, they are a rather varied bunch where (in my humble opinion) you never know what you’re going to get. One of them here is a very strong peacher, and is often seen in public, another will (first hand experience) raise your hands for you and tell you to smile at communion if he thinks you aren’t meeting his personal standards.

In summation: it depends on who you get.