CMRI Priests

In order that the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen fulfill its mission of preserving the doctrines and traditions of the one true Faith, it must have priests to defend these teachings and dispense the life-giving Sacraments of the Church. It is the goal of this Congregation to form the kind of Marian priest for which St. Louis Marie de Montfort prayed two centuries ago: “...true servants of the Blessed Virgin, who, like other St. Dominics, would go everywhere with the bright and burning torch of the holy Gospels in their mouth and the Holy Rosary in their hand....” (An Urgent Plea for Marian Apostles).

The Marian priests make profession of the simple religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and live according to a rule similar to that of other Marian congregations. Their spirit is distinctly Marian, and is based on the Total Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary as taught by St. Louis Marie de Montfort.

Within the Congregation there is a custom which symbolizes the mission of the Marian priests and their dedication to Our Lady. Immediately after an ordination ceremony, the newly-ordained kneels with his brother-priests before the image of Our Lady, where all renew their religious vows and their allegiance to uphold and defend all the doctrines and traditions of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. This is coupled with an oath never to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in any other manner than that prescribed by Pope St. Pius V and the holy Council of Trent.

Fr. Benedict Hughes, CMRI, teaches in St. Joseph Minor Seminary and is the principal of Mary Immaculate Queen School in Rathdrum, Idaho.

The Marian priests engage in an active apostolate which includes parish work, teaching, editing and publishing Catholic literature, and traveling in order to make the Mass and the Sacraments available to Catholics who have no priests in their area. As a result, Marian priests are responsible for parishes in twelve states, as well as in Canada and New Zealand.

A Marian priest is unlike most priests today because he serves at the behest of Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church — not the modernistic Conciliar Church. He is assured of valid ordination because he received Holy Orders in the traditional rite of ordination, which has been intact for many centuries, and not according to the adulterated and revised ritual of 1968. This makes him a true representative of Jesus Christ, with the legitimate power and duty to administer the sacraments of the Catholic Church.

A Marian priest celebrates only the traditional Latin Mass, at which he repeats the great Sacrifice of Calvary, whereby he becomes the channel of grace for his flock. When he administers the Sacrament of Penance, he grants absolution, in private confession, to all who are truly contrite. He thereby washes away sin and brings about the healing of souls. He brings souls to God through Baptism, and administers the Sacrament of Extreme Unction to those in danger of death, thus preparing their souls for heaven. He counsels young men and women as they prepare for marriage and parenthood in a society which no longer believes in the sanctity of marriage or the responsibilities of parenthood, and binds them together in Holy Matrimony.

A Marian priest has great power, great responsibility and a great work load. Because of the unique challenges to the traditional Catholic Faith and the challenges to the very institution of the priesthood itself, he needs to be well-versed in matters theological and philosophical. He also needs to fulfill, at times, the roles of counselor, teacher, public speaker, and even business administrator. He may well have a parish, but, with the present dire lack of traditional Catholic clergy, his responsibilities go far beyond his parish. Having offered one or two Masses every Sunday morning for his “home” parish, he may then travel hundreds of miles by car or plane to offer the Holy Sacrifice at another location in the afternoon. He may be called upon to administer the Last Sacraments at any time of day or night. As the new millennium approaches, he must struggle to lead his flock to salvation in a world which seems more intent on serving Satan than in serving Christ.

Fr. Ephrem Cordova, CMRI, gives a lecture during the annual Fatima Conference.

A priest of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen takes the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. By popular standards these are seen as restrictive or burdensome, but, in fact, they are what truly set him free. With nothing worldly to gain or to lose, a religious can easily lead others through this world and into the next. Through the vow of poverty he is free to concentrate on both the spiritual and the temporal without attachment to worldly possessions. His vow of chastity channels his fidelity, devotion and energy to Christ and the Church rather than to an individual, thereby leaving him free to deal with the many responsibilities of the priesthood. He remains focused, rather than divided in his loyalties and interests. Through his vow of obedience to God, in the person of his superiors, he gains true humility and becomes free to imitate Our Lord without the taint of false piety. Obedient humility enables him to pursue sanctity without becoming sanctimonious. If he is a good example of Christlikeness, his flock will have no trouble following in the footsteps of the saints. Living a life dedicated to God, our Blessed Mother and the salvation of souls, he will grow in wisdom and holiness and come to know, love and serve God and his fellow man as no one else can.

Be sure to visit the seminary's website at: MaterDeiSeminary.org. If you feel that God may be calling you to the holy priesthood, please visit our Vocations Page, or write to Mater Dei Seminary at the address below.

You may also find the Adsum, Mater Dei Seminary's monthly newsletter, helpful and informative in this regard. If you would like to receive Adsum, the newsletter of Mater Dei Seminary, please use this form.