Society of Christ Fathers
| Abbreviation | Society Christ Fathers (SChr) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Wszystko dla Boga i Polonii Zagranicznej |
| Formation | 1932 |
| Type | Catholic religious institute |
| Headquarters | ul. Panny Marii 4, 61-108 Poznań, Poland |
Region served | Worldwide |
Superior General | Fr. Tomasz Sielicki SChr |
| Website | Official web site of North American Province |
| Remarks | Serves Polish communities abroad |
The Society of Christ Fathers for Poles Living Abroad (SChr) (Latin: Societas Christi pro Emigrantibus Polonis; Polish: Towarzystwo Chrystusowe dla Polonii Zagranicznej) - Roman Catholic Society of Apostolic Life founded by the then Primate of Poland, Cardinal August Hlond, in cooperation with Fr. Ignacy Posadzy, September 8, 1932.[1]
History
After Poland regained independence in 1918, church and civil authorities made efforts to provide Poles living in other countries with every manner of assistance, especially spiritual care. Church leaders in Poland could not ignore the requests for Polish priests raised by Poles in all corners of the world. As guardian of the Polish emigrants abroad, Primate Cardinal A. Hlond consulted with the Holy See how to meet this demand. After receiving a directive from Pope Pius XI, he established the religious institute of the Society of Christ to Polish Migrants in 1932. Hlond charged Fr. Ignacy Posadzy, a priest of the Archdiocese of Gniezno-Poznan, with the execution of this task and he is considered the co-founder of the Society of Christ. Due to changes brought about after the Polish October, 1956 was a watershed moment in the realizing the mission of the Society. The first priests began to travel to the territories of their mission work. They are present in a number of countries including New Zealand, Brazil, Australia, Germany, France, Canada, the United States.
On 22 April 1950, the Holy See issued Decretum Laudis recognizing the presence of The Society of Christ Fathers in the Universal Church.[2]
The problem of pedophilia
October 2, 2018 The Court of Appeal in Poznań validly upheld the decision of the court of first instance, in which he adjudged in favor of a woman imprisoned and raped during her childhood by a priest Roman P., belonging to the Society of Christ Fathers. The survivor has been awarded PLN 1 million compensation and a life annuity of PLN 800 per month. Father Roman P. has abducted the then 13-year-old girl away from her parents, and then for a dozen or so months he imprisoned and raped her. The investigators had also discovered pedophile content as well as e-mail correspondence with other children. The man was arrested in 2008.[3]
Congregation structure
The Order, and the realization of its mission, is directed by the Superior General and General Council. It is divided into provinces, which are the overseen by the Provincials and Provincial Councils.
Provinces
| Australian Province - Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Australian Province - New Zealand | ||
| French Province - France | ||
|---|---|---|
| French Province - Spain | ||
| Great Britain Province - Iceland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Great Britain Province - England | ||
| Great Britain Province - South Africa | ||
| German Province - Germany | ||
|---|---|---|
| German Province - Holland | ||
| German Province - Italy | ||
| Polish Province - North-Western region of Poland | ||
|---|---|---|
| South American Province - Argentina | ||
|---|---|---|
| South American Province - Brazil | ||
| South American Province - Uruguay | ||
| North American Province - US | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lombard, IL | Divine Mercy Parish | Provincial House |
| Phoenix, AR | Our Lady of Czestochowa Church | |
| Los Angeles, CA | Our Lady of Bright Mount Parish | |
| San Diego,CA | St. Maximilian Kolbe Polish Mission | |
| San Francisco, CA | Nativity Church | |
| San Jose, CA | St. Brother Albert Chmielowski Polish Roman Catholic Pastoral Mission | |
| Denver, CO | St. Joseph Polish Parish | |
| Pompano Beach, FL | Our Lady of Czestochowa Church | |
| Lawrenceville, GA | Polish Catholic Apostolate | |
| Joliet, IL | Holy Cross Church | (Associate Pastor) |
| Chicago,IL | Holy Trinity Polish Mission | |
| Chicago-Argo,IL | St. Blase Parish | (Associate Pastor) |
| Chicago, IL | Five Holy Martyrs Parish | |
| Baltimore, MD | Holy Rosary Parish | (Associate Pastor) |
| Silver Spring, MD | Our Lady Queen of Poland and St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish | |
| Hamtramck, MI | Saint Florian Roman Catholic Parish | |
| Minneapolis, MN | Holy Cross Parish | (Associate Pastor) |
| Las Vegas, NV | Our Lady of Las Vegas | (Associate Pastor) |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | St. Joseph Parish | |
| Toledo, OH | SS. Adalbert and Hedwig Parish | |
| Portland, OR | St. Stanislaus Catholic Church | |
| Dallas, TX | St. Peter The Apostle Roman Catholic Parish | |
| Houston, TX | Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish | |
| Seattle, WA | St. Margaret of Scotland Parish | |
| Tacoma, WA | SS. Peter and Paul Parish | |
| Milwaukee, WI | St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish | |
| North American Province - Canada | ||
| Calgary, AB | Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish | |
| Chatham, ON | Our Lady of Victory Parish | |
| Guelph, ON | Sacred Heart Parish | |
| Oshawa, ON | St. Hedwig's Parish | |
| Regina, SK | St. Anthony's Church | |
| Toronto, ON | Our Lady Queen of Poland Parish | |
References
- ↑ "About the Society". Society of Christ. 2009. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
- ↑ Rev. Tadeusz Winnicki, SChr, Superior General (December 22, 1998). "Ministry of the Society of Christ Fathers to Polish Migrants". Society of Christ Fathers. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
- ↑ http://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news,1589321,sad-utrzymal-wyrok-milionowego-odszkodowania-dla-kobiety-gwalconej-przez-ksiedza.html
Bibliography
- Fr. Kołodziej TChr, Bernard. Archiwum Towarzystwa Chrystusowego dla Polonii Zagranicznej (dzieje i udostepnianie) (in Polish).
- Rocznik Towarzystwa Chrystusowego 2011 (in Polish). Poznań: Sekretariat Generalny Towarzystwa Chrystusowego. 2011.