O
O_Sapientia
Guest
The Saint Benedict Centre community in Richmond, New Hampshire, are in full and complete communion with the Church, both universal and local. They have a pastor appointed to them to provide the Sacraments in the Extraordinary Form but it’s not a parish and Father Philipson does not have faculties to witness marriages at the Centre. He celebrates Mass, hears confessions and blesses sacramentals and provides general spiritual care to the community.
The “religious order” based there, the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, are entirely orthodox and they’re a nice community (both male and female). But they’re not a religious order or a canonically recognised society. This doesn’t mean they’re “irregular” or that there’s in a position of compromised communion. It just means that they don’t canonically exist yet. They are in the process of establishing an official religious congregation though. Their current situation is like that of any religious congregation’s beginnings. A group of the faithful have come together, they live according to a rule, they pray, they fast, they do good works, and they are seeking approval and canonical erection. They’ve currently adopted the Rule of Saint Augustine and they’re working on constitutions. They’re also working with the diocese.
Their history is spotted because of the whole Father Feeney affair. But the case is no black and white, and thankfully old wounds are beginning to heal. Suffice it to say that their doctrinal positions are orthodox, are in line with the Church’s teaching, and their founder, Father Feeney, died in the embrace of the Church (and his requiem was celebrated by his Bishop, no less).
I personally lived with the community for one month. So I believe I have some hands on experience in their story.
In Jesus and Mary,
OS.
The “religious order” based there, the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, are entirely orthodox and they’re a nice community (both male and female). But they’re not a religious order or a canonically recognised society. This doesn’t mean they’re “irregular” or that there’s in a position of compromised communion. It just means that they don’t canonically exist yet. They are in the process of establishing an official religious congregation though. Their current situation is like that of any religious congregation’s beginnings. A group of the faithful have come together, they live according to a rule, they pray, they fast, they do good works, and they are seeking approval and canonical erection. They’ve currently adopted the Rule of Saint Augustine and they’re working on constitutions. They’re also working with the diocese.
Their history is spotted because of the whole Father Feeney affair. But the case is no black and white, and thankfully old wounds are beginning to heal. Suffice it to say that their doctrinal positions are orthodox, are in line with the Church’s teaching, and their founder, Father Feeney, died in the embrace of the Church (and his requiem was celebrated by his Bishop, no less).
I personally lived with the community for one month. So I believe I have some hands on experience in their story.
In Jesus and Mary,
OS.
