The seal of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Trinity.

For other Congregations of the Holy Ghost, see Congregation of the Holy Ghost.

The Congregation of The Holy Spirit (known also as the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or in Latin, Congregatio Sancti Spiritus, C. S. Sp. ) is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates. A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities In the most common usage lay brothers are those members of Catholic Religious orders particularly of monastic orders occupied primarily with manual labor and with The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Congregation members are known as Spiritans on Continental Europe, and as the Holy Ghost Fathers in English-speaking countries, although even there, they are becoming known as Spiritans. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A Spiritan priest or brother has the abbreviation 'C. S. Sp. ' after his name.

History

The Spiritans have a rich history of serving the poor and marginalized. Spiritans in the 1840s dedicated themselves to working with newly freed slaves on the islands of Haiti, Mauritius and Réunion. Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République Réunion ( French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon) is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of In East Africa, where most of the American Spiritans now serve, they began work in the 1860s by buying men and women out of slavery in Zanzibar. Zanzibar ( is part of the East African republic of Tanzania. It consists of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the They opened schools and hospitals, taught people marketable skills, and gave property to those who needed it. The Spiritans pioneered modern missionary activity in Africa and ultimately sent more missionaries there than any other religious order in the Catholic Church.

In other countries, such as Mexico, the Spiritans were invited by the local Catholic bishops to minister to Catholics in remote areas where there were not enough diocesan priests to serve the growing numbers of faithful. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Today, Mexican-born Spiritans outnumber Spiritan missionaries from other countries. The seminary program is a vital aspect of the Spiritan presence in Mexico.

The core of mission remains constant -- the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus to those who have never heard it at all and to those who have heard it inadequately. In Christianity, the good news or evangelium (also translated as " Gospel " "glad tidings" and variants is the message But the manner in which this is accomplished varies according to context and opportunity. The goal is always to establish a viable local faith community with its own leadership, incorporating the language and customs of the people.

Foundation

The Spiritans were founded in Paris on Whit Sunday 1703 for the purpose of preparing missionaries for the most abandoned souls, whether in Christian or non-Christian countries by a young, holy ecclesiastic of noble Breton birth and of brilliant talents, a wealthy young Breton lawyer, Claude-François Poullart des Places, who, three years previously, in the twenty-first year of his age, had given up the bright prospects of a parliamentary lawyer to embrace the ecclesiastical state. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Year 1703 ( MDCCIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Having opted for the priesthood himself, he wanted to form a religious order for young men who had a vocation to become priests but were too poor to do so. A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion usually From the very beginning of his ecclesiastical studies he manifested a particular attraction for lowly and neglected works of charity. He became especially interested in poor, deserving students, on whom he freely spent all his own private means and as much as he could collect from his friends. It was with a dozen of these gathered round him that he opened the Seminary of the Holy Ghost, which afterwards developed into a religious society.

The community, formed in dedication to the Holy Spirit to minister to the poor and to provide chaplains in hospitals, prisons, and schools, soon developed a missionary role — some volunteered for service in the Far East and North America — and by 1765 the Holy See was entrusting it with direct care of South American missionary territories like French Guiana. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. Year 1765 ( MDCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France 1,300 priests had been trained in the years leading up to 1792, when the actions of the seminary was suppressed by the French Revolution. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an

The work grew rapidly; but the labours and anxieties connected with the foundation proved too much for the frail health of the founder. He died on 2 October, 1709, in the thirty-first year of his age, and in only the third of his priesthood. The portraits which remain of Father Poullart des Places depict a distinguished and intelligent countenance, combining energy with sweetness.

After the founder's death, the Congregation of the Holy Ghost continued to progress; it became fully organized, and received the approbation of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. It sent missionaries to the French colonies, and to India and China, but suffered much from the French Revolution. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The congregation's numbers in Europe declined sharply until 1802, when the Napoleonic government allowed the seminary to reopen and the congregation was asked to focus on supplying priests for work in the French colonies in Africa, the West Indies and the Indian subcontinent. Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Suppression and merger

After the French Revolution, only one member, Father Berout, remained. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an He had survived miraculously, as it were, all of vicissitudes — shipwreck on the way to his destined mission in French Guiana, enslavement by the Moors, a sojourn in Senegal, where he had been sold to the English, who then ruled there. French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. On his return to France, after peace was restored to the Church, he re-established the congregation, and continued its work. But it was found impossible to recover adequately from the disastrous effects of the dispersion caused by the Revolution, and the restored society was threatened with extinction.

In 1848 the Spiritans were joined by a convert Jew, Fr. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Francis Libermann, who in 1842 had founded a society dedicated to the Virgin Mary to serve mainly the emancipated black slaves in the French colonies. Venerable François Libermann was a 19th century Jewish convert to Catholicism who was a member of the Spiritan order Since the object of both societies was the same, the Holy See requested the founder of the new society to merge with the older Congregation of the Holy Ghost. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Ven. Francis Mary Libermann was made first superior general of the united societies, and the whole body became so impregnated with his spirit and that of his first followers that he is rightly regarded as the renewer of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, then called also ". . . under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary" after Libermann and his followers joined the Congregation.

The first care of the new superior general was to organize on a solid basis the religious service of the old French colonies, by securing the establishment of bishoprics and making provisions for the supply of clergy through the Seminary of the Holy Ghost, which was continued on the lines of its original purpose — to serve as a colonial seminary for the French colonies. But the new superior general set himself to cultivate still wider fields of missionary enterprise. There had already been opened to him the vast domain of Africa, which he was, practically, the first to enter, and which was to be henceforth the chief field of labour of his disciples.

The taking-up of the African missions by Ven. Francis Mary Libermann was due to the initiative of two American prelates, under the encouragement of the first Council of Baltimore. The Plenary Councils of Baltimore refer to three national meetings of Roman Catholic Bishops in the 19th century in Baltimore Maryland. Already, in 1833, Dr. England, Bishop of Charleston, had drawn the attention to the West Coast of Africa, and had urged the sending of missioners to those benighted regions. This appeal was renewed at the Council of Baltimore, and the Fathers there assembled commissioned the Rev. Dr. Barron, who was then Vicar-General of Philadelphia, to undertake the work at Cape Palmas. That zealous priest went over the ground carefully for a few years, and then repaired to Rome to give an account of the work, and to receive further instructions. He was consecrated bishop and appointed Vicar-Apostolic of the Two Guineas. But, as he had only one priest and a catechist at his disposal, he repaired to France to search for missioners. Ven. Francis Mary Libermann supplied him at once with seven priests and three coadjutor brothers.

The deadly climate played havoc with the inexperienced zeal of the first missionaries. All but one perished in the course of a few months, and Dr. Barron returned in despair to America, where he devoted himself to missionary work. He died from the effects of his zeal during the yellow-fever epidemic in Savannah, in 1853, aged 52. Father Libermann and his disciples retained the African mission; new missionaries volunteered to go out and take the places of those who had perished; and gradually there began to be built up the series of Christian communities in Africa which form the distinctive work of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. It has proved a work of continued sacrifice. Nearly 700 missionaries have laid down their lives in Africa during the past sixty years. Still, the spiritual results have compensated for it all. Where there was not a single Christian among the thirty millions of people who inhabit the districts confided to the Holy Ghost Fathers, there are to-day some hundred thousand solid, well-instructed Catholics. These Christians are spread over the Diocese of Angola and the eight Vicariates of Senegambia, Sierra Leone, Gaboon, Ubangi (or French Upper Congo), Loango (or French Lower Congo), on the West Coast; and Northern Madagascar, Zanzibar, Bagamoyo, on the East Coast. There are, moreover, the Prefectures of Lower Nigeria, French Guinea, Lower Congo (Landana), and missions at Bata, in Spanish West Africa, and at Kindou, in the Congo Independent State.

Besides the missions in Africa, the Congregation of the Holy Ghost started missions in Mauritius, Réunion, the Rodriguez Islands, Trinidad, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, and Amazonia, while conducting some very important educational institutions, such as the French Seminary at Rome, the colonial seminary at Paris, the colleges of Blackrock, Rockwell, and Rathmines in Ireland, St. The Roman Colleges are institutions established and maintained in Rome for the education of future ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church. Mary's College in Trinidad, the Holy Ghost College of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and the three colleges of Braga, Oporto, and Lisbon in Portugal.

Twentieth century

By the early 20th century the congregation was organized into the following provinces: France, Ireland, Portugal, United States, and Germany. These several provinces, as well as all the foreign missions, are under the central control of a superior general, residing in Paris, aided by two assistants and four consultors — all chosen by the general chapter of the congregation. A consultor is one who gives council ie a counselor In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions in the Roman Curia The whole society was under the jurisdiction of the Cardinal Prefect of the Propaganda. Houses have been opened in England, Canada, Belgium, and Holland, intended to develop into distinct provinces, so as to supply the colonies of these respective countries with an increase of missionaries.

The province of the United States, founded in the year 1873, comprised 74 professed fathers, 19 professed scholastics, 30 professed coadjutor brothers. It had a novitiate and senior scholasticate, at Ferndale, in the Diocese of Hartford, an apostolic college at Cornwells, near Philadelphia. The main object of these institutions is to train missionnaries for the most abandoned souls, especially ethnic minorities. The province had already established two missions for ethnic minoriies, one in Philadelphia, the other at Rock Castle, near Richmond, planning to establish more. Moreover, missions for various nationalities were established in the following dioceses, at the urgent request of the respective bishops: Little Rock, Pittsburg, Detroit, Grand Rapids, La Crosse, Philadelphia, Providence, and Harrisburg. In all there were twenty-three houses.

Statistics for the entire congregation in April 1908, gave 195 communities, 722 fathers, 210 professed scholastics, 655 professed brothers, 230 novices, 595 aspirants. About half the professed members were engaged in the African missions. The congregation was slowly but steadily forming a native clergy and sisterhood in Africa. A dozen native priests and about one hundred native sisters were working in the several missions.

In Rome, on April 24, 1979, Pope John Paul II presided over the beatification ceremony for Jacques-Désiré Laval, the first member of the Spiritans to be so honoured. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)

Marcel Lefebvre

Main article: Marcel Lefebvre

On July 26, 1962 the Chapter General of the Holy Ghost Fathers elected the former Archbishop of Dakar, Marcel Lefebvre as Superior General. Marcel-François Lefebvre ( November 29 1905 – March 25 1991) better known as Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was a French Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dakar { Latin: Dakaren(sis } is the Metropolitan See for the Ecclesiastical province of Dakar Marcel-François Lefebvre ( November 29 1905 – March 25 1991) better known as Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was a French Lefebvre was widely respected for his experience in the mission field^[1] and his ability to deal with the Roman Curia. The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope On August 7, 1962 Lefebvre was given the titular archiepiscopal see of Synnada in Phrygia. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In antiquity Phrygia (Φρυγία was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey.

Lefebvre first instituted a major reform of the seminaries run by the Holy Ghost Fathers. He transferred several professors whom he considered too Modernist (relativistic, liberal) to non-educational posts. Modernism in the Roman Catholic Church is a theological viewpoint that usually includes a rationalist approach to the Bible, Secularism and modern He ordered books by certain modern theologians, including Yves Congar and Marie-Dominique Chenu to be removed from the seminary library, finding them too Neo-Modernistic. Yves Marie Joseph Cardinal Congar ( April 8, 1904 - June 22, 1995) was a French Dominican Priest and theologian Marie-Dominique Chenu (OP (1895-1990 was a liberal Roman Catholic Theologian and a founder of the reformist journal Concilium. (One book of Chenu was inserted into the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in the 1940s. The Index Librorum Prohibitorum ("List of Prohibited Books" was a list of publications prohibited by the Roman Catholic Church. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be )

Lefebvre was increasingly criticized by influential pro-reform members of his large religious congregation who considered him out-of-step with modern Church leaders and the demand of bishops' conferences, particularly in France, for drastical revision and reform. ^[2] A general chapter of the Holy Ghost Fathers was convened in Rome in September 1968. The first action of the chapter was to name several moderators to lead the chapter's sessions instead of Lefebvre. ^[3] Lefebvre then handed in his resignation as Superior General to His Holiness Pope Paul VI. Pope ^[4] He would later say that it had become impossible for him to remain Superior of an Order which no longer wanted him nor listened to him. On October 28 a new superior general was elected to replace him; the new superior general proved willing to allow the demands for reforms. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine

Lefebvre left the Holy Ghost Fathers and went on to found the Society of Saint Pius X in Ecône (Diocese of Fribourg), Switzerland. The Society of St Pius X ( SSPX) is an international Traditionalist Catholic organisation whose official Latin name is Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Ecône is an area in the municipality of Riddes, district of Martigny, in the canton of Valais, in Switzerland Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation

Today

The Holy Ghost Fathers are active now in about forty-seven countries; they are often associated with schools and chaplaincy, and also with missionary work. Some famous English speaking Spiritans in the late twentieth century include Fathers Vincent J. Donovan, Adrian Van Kaam, and Henry J. Koren.

Father Donovan (1926-2000) is the author of the landmark book Christianity Rediscovered. Father Donovan worked in Tanzania, most notably among the Maasai, from 1955 to 1973. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya The Maasai are an indigenous African Ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Adrian Van Kaam was notable in his work in psychology and spirituality. He also wrote a key work on one of the Spiritan's founder's Venerable Father Libermann. Henry J. Koren was an impressive historian of the Congregation and a philosopher as well.

Holy Ghost Fathers around the world

Germany

See also: Knechtsteden

Ireland

The Holy Ghost Fathers run five schools in Ireland. Knechsteden Abbey (Kloster Knechtsteden is an abbey in Dormagen. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

• Blackrock College was founded by the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1860. Blackrock College (Coláiste na Carraige Duibhe is a Catholic, private voluntary, fee-paying Secondary school for boys located in Williamstown Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting
• Rockwell College was founded in 1864 and is located near Cashel in South Tipperary
• St. Michael's College, Dublin was bought by Blackrock College in 1944 as a second feeder school with Willow Park. Rockwell College, founded in 1864 is a well known private catholic secondary school near Cashel in South Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Cashel (Caiseal Mumhan meaning Stone Fortress of Munster) is a Town in County Tipperary, in the southern midlands of Ireland, which is also South Tipperary County (County Thiobraid Árann Theas known until 2002 as Tipperary South Riding) is an Administrative county in Ireland, consisting of St Michael's College is a Catholic boys' school located on Ailesbury Road in Dublin 4, Ireland. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In December 1970 St Michael's officially became an independent school and community from Blackrock College. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• St Mary's College was founded in 1892 and is located in Rathmines, Dublin
• Templeogue College was founded in 1966 and is located in Templeogue, Dublin 6W

Trinidad and Tobago

The Holy Ghost Fathers run these schools in Trinidad and Tobago:

• Saint Mary's College established in 1863
• Our Lady of Fatima College established in 1945
• Saint Anthony's College (Trinidad)

United Kingdom

The Holy Ghost Fathers came to Britain 200 years after their foundation when the anti-Catholic government in France was starting to close convents and monasteries. Saint Mary's College CSSp (Congregatio Sancti Spiritus is a primary & secondary school run by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit and located in Rathmines Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Rathmines ( Ráth Maonais in Irish) is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Templeogue College is a Secondary school, located in the Templeogue area of Dublin, Ireland. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Templeogue ( Irish Teach Mealóg) is a suburb of southwest Dublin, in Ireland. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Saint Mary's College is a government-assisted Catholic secondary school situated on Frederick Street in the heart of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Fatima College is a government-assisted selective Roman Catholic boys' Secondary school in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and State ( French: Loi du 9 décembre 1905 concernant la séparation des Églises et de l'État) was passed by In 1903 they rented Prior Park, a mansion near Bath in Somerset as a refuge abroad. For the nearby Catholic Independent School adjoining the Prior Park Landscape Garden see Prior Park College; for its prep school see Prior Park Preparatory School Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Before returning to France three years later, the Bishop of Liverpool allowed them to open Castlehead at Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire as a junior seminary. This article is about the bishop in the Church of England, for the bishop in the Roman Catholic Church, see Archbishop of Liverpool. Grange-over-Sands is a town by the sea or depending on the state of the extensive tide sands in Cumbria, England. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is a specialized and often live-in Higher education institution for the purpose of instructing students

Father John Rimmer from Widnes had become the first British Spiritan having joined them in France in 1894. Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England with an urban area population of 57663 in He was appointed as Superior of Castlehead and gradually under his leadership, the school flourished and boys were put through their secondary studies before going to France for the Novitiate and training for the missionary priesthood. Novitiate, alt noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Novice (or prospective) monastic or member

In 1939, the Spiritans brought a property in Wiltshire to act as a senior seminary but the house was requisitioned as a military hospital during Second World War. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In 1940, 30 senior seminarians escaped from France aboard a Polish troopship.

The refugees from France shared Castlehead for two years with the junior students. Then they moved to Sizergh Castle near Kendal and continued their studies for the priesthood there. On an average, four new priests were ordained every year being posted to missions in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and East Africa. Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal When the war ended, the senior students moved in to Upton Hall near Newark. Upton Hall is the headquarters of the British Horological Institute (BHI in Nottinghamshire, England. Newark-on-Trent (generally shortened to Newark) is a Market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England.

In 1947 a house was acquired in Bickley, Kent, and used as headquarters for the English Province and a centre for late vocations. Bickley is a residential area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley, England. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format Ex-servicemen were applying to join and some needed help to complete their studies prior to going to the Novitiate.

Recognising the importance of Scotland, as both a place for missionary vocations as well as support for missionary work, in 1956 the Holy Ghost Fathers set up a community at Uddingston on the outskirts of Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Uddingston is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north side of the River Clyde, approximately seven miles to the south-east of Glasgow Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom In 1970 the Congregation transferred to the Old parish house and church in Carfin. Carfin ( An Càrn Fionn in Gaelic) is a small town Carfin is to the north-east of Motherwell, Scotland on the road to Newarthill. It was also opposite the Carfin Grotto, a place of Catholic pilgrimage which had been established during the 1920s. Carfin Grotto, a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes was the idea of Father later Canon Thomas N The Carfin community continues to serve the people of Scotland and witness to our Missionary commitment.

After the Second Vatican Council the various missionary societies in England pooled their resources and started the Missionary Institute, London (MIL) in 1969. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. As one of the founding members, the Holy Ghost Fathers closed their center in Wellesborough, moving their students to London and opened a community house in Aldenham Grange, near Watford, Herts.

From the late 1980s there was a decision to concentrate on work with young people, in order to develop strong committed young catholic leaders. The "Just Youth" ministry was established in order to foster these aims. It provides chaplaincy facilities for several high schools in the Salford Diocese and undertakes outreach work in schools throughout the north of England. It is based at St Philip's church in Kersal. Kersal is an Inner city area of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England

From the Salford community has also grown the group of Lay Spiritans. These are married or single Catholics who are inspired by the Spiritan way of life and wish to share in it while leading their normal professional and domestic lives.

In 2001, two Lay Spiritans of the Salford community founded Revive, a voluntary social work agency committed to the long-term support of asylum seekers and refugees. Salford lies at the heart of the City of Salford, a Metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Social work is a discipline involving the application of Social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people groups and societies According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race This work, in conjunction with the British Red Cross, also involves the support of unsuccessful asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been refused and are destitute. The British Red Cross Society is a prominent part of the largest impartial Humanitarian organisation in the world – the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Revive also has a significant role in the training of student social workers to work with asylum seekers and refugees in partnership with Manchester University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Salford University. Social work is a discipline involving the application of Social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people groups and societies The University of Manchester is a " red brick " civic University located in Manchester, England. Manchester Metropolitan University is a university based in the city of Manchester. The University of Salford is a Plate glass university based in Salford Greater Manchester, England, with approximately 20000 registered students Revive is based at the parish church of St Boniface in Salford and is considered to be a missionary work of the Congregation, who are its principal funders. Saint Boniface ( Latin: Bonifacius c 672 – June 5, 754) the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at ^[5]

United States

The French Spiritans' first contact in North America was in Acadia between 1735-1763 under Father Louis Bouic. Unfortunately, the settlers and natives of this region were caught in the political and military clash between the French and the British. One of the most famous Spiritans was Fr. Maillard named "the Apostle of the Micmacs". After arduous learning in eight years, he wrote the first Micmac grammar. Through this he was able to introduce to them the Catholic faith which they kept even without a priest for a long time. Father Maillard tried to attenuate the savagery of brutal warfare (instigated at times by the French and the British). Many more missionaries, such as John Le Loutre, came but later had to flee with the Micmacs as the British conquered these areas. Abbé Jean-Louis Le Loutre ( September 26 1709 – September 30 1772) was a priest and missionary Fr. Maillard himself was captured in Louisbourg and deported to a Boston jail.

It was in 1794 that a Spiritan refugee of the French Revolution in Guiana became a highly respected missionary in Baltimore. He started a new mission in the U. S. and two others followed a few years later. However, it was only when Archbishop Purcell repeatedly asked (between 1847-1851) for personnel to staff a seminary in Cincinnati that Spiritans steadily entered. Other dioceses such as Savannah, Florida, Philadelphia, and Natchez requested for personnel too. For the sake of maintaining a community life the Spiritans concentrated on the Pittsburgh area. Despite knowing of four failures of setting up a Catholic college in Pittsburgh, the Spiritans showed unusual courage in setting up an institution which later became known as Duquesne University. Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

The Spiritans in America concentrate on work among immigrants, black parishes and education in Duquesne University and Holy Ghost Preparatory School (near Philadelphia). Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Holy Ghost Preparatory School (often shortened to HGP or Holy Ghost Prep is a private secondary school for boys located in Bensalem Pennsylvania. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Historically, they have supplied missionaries for Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Ethiopia. Today, Spiritans are focusing on Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines and Taiwan. In 1964 there was a separation between a Western Province and an Eastern Province (according to the Mississippi River), but they are gradually joining both provinces. Candidates in theological formation are sent to Catholic Theological Union in Chicago where several Spiritans teach. The Catholic Theological Union of Chicago is one of the largest schools of Theology in the world and trains men and women for lay and clerical ministry within

References

1. ^ During his thirty year apostolate in Africa the role of Mgr. Lefebvre was of the very highest importance. His fellow missionaries still remember his extraordinary missionary zeal which was revealed in his exceptional abilities as an organizer and a man of action. Father Jean Anzevui quoted in Volume 1, Chapter 1, Apologia pro Marcel Lefebvre, by Michael Davies, citing J. Michael Davies ( March 13 1936 - September 25 2004) was a British teacher and Traditionalist Catholic writer of many books Mzevui, Le Drame d'Ecône (Sion, 1976), p. 16
2. ^ "This little group was very active. They included a number of seminary professors like Fr. Lécuyer who was in Rome. They formed a small group of intellectuals - very progressive, rather modernist and very determined. Moreover, since it seemed the Council was working in their favour they felt emboldened and took the opportunity of spreading their ideas of modernising - the aggiornamento - the Congregation. " July/August 2003 Monsignor Lefebvre in his own words, Society of Saint Pius X - Southern Africa
3. ^ "With no authorisation from the Congregation for Religious, they wanted the chapter to be presided over by a triumvirate which meant that I, the Superior General, was not to preside over the chapter at all even though it was clearly written in the constitutions that the Superior General was to be in charge of all business discussed at the General Chapter. " July/August 2003 Monsignor Lefebvre in his own words, Society of Saint Pius X - Southern Africa
4. ^ "Back at the Mother House, I wrote a nice letter to the Pope saying that I was tendering my resignation because of what was going on in the Congregation and what I was going to have to do. I told him I couldn’t take responsibility for something like that. " July/August 2003 Monsignor Lefebvre in his own words, Society of Saint Pius X - Southern Africa
5. ^ Ann-Marie and Peter Fell: "On the Royal Road: Considerations on Lay Spiritan Identity and Mission". Spiritan Horizons, Issue 2, Fall 2007, pp. 100-108.

Sources and external links

• "Religious Congregations of the Holy Ghost". Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.  

• Koren, Henry. To the Ends of the Earth. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1983.
• Spiritans Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost Fathers and Brothers)
• Spiritans of the United States
• Spiritans of English Canada
• Spiritans of France
• Spiritans of the United Kingdom
• Spiritans in Ireland
• Spiritans in Puerto Rico
• Congregation of the Holy Ghost
• http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dqcsp.html

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia