PROVINCE OF THE UNITED STATES

1.1. M.S.A. members in the United States

Currently, the Province has 36 members, including two residents outside the United States, Canada and Brazil. We have two American postulants.

  • Among these members, some are retired for health or age reasons: 18 live in a house of the Province or in homes. We have 33 members over the age of 60. This means that we have only 3 members under 60 years of age. We have 15 members under the age of 70. So we have 21 members with very little ministry or retired.

  • We have 18 members engaged in the work of the Province and working directly or helping the Province with their income.

  • We have one temporary member who is 40 years old. We are helping in the formation of five temporary members of the Local Community of Vietnam. We need vocations to survive!

Provincial Organization

  • Provincial Moderator: Rev. Edward J. PRZYGOCKI, M.S.A.

  • Councilor, Provincial Assistant: Rev. Fr. Peter KUCER, M.S.A,

  • Councilor, Bursar: Rev. Fr. Jeffrey THOMPSON, M.S.A.

  • Councilor, Secretary: Rev. P. Jerome McCallum, M.S.A.

  • Councilor, Provincial Responsible for Formation: Rev. P. Martin D. ROONEY, M.S.A.

1.2. Local Communities:

We have two local communities: Cromwell with 22 members and Washington DC with 14 members.

  1. a) Cromwell has two houses: St. Jude's, with a coordinator, Fr. Stanley Grove, and St. Mark's, whose Local Animator is Fr. Charles Bak. Father Stanley is his assistant, a bursar and the other members are his advisors. Other members live alone in homes.

  2. b) The Local Community of Washington, DC: The Local Animator is Brother Jerome McCallum. The other members are Fathers Addison Hallock and Glenn Breed. Father Dick Hite lives in a home. The other members live alone or in homes.

The Province administers two other houses in Washington.

1.3 Works and Apostolates

1.3.1. The College and Seminary of the Holy Apostles

The current situation: The Seminar depends on the Board of Directors chaired by the Chancellor. The current rector is Father Peter Kucer, M.S.A. The office has five M.S.A. members. At present, the Seminary has 51 seminarians, the majority of whom are from Vietnam and Colombia (Diocese of Paterson) and there are some Americans. There are about 20 Vietnamese priests and 40 sisters. There are about 600 students in the online program.

Future: The lack of American seminarians is a major concern for the future of the Seminary, as all international students have scholarships and will not help the growth of the institution. The current rector, a member of our Society, has replaced another rector who had been in office for almost 25 years and has retired.

1.3.2. M.S.A. USA Formation

  • Present Organization: The Province currently has one priest responsible for formation: Father Martin Rooney, M.S.A., one priest in charge of Postulancy, Probation and Temporaries, another priest in charge of the accompaniment of newly ordained or definitive members under five years of age, and another priest in charge of vocations direction for the Society. Thus, together with the local Animator of Cromwell, we have the Formation Committee of the Province. They have permanent meetings for coordination, evaluation and revision.

  • Formation of formators: we are sending our priests to Washington, DC, to attend the formation course with the Sulpician Fathers of Saint Sulpice, and we thank the confreres for their support in this task, because it is so important to be competent in formation; this directly concerns our charism and mission in the Church.

  • Financial help for M.S.A. candidates: we have only two postulants who receive help from the group 'Friends of Jesus Saint Mathias', which supports their tuition, health insurance, board and lodging and their personal needs.

The Promotion of Vocations is one of the great improvements of our Province. We improve the search for vocations according to our needs with flyers, conferences, digital contact, and moments of interaction with "come and see", which allow us to get to know people interested in priestly vocations. On our side, we perceive and analyze with the help of the Holy Spirit whether they have what it takes to become M.S.A.

1.3.3 Safe Environment (Accreditation Presidium)

With Father Vincent Salamoni, MSA, we have begun the process for the accreditation required by the Conference of Major Superiors of the United States and the Bishops' Conference for the priestly ministry in the United States, trying to prevent and what to do when there are accusations of sexual misconduct affecting minors. After four years of preparation, thanks to the invaluable assistance of Mr. James Tabor, and Father Luis LUNA, M.S.A., we were approved and certified to issue letters of appropriate character when our members are called to celebrate Mass or to minister in different parishes in the United States. Father Dennis Patrick CONNELL, M.S.A., is responsible for the annual update with the members.

1.3.4. My Father's House Retreat House

Presently the Province is responsible for and owner of My Father's House retreat house apostolate which Father William McCarthy, M.S.A. began in 1980. Is located in Moodus, Connecticut, is a large property and serves to give spiritual retreats to those in need. The current director is Father Michael Hai Van Tran, M.S.A. We pray for much success.

2. FRATERNAL LIFE

3. Analysis of the Situation

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