Frequently-Asked Questions about the
Missionaries of the Gospel of Life
What type of society is the Missionaries of the Gospel of
Life?
Our new society belongs to the category of "Society of
Apostolic Life." This means that while there is a measure of
community life, the focus is more on the mission itself. A
Society of this type is formed to respond to a particular
problem in society, and in this case, that problem is
specifically the taking of innocent human life by abortion
and euthanasia.
The priests of the Society are incardinated into the
Society rather than into a diocese or Religious
Congregation. They make special promises related to the
defense of human life, and are at the disposal of the
Society to travel throughout the United States to do the
pro-life work that is required.
What type of work will the members of this Society do?
The Society is committed to activating all ministries
within the Church, at every level, to be more effective in
defending the right to life. Rather than creating new
structures, we seek to infuse the existing structures with
new vigor, confidence, and effectiveness in proclaiming the
Gospel of Life and bringing about the cultural change that
it inspires.
This translates into practical activities that span the
entire range of the pro-life movement, including but not
limited to the following: public speaking on life issues,
counseling those tempted to abort, post-abortion counseling,
legislative and grassroots lobbying, organizing public
prayer vigils and protests, religious and secular media
training (including television, radio, internet), fostering
political activity, ecumenical and inter-religious outreach,
dialogue with pro-abortion people and groups, and more.
The Missionaries of the Gospel of Life will preach parish
weekends or missions at the invitation of pastors, conduct
training seminars for clergy and laity of all denominations,
lead retreats, visit seminaries, assist organizations to
work more effectively with the Church and with each other,
participate in meetings with pro-life leaders on the local,
national, and international level, represent the pro-life
mission at various gatherings of Church ministers that allow
groups to exhibit, and more.
How would someone apply for the Society?
The application process for this Society begins by making
contact with us at
vocations@priestsforlife.org, speaking
with one of our vocation directors, and expressing the
willingness to fill out an initial questionnaire.
We then arrange an opportunity to meet with the
individual making the inquiry, and to make a discernment
retreat with us if possible.
If, by the end of the retreat or personal consultations,
both the inquirer and the formation team agree that they
should move to the next step, the individual will be given a
longer application to fill out. This will require obtaining
a number of references and documents, as will include
writing about one’s background and past experience in
Church-related and pro-life work.
Once this longer application is submitted to Fr. Pavone,
it will be reviewed by him and his formation team, and the
applicant will be called for further discussion and
discernment.
What is involved in formation, and how long would it take?
The formation process for becoming a priest in the new
Society begins with a Year of Inquiry at the Amarillo
headquarters. During this period the men will focus on the
basics of prayer, spiritual and community life, and in
particular the spirituality of living the pro-life charism
in the world today. The men will be introduced to the vision
and work of Priests for Life, which forms the basis for the
vision and work of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.
This will involve reading, study, and exposure to the full
range of ministries and leaders within the pro-life
movement. This training will involve travel to various parts
of the United States for pro-life conferences, events, and
seminars.
Upon acceptance after this initial year, the period of
Aspirancy begins, as well as the formal academic formation.
At the present time, the men attend Holy Apostles College
and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. They take the
required philosophical studies, followed by four years of
formal theological training.
During the academic years, the seminarians will be given
specialized training as well as pastoral experience in the
various dimensions of pro-life ministry mentioned above.
The length of time between application and ordination
will vary depending on the background of the applicant, the
judgments made at various stages of the discernment process,
and the requirements of Canon Law.
Have the Constitutions been officially approved yet?
Yes. The Constitutions were approved by Most Reverend
John Yanta, Bishop of Amarillo, on December 8, 2005, and the
decree establishing the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life
was signed by him on December 12, 2005.
Will the priests of this new Society work in Texas alone
or will they be sent to different areas?
The members of the Society will work nationwide and will
travel frequently. At times they will also have speaking
engagements in other countries.
Will the Society include only priests?
No. We will also have deacons. Deacons in the Service of
Life has been an outreach of Priests for Life to encourage
and assist deacons to develop the pro-life dimensions of
their ministry, and is the model for the new Society. It
will be possible for deacons to join the Society and devote
their entire ministry to pro-life work.
Will there be lay associates as well as members?
Yes. Our vision is that any member of the Church can
exercise his or her pro-life mission in union with the new
Society and its spirituality, and can be joined to the
Society by special promises, as a lay person. Those who want
to devote themselves entirely to the Society, on a full-time
basis, will be able to do so. Those who simply want to be
associated with the Society, while living their particular
vocation and carrying out the part-time pro-life work they
already do, will be able to do that as well.
Are there other pro-life communities of this kind?
This is the first Society of Apostolic Life of its kind,
that is, dedicated to prepare priests, deacons, and lay
members to work exclusively to protect human life against
abortion and euthanasia, and to promote the full teaching of
the Gospel of Life.
Would the Society be centralized or would priests be
located in dioceses throughout the country?
The headquarters is in Amarillo, Texas. As the Society
grows, there will be houses located elsewhere as well. It
should be kept in mind that because of the priority of the
mission itself, our members will be on the road for a large
portion of their time, and so will spend much of their time
as guests in parish rectories and the houses of religious
communities.
What priestly vows would be taken at ordination?
The members of the society will make special promises by
which they dedicate their life and ministry to the defense
of human life, and promise to be available for the needs of
the mission of the Society wherever that mission may take
them throughout the United States.
Would the priest be obedient to a local ordinary or to the
Superior of the Society?
In matters related to public worship, teaching, and
maintaining the overall discipline of the Church, the local
Ordinary always has jurisdiction. In matters related to the
internal workings of the Society and the maintenance of our
own spirituality and mission, the Superior of the Society
would have jurisdiction.
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