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Fr Thomas Casanova CCS, Member of the Confraternity of Christ the Priest in Australia, www.christthepriest.com
The Confraternity of Christ the Priest is a new society in the Catholic Church, founded in Australia to carry out a particular missionary apostolate.
The Intensive Apostolate means the focusing of the apostolic labour of several priests and brothers onto a small area, in order that the concentrated impact of their apostolate, example, and prayer may convert the area as completely as possible to the true faith. When this aim has been attained, the Confraternity withdraws from that place and moves on to another area.[1]
This approach is "pastoral towards Catholics, ecumenical with other Christians, and missionary towards those who have lost their faith or have never belonged to the Church". The "chief motive ...is to gear the whoe parish in a total missionary effort aimed at bringing the churchless to know, love and serve God, and so to see Him and enjoy Him forever in Heaven."[2] That is why members of the Confraternity are refered to as "Missionaries to the Churchless". They are trained to have a person-to-person approach, to be familiar with the world yet detatched from it, to have friendly respect for all they meet. They pray and work hard, and sometimes that work is hard physical work such as buiding a required church. They cultivate a spirit of zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
The Spirit of the Confraternity "consists in being united with the Priest and Victim of our daily Mass for the adoration of the Blessed Trinity and the salvation of the human race. This spirit manifests itself especially in a loving obedience to the will of God in all things and at all times."[3] Therefore the members have a deep desire to adore the Divine Majesty, and a deep love of the Mass and all liturgy. They show this through their reverence and prayerfulness during Mass.
History The Confraternity was founded in 1954 by Fr John Whiting, who at that time was a member of the Redemptorists (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer). He began in Townsville, North Queensland, under Bishop Hugh Ryan. The first monastery was in the sugar cane growing region of Parkside. A promising beginning was made, with several members joining to become brothers and seminarians.
In the late 1960s the decision was made, in particular for the sake of vocations, to begin a foundation in Melbourne, Victoria. Thus began the establishment of Christ the Priest Seminary in the suburb of Scoresby. Vocation numbers grew then diminished then grew again as the Confraternity faced various challenges and built up both the parish of Scoresby and the seminary. A further establishment was made in the late 1980s in Warrenheip, near Ballarat, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Aspirancy House.
In the early 1990s a process of separation from the Diocese of Townsville began, which ended when the Congregation for the Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CIV-SVA) transfered the Confraternity of Christ the Priest to the Diocese of Wagga Wagga. In the decree, the Vatican Congregation said, "Among the various plants in the field of the Lord must be number the Confraternity of Christ the Priest, founded in the Diocese of Townsville and now located in the Diocese of Wagga Wagga".
The Priest members of the Confraternity are incardinated into the Diocese of Wagga Wagga. Our head house is in San Isidore, a former Catholic settlement near Wagga, and we have the pastoral care of two parishes, West Wagga and Thurgoona.