Abbaye Notre-Dame de Randol

Randol Abbey (or l'Abbaye Notre-Dame de Randol) is a Benedictine monastery situated at Randol near the village of Saint-Saturnin, Puy-de-Dôme department, in the Auvergne mountains of France.

It was founded in 1971 as a priory of Fontgombault Abbey and was raised to the status of an independent abbey on 21 March 1981. The monastery building was constructed at the time of foundation in a striking contemporary style in a spectacular mountainside location.

It is part of the Solesmes Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation and as such focusses on Gregorian chant and the Tridentine Mass.

The Abbey's official website (French language) can be found at www.randol.org

Franciscans of the Immaculate

Formal fiddleback chasubles and modest Franciscan sandals come together in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (Traditional Latin Mass) at Our Lady of Guadalupe Friary of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. The video is put to beautiful music from the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, their Sister order. The music was recorded in Italy and is a fine example of the high quality of their music which, combined with the friars in Italy, are playing a major part in spearheading the reform of liturgical music in Italy.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is a Roman Catholic religious institute of pontifical rite. Their charism is founded on the spirituality of St. Maximilian Kolbe, which is both Franciscan and Marian.

For more information, please see/contact:

• Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate - Vocations
  
• Franciscan Sisters
  

Friars:

Griswold, CT - Mother House N. America and Novitiate:

Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
Marian Friary "Our Lady of Guadalupe"
199 Colonel Brown Road,
Griswold, CT 06351
Tel.- (860) 376-6840
E-mail: friars at figuadalupe.com
website: www.figuadalupe.com
vlog: www.airmaria.com

New Bedford, MA:

Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
Marian Friary, "Our Lady Queen of the Seraphic Order"
600 Pleasant Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Mail: P.O. Box 3003, New Bedford, MA 02741-3003
Tel.- (508) 996-8274
E-mail: ffi at marymediatrix.com
website: www.marymediatrix.com

Maine, NY - Postulant House:

Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
Mount St. Francis Hermitage
Marian Friary "Our Lady Spouse of the Holy Spirit"
P.O. Box 236
Maine, NY 13802
Tel.- (607) 754-0001
E-mail: ffimaine at familink.com

Bloomington, IN:

Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
Marian Friary "Mother of the Redeemer"
8210 W. State Rd. 48
Bloomington, IN 47404
Phone: 812-825-4742
E-mail: fitheotokos at bluemarble.net

Vocation Director:

Fr. Joseph Michael Mary
Marian Friary "Mother of the Redeemer"
8210 W. State Rd. 48
Bloomington, IN 47404
Phone: 812-825-4742
E-mail: ffivocations at bluemarble.net

Marian Conquest Newsletter:
website: www.figuadalupe.com
E-mail: mconquest at bluemarble.net

Sisters:

Vocation Directress:

Sr. Maria Raphaela
Marian House "Mother of the Church"
8220 W. State Rd. 48
Bloomington, IN 47404
Phone: 812-825-4642
E-mail: materdomini at bluemarble.net

Servi Jesu et Mariae

Servi Jesu et Mariae (Servants of Jesus and Mary) is a Congregation of Papal Right, established in 1994. Seeing their apostolic task as being totally available for service to young people, the focal point of their work is apostolic work in the Scout Movement and group work in the Catholic Scout Movement of Europe (Katholische Pfadfinderschaft Europas - KPE).

All members of SJM make three vows: poverty, chastity and obedience, in order to bind themselves ever closer to Christ in the service for His church. According to the model of the Jesuit Order, the community does not have common prayer in choir, therefore it becomes even more important for each individual member to have a deep inner life of prayer, at whose centre there is the Eucharist, and which is seen in a frequent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. The Congregation celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to both the novus ordo missae and the 1962 Missal of Bl. Pope John XXIII. Currently the Congregation has about 50 members, of which about 25 are priests.

SJM is based in Blindenmarkt, Austria, but is active not only in German-speaking areas, but also in Kazakhstan, Albania, Rumania, Ukraine and in France. The Congregation also runs the "Haus Assen" boarding school in Germany.

For more information, contact:

• Servi Jesu et Mariae - SJM
  (Diener Jesu und Mariens)
  Auhof 22
  A - 3372 Blindenmarkt
  Österreich / Austria
  Tel. (0043)-7473-2094
  Fax (0043)-7473-2094-100
  web: www.sjm-congregation.org/english/english.htm

Our Lady of the Annunciation, Le Barroux

The following is a video of the Abbey of Our Lady of the Annunciation, a Benedictine Abbey at Le Barroux in France. It is a traditional monastic congregation, committed to the Extraordinary form of the Roman rite in union with the Holy see.

[click for full size video]

There is also another video, of the installation of the new Abbot, Dom Louise-Marie, January 2004.

Photographs can be found at these links:

• Life of the Monks,
• Aerial photographs,
  
• Ordinations, &
• Albums page

For more information, contact:

• Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine
  F-84330 Le Barroux,
  France
  tel.: +33 (0)4 9062 5631
  www.barroux.org (French)
  

Religieuses Victimes du Sacré-Coeur

The Institue was founded in 1838 by Madam Julie-Adèle of Gérin-Ricard (1793-1865), who become Prioress under the name of Mother Mary, victim of Jesus Crucified. It's particular charism is to unite with the Divine Saviour in his victimhood and to imitate it in religion and charity.

The Community is dedicated to the perpetual adoration of most Holy Sacrament. Their motto is Una cum Christo hostia, Cor Unum. The Sisters make vows of Poverty, Chastity, Obedience and enclosure.

It is by love that Jesus Sacrifices himself; it is by love that it is necessary to follow Him in His Sacrifice, and the treasure of this love is contained in the Heart. It is this mark of the Sisters, indicated by their title "Victims of the Sacred Heart", that indicates their vocation is totally founded upon Love.

The Community consists of one monastery, and -- as of 2006 -- 20 Nuns and a few Novices. They are served by Priests of the Fraternity of St Peter, and others celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum

Religieuses Victimes du Sacré-Coeur de Jésus /
Victim Nuns of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Rev. Mother Superior
Monastère des Religieuses Victimes du Sacré-Coeur de Jésus
52 rue Lavat
13003 Marseille (south France)
FRANCE
Tel.: + 33 4 91 50 29 21

(click images for larger pictures)

Clear Creek Benedictines

Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek is a Benedictine monastery in the diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, founded in 1989. The founding monks at Clear Creek were all members of the monastic community at Notre-Dame de Fontgombault, France, or of her daughterhouses Randol, Triors, and Gaussan. Fontgombault, a medieval abbey in central France, is a member of the Congregation of Solesmes.

The following video is a high-quality, 15 minute documentary by David Biddel; it was a video project for Oklahoma State University in 2003:

In order to better to cultivate the essential of their vocation, that is, the life of prayer, the monks do not assume pastoral charge of parishes nor do they run schools. But in the Rule of Saint Benedict, hospitality has an important place, and Benedictine tradition has always considered this to be a part of the monastery's role in the Church. So, besides their deep communion with the life of the Church and their prayer for all, the monks of Clear Creek receive guests for retreats and help the faithful participate in their life of prayer and recollection, especially through the Divine Office.

It is indeed a part of the Solesmes tradition to cultivate a solemn, public liturgical Office. The monks of Clear Creek celebrate God's glory in Latin, Tridentine usage, so appropriate to give an idea of God's majesty, a sense of the sacred. Thus the monks exploit the riches developed over centuries in the Church's liturgy and cultivate Gregorian Chant. Two other main features of the Solesmes Congregation and which the monks of Clear Creek will strive to fully live must be noted: deep fidelity to the Holy See and devotion to the Virgin Mary.

Saint Benedict, the patriarch of western monks, lived in Italy in the 6th century. He was heir to a monastic tradition that dates back to the first centuries of the Church and has its source in the Gospel: "As for yourselves," says Jesus, "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." The evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience are means recommended by Christ for speeding the reign of love in souls, in which Christian perfection consists. To help them become perfect, Saint Benedict proposes to his disciples to seek God by living these counsels in monastic community under the authority of the Rule and of an Abbot who will be their spiritual father.

A slideshow of recent (2008) images from the monastery can be viewed here. Bishop Slattery of Tulsa, OK, recently celebrated a Pontifical Mass at Clear Creek.

The Clear Creek Benedictines can be contacted at:

• Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek
  5804 West Monastery Road
  Hulbert, OK 74441
  tel.: (918) 772-2454
  Fax: (918) 772-1044
  web: www.clearcreekmonks.org

The Clear Creek Sisters do not have a website yet; at the moment there are only 2 sisters. They can be contacted at:

• Queen of Angels Convent
  9582 N 387 Rd.
  Hulbert, OK 74441
  tel.: 918-772-2170
  

Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney

The Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney was established on 18 January 2002 by Pope John Paul II for traditionalist Catholic clergy and laity within the Diocese of Campos in Brazil. It is the only Personal Apostolic Administration in existence. It consists of 15 Personal Parishes, 125 Chapels, more than 30 priests, 27 seminarians, and more than 100 religious.

An Apostolic Administration is not a group or a religious society or congregation, but is a normal and official ecclesiastical circumscription of the Catholic Church, the same as a Diocese or a Prelature or an Ordinariat, that is, a particular church, part of the Universal and unique Catholic Church. Because of that the Bishop of the Apostolic Administration has the same power as an diocesan bishop, in his jurisdiction.

As a group of traditionalist Catholics thus fully within the Roman Catholic Church, they recognize the authority of the Pope as Vicar of Christ and Shepherd of the Church, the legitimacy of the Second Vatican Council, and the validity of the Mass approved by Pope Paul VI. The Priests of the Apostolic Administration have the faculty to celebrate in Latin the Mass and all the other sacramental rites in the form codified by Pope Pius V and modified by his successors down to Pope John XXIII.

More information can be found at the Apostolic Administration's website, here (Portuguese language).

Canons Regular of St John Cantius

Formerly known as the Society of St. John Cantius, the community of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius was founded in 1998 by Fr. C. Frank Phillips, C.R. as a Roman Catholic religious community of men dedicated to a restoration of the sacred in the context of parish ministry. Its mission is to help Catholics rediscover a profound sense of the sacred through solemn liturgies, devotions, sacred art, sacred music, as well as instruction in Church heritage, catechetics, and Catholic culture. This mission is reflected in the community's motto: Instaurare Sacra (Restoration of the Sacred).

The purpose of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius is the formation of a Roman Catholic men's diocesan institute, which shall form and train men to be priests and brothers. On December 23, 1999, the memorial of St. John of Kenty (Cantius), Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, issued a "Decree approving the statutes and erecting the Society of St. John Cantius as a public diocesan association of the Christian faithful with juridic personality." On January 31, 2003, he gave his approval to the recently completed Spiritual Directory and Book of Customs as the local provisionary rule for the Society of St. John Cantius—the next step toward approval of constitutions for the Society as a diocesan institute. Now known as the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius the community's priests have full faculties to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and sacraments according to the normative liturgical books of the Roman Rite (in Latin and in the vernacular), as well as all of the 1962 liturgical books

Members of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius live in common according to the Rule of St. Augustine and their local Rule of Life. Members dedicate themselves to the recovery of the sacred in living the common life, striving for personal sanctity and by seeking the salvation and sanctification of all. In order to achieve these ends, special emphasis will be placed upon the study and implementation of the sacred rites of the Latin Church in their various approved manifestations.

The laity can also affiliate themselves with the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius as Associate Members. These may be men who are considering a religious vocation to the Society or individuals, male or female, married or single, who wish to help the advancement of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius in their capacity as a member of the laity.

The community's nineteen members include six priests, one deacon, three seminarians, three professed religious brothers and six members in formation. The Canons Regular administer the successful St John Cantius Parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago. St. John’s offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Roman Rite in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms.

For more information about the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, contact:

• Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, 825 North Carpenter Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622
• email Fr Frank Phillips CR at pastor at cantius.org or
• visit the Canons Regular website at www.canons-regular.org.

The Society also runs a tutorial website for the Missale Romanum, Sancta Missa.

International Eucharistic Congress in Canada

International Eucharistic Congress in Québec, Canada (June 18-19-20, 2008):

None of us will ignore that the Juventutem logo depicts… a monstrance. Devotion of youths towards the Holy Eucharist is part and parcel of the Juventutem identity. Therefore Juventutem is glad to be able to partake in this important event. As members of the “Summorum Pontificum generation”, Juventutem youths will travel to Québec and partake in Eucharistic events (liturgical and doctrinal) as encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI: “young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them”(cf Letter to the Bishops on Summorum Pontificum, July 7th, 2007).

Juventutem is very grateful to the Rt. Rev. André-Mutien Léonard, Bishop of Namur (Belgium) for agreeing to offer a pontifical High Mass in the extraordinary form for Juventutem on this occasion with the approval of Congress authorities. You are invited to attend on Saturday 19th June 2008 in St Francis-of-Assisi Church at 10am in Québec City. The Congress lasts one whole week. During the final week-end (18-19-20 June) various Juventutem chaplains will give lectures on the Eucharist, offer Holy Masses and preside at Vespers, Complines and adoration.

It was announced yesterday that the homily for the Mass of the closing ceremony will be given live from Rome by Pope Benedict XVI.

For more information, please click here.

Pilgrimage to Trier

The New Liturgical Movement has posted a report about a pilgrimage organised by the FSSP, to St Paulin's Church in Trier, the oldest German Town, on April 12th. After Mass, there was a procession into the crypt, where the tombs of Bishop St. Paulin and the martyrs of Trier (Legio Thebaica) are located.

The pilgrims also attended Trier Cathedral and St Matthias Abbey.

Read more HERE.

Carmelites Monks of Wyoming

In a solitary monastery under the Rocky Mountains in northern Wyoming, the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming seek to perpetuate the charism of the Blessed Virgin Mary, living the Marian life as prescribed by the primitive Carmelite Rule and the ancient monastic observance. This new monastery of contemplative monks lives a life of faithful orthodoxy to the Magisterium, where joy and peace abound in a manly, agrarian way of life. The Carmelite Monks wear the Holy Habit faithfully, which includes the brown Carmelite scapular and white mantle of our Lady of Mount Carmel. These young Roman Catholic monks live a full, reverent, and traditional Carmelite liturgical life, with the Divine Office and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being prayed in Latin with Gregorian Chant.

The following video is highlights of an interview on the EWTN show Life on the Rock:

Desiring to become great saints, this community of strictly cloistered contemplative men has a vehement longing to live the entirety of the customs and charism established by Ss. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila in the Discalced Carmelite Reform, namely: strict monastic enclosure, two hours of contemplative prayer daily, study and spiritual reading, and manual labor. The Carmelite monk may aspire to be a lay brother or a priest who celebrates the Sacraments, gives spiritual direction, and preaches retreats to the monastery retreatants. Once mature in the spiritual life, a Carmelite monk may aspire to become a solitary hermit in the mountains, alone with the Alone. With a burning love of God and a missionary zeal for souls, the Carmelite monk immolates his life in the vows of obedience, chastity and poverty for the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the entire world.

The Monastery also produces the Mystic Monk coffee brand.

Carmelite Monastery
P.O. Box 2747
Cody, WY 82414-2747
(the Monastery itself is actually in Powell, WY)
www.carmelitemonks.org

Canons Regular of the Mother of God

The Canons Regular are little known in France, but their form of community life - contemplative and apostolic at the same time - has attracted renewed interest nowadays, because it meets a real need. Split into several autonomous congregations and abbeys, they did not initially appear to be a single Order. Canons were numerous and extremely widespread but, after several centuries, they were dispersed by the Reform and then the French Revolution. In France, they almost completely disappeared.

The Canons Regular of the Mother of God are a young community founded in France only around 40 years ago but rich in the Augustinian tradition which dates back to St Augustine (who died in 430). The community reflects the movement to revive the spirit of Canons. The current community was established in 1997 as an abbey of pontifical right, answerable to the Holy See. For any apostolate outside its walls, it works in communion with the diocesan Church led by the local bishop.

The community was always in full communion with the Pope and always maintained cordial relations with the bishops of Gap. The former abbot of the community, Monsignor Wladimir, met Pope John Paul II in the Vatican in 1998. On several occasions, Mgr Wladimir had discussions with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later to become Pope Benedict XVI. By the transfer of their abbey, solemnised on July 27, 2004, the Canons became established in the diocese of Carcassonne in southern France, in full communion with the local bishop.


The life of a canon is also well-suited to women, and it was thought for a long time that St Augustine had written his Rule for a female monastery. Like their brother canons, the sisters also follow the Church's mission to pray the Divine Praises in their liturgical Office. They are now based in the Sacred Heart monastery in Gap, in the French Alps, where they took the place of their brother Canons who moved to Lagrasse. They are supported by a priory of priests who remained in the diocese.

The Holy See has officially approved a "consociatio", which joins the two monasteries under the authority of the Abbot, while maintaining real autonomy for the female community, though in a close spiritual and doctrinal union - truly an inseparable "canonial family". This association allows the Canons and the Canonesses to help one another by prayer, by formation and by work, through the complementary abilities of each group.

For further information, contact:

Canons Regular of the Mother of God
Abbaye Sainte-Marie
6, Rive Gauche
11220 Lagrasse
France
Phone: +33 (0)4 68 58 11 58
Fax: +33 (0)4 68 58 11 52
email: chanoines@chanoines-lagrasse.eu
web: www.lagrassecanons.com

Canonesses of the Mother of God
Abbaye du Saint-Coeur Notre-Dame
1, place Ladoucette
05000 Gap
France
Tel: +33(0)4 92 52 27 24
Fax: +33(0)4 92 52 26 10
Email: soeurs-abbaye@tiscali.fr
web: www.lagrassecanons.com