Spiritan Life and Mission since Vatican II
The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) called for the renewal of all religious institutes in the Catholic Church. The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) responded initially under the leadership of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Different interpretations of Vatican II caused divisions culminating in Lefebvre's departure from the congregation. From this difficult starting-point the Spiritans sought to redefine themselves in creative fidelity to their founding intention, the spirit of Vatican II, and the ""signs of the times.""
Spiritan Life and Mission since Vatican II recounts this journey of renewal in three parts: the Spiritan world before Vatican II and the election of Archbishop Lefebvre as superior general in 1962; the ""ad experimentum"" period culminating with a new rule of life in 1986; and the implementation of this new rule as interpreted through inter-congregational discourse, particularly the general chapters of 1992, 1998, and 2004.
The development of thinking on the church's mission and the congregation's rediscovery of the founding charisms of Claude Poullart des Places and Francis Libermann provide the parameters for this positive interpretation of the Spiritan journey of renewal. Its evolution in the third millennium into a multicultural, international missionary community of some three-thousand members from over sixty countries in service of the Missio Dei bears testimony to this.
""The author charts the history of one religious community (Spiritans), identifying how it can either remain faithful to the Holy Spirit and its own charism, or fall from grace. But this superb and detailed micro-study (also) offers great wisdom on which others can profitably draw. Its core reflections on mission, religious life, community and leadership can be of great help to any interested parties.""
--Anthony J. Gittins, Professor, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago
""The Spiritan congregation has a long and storied history for more than three centuries. Bill Cleary provides an insightful study of the events in the congregation since Vatican II. Knowing where we have come from and what has brought us to this point in our history and with a renewed spirit of mission, we boldly respond to where the Spirit is leading us tomorrow as we seek to faithfully proclaim and give witness to the power of gospel in our world today.""
--Jeffrey Duaime, Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Provincial of the United States
""Spiritan Life and Mission since Vatican II plots how 'winds of change' catalyzed new understandings of Christian life and mission in the Catholic Church and a parallel rediscovery of the Spiritan charism (Congregation of the Holy Spirit). . . . Well-researched and a fascinating read, the book shows religious values changing dynamically while remaining the same.""
--James Chukwuma Okoye, Center for Spiritan Studies, Duquesne University
Fr. William Cleary CSSp is an Irish Spiritan with different mission experiences in Ireland, Kenya, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. He wrote a history of the Catholic Church in The Gambia, Reaping a Rich Harvest, in preparation for the papal visit of 1992. As Director for Ethos in Irish Spiritan schools, he edited Spiritan Schools: Education for Transformation through Gospel Values (2015). He wrote Spiritan Life and Mission since Vatican II during his time as Spiritan Scholar in Residence, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh.
