Cardinal Cupich with members of the Canons Regular on December 23rd, 2019.
On our community’s feast day, December 23rd, I had an audience with His Eminence Cardinal Cupich. I took the occasion of our meeting to assure His Eminence that the Canons Regular are committed to preserving unity with him and the Roman Pontiff. There he outlined the Archdiocesan policy, released today, concerning the implementation of Traditionis Custodes. His Eminence indicated he wants the work of the Canons Regular to continue, albeit within the boundaries established by the Archdiocesan policy to take effect January 25, 2022.
We, like many of you, receive this news with no little sadness, but we also recognize the challenge before us: to live more fully our charism, as outlined in our Constitutions. We have always recognized that “the core of our apostolate”—our very purpose—is to restore the sacred. We do this through the celebration of our Church’s liturgical tradition contained in both the Roman Missal promulgated by Saint Paul VI and well as the Missal promulgated by Saint John XXIII for those who have ties to it. We will be petitioning His Eminence for various permissions. The Cardinal has encouraged us to do so.
In this moment we are prayerfully discerning how to be a bridge for unity in the life of the Church by faithfully implementing the Archdiocesan policy in accord with our spiritual and pastoral patronage, as well as the guidance of the Archbishop of Chicago, and at the same time remain faithful to our mission.
We invite you to accompany us on this discernment by joining us in a Rosary novena, beginning January 25, 2022. We will pray that the Virgin Mother, who said ‘yes’ to our Lord, helps us follow the will of her Son, and the Church He founded. We will observe these nine days ending on the Feast of Her Purification, Candlemas Day. Throughout this novena, our hearts will be fixed on Mary’s—whose heart was also pierced—and who will ultimately say to us, as she told the wedding guests at Cana, pointing to her Son: “Do whatever He tells you.”
Prayerfully in Christ,
Very Rev. Joshua S. Caswell, SJC
Please pay attention to announcements during our regular Mass schedule and in our bulletin for further information as circumstances develop.
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