Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen
Encyclopedia
The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI) (Latin: Congregatio Mariae Reginae Immaculatae) is a Sedevacantist
Traditionalist Catholic religious congregation
dedicated to promoting the message of Our Lady of Fatima
and devotion to the Virgin Mary according to the teachings of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort
, whom they regard as their spiritual founder. Over the years, the Congregation has also been known as the Fatima Crusaders and Oblates of Mary Immaculate Queen of the Universe.
, by Francis Schuckardt
with the assistance of Denis Chicoine
. In 1969, with the approval of Bishop Sylvester Treinen
, of the Diocese of Boise, Shuckardt formed the group into a religious congregation of sisters and brothers.
With the implementation of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council
, Schuckhardt and his group came to the conclusion that Paul VI
was not a valid pope
and therefore sought services from priests who shared his theological position. In the early 1970s Schuckhardt received ordination
as a priest
and as a bishop
from Daniel Q. Brown
, an Old Roman Catholic
bishop who apparently converted to Schuckhardt's brand of Catholicism.
In the late 1970s CMRI acquired the old Jesuit
scholasticate Mount Saint Michael
in Spokane, Washington
, making it their congregation's center.
In 1984, Chicoine publicly accused Schuckardt of substance abuse
, personal immorality and financial and organizational mismanagement which made headlines in the secular press. In June 1984, Chicoine, with the backing of the majority of the congregation's clergy and laity, ousted Schuckardt.
for CMRI and found Bishop George Musey
of Galveston, Texas
, whose episcopal lineage can be traced to Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Ðình Thục. On April 23, 1985, three of the four remaining priests "formally and publicly" took an "Abjuration of Error and Profession of Faith ad cautelam" before Bishop Musey in case, through their previous actions, they had incurred any ecclesiastical censures. Bishop Musey then conditionally re-ordained them, although he publicly stated he personally had not doubts as to their validity of their earlier ordinations.
In 1986, CMRI held its first General Chapter establishing a formal set of Rules and Constitutions. In the same year, the Rule was approved by Bishop Robert F. McKenna
, OP
, whose episcopal lineage can also be traced to Archbishop Thuc.
In 1989, Father Mark Pivarunas
was elected Superior General
of the Congregation. Father Pivarunas received episcopal consecration
in 1991 by Bishop Moises Carmona, also of the Thuc lineage.
Pivarunas currently serves as Superior General. Bishop Schuckardt (before his death) and his followers dispute Pivarunas' position as Superior General inasmuch as Bishop Schuckardt, the founder of the Congregation, had never officially resigned as Superior General and further claimed to have excommunicated Pivarunas, which would disqualify Pivarunas, according to traditional Catholic Church law, from holding that position.
, Canada
and New Zealand
. They also operate the Mater Dei Seminary in Omaha, Nebraska
, while the Sisters' motherhouse is located in Spokane, Washington (Mount Saint Michaels Mission). They have expanded into Central and South America, as well as Europe, with centers in the British Isles, Central Europe, and Russia.
Sedevacantism
Sedevacantism is the position held by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics who hold that the present occupant of the papal see is not truly Pope and that, for lack of a valid Pope, the see has been vacant since the death of either Pope Pius XII in 1958 or Pope John XXIII in 1963.Sedevacantists...
Traditionalist Catholic religious congregation
Congregation (catholic)
The term "congregation" has three usages specific to the Roman Catholic Church. One concerns the Roman Curia, the other two concern religious institutes.- Roman Curia :...
dedicated to promoting the message of Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
and devotion to the Virgin Mary according to the teachings of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....
, whom they regard as their spiritual founder. Over the years, the Congregation has also been known as the Fatima Crusaders and Oblates of Mary Immaculate Queen of the Universe.
Francis Schuckardt
The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen was formed in 1967 in Coeur d'Alene, IdahoCoeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
, by Francis Schuckardt
Francis Schuckardt
Francis Konrad Schuckardt was an American Traditionalist Catholic independent bishop and the first known bishop of the sedevacantist movement in the United States. Sedevacantism holds that Pope Paul VI —sometimes going back to include John XXIII— and his successors are not valid Popes...
with the assistance of Denis Chicoine
Denis Chicoine
Denis Chicoine was a Traditionalist Catholic priest who assisted Francis Schuckardt in founding the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen and served as Superior General of the Congregation from 1984 to 1989.- Early life :...
. In 1969, with the approval of Bishop Sylvester Treinen
Sylvester William Treinen
Sylvester William Treinen was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Boise from 1962 to 1988.-Biography:...
, of the Diocese of Boise, Shuckardt formed the group into a religious congregation of sisters and brothers.
With the implementation of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, Schuckhardt and his group came to the conclusion that Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
was not a valid pope
Sedevacantism
Sedevacantism is the position held by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics who hold that the present occupant of the papal see is not truly Pope and that, for lack of a valid Pope, the see has been vacant since the death of either Pope Pius XII in 1958 or Pope John XXIII in 1963.Sedevacantists...
and therefore sought services from priests who shared his theological position. In the early 1970s Schuckhardt received ordination
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
as a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
and as a bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
from Daniel Q. Brown
Daniel Q. Brown
Daniel Quilter Brown is an American Old Roman Catholic bishop. He was a Roman Catholic layman who left the Catholic Church in the late 1960s because he was dissatisfied with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Brown was consecrated a bishop in 1969 by Hubert A. Rogers.In 1971 he consecrated...
, an Old Roman Catholic
Old Catholic Church
The term Old Catholic Church is commonly used to describe a number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of Papal Infallibility...
bishop who apparently converted to Schuckhardt's brand of Catholicism.
In the late 1970s CMRI acquired the old Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
scholasticate Mount Saint Michael
Mount Saint Michael
Mount Saint Michael is a traditional Catholic church in Spokane, Washington. It serves as the home of Saint Michael's Academy and as a parish center for traditionalist Catholics in the Spokane area. It is staffed by the priests, brothers and sisters of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen...
in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, making it their congregation's center.
In 1984, Chicoine publicly accused Schuckardt of substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
, personal immorality and financial and organizational mismanagement which made headlines in the secular press. In June 1984, Chicoine, with the backing of the majority of the congregation's clergy and laity, ousted Schuckardt.
Post-Schuckardt
In autumn of 1984, the priests sought out a bishop to ordain clergyClergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
for CMRI and found Bishop George Musey
George Musey
George J. Musey was a Traditionalist Catholic bishop from Galveston, Texas.He was ordained a priest on May 22, 1952 by Bishop Wendolin Nold of Galveston. Musey was consecrated to the episcopate on April 1, 1982 in Acapulco, Mexico, by Bishop Moises Carmona assisted by Bishop Adolfo Zamora.From...
of Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, whose episcopal lineage can be traced to Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Ðình Thục. On April 23, 1985, three of the four remaining priests "formally and publicly" took an "Abjuration of Error and Profession of Faith ad cautelam" before Bishop Musey in case, through their previous actions, they had incurred any ecclesiastical censures. Bishop Musey then conditionally re-ordained them, although he publicly stated he personally had not doubts as to their validity of their earlier ordinations.
In 1986, CMRI held its first General Chapter establishing a formal set of Rules and Constitutions. In the same year, the Rule was approved by Bishop Robert F. McKenna
Robert McKenna
Robert Fidelis McKenna, O.P. is a Dominican bishop residing at Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel in Monroe, Connecticut since 1973. He is known for his traditionalist Catholic positions and is an advocate of sedeprivationism...
, OP
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, whose episcopal lineage can also be traced to Archbishop Thuc.
In 1989, Father Mark Pivarunas
Mark Pivarunas
Mark Anthony Pivarunas, CMRI is a U.S. based sedevacantist and Traditionalist Catholic bishop and Superior General of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen.- Biography :...
was elected Superior General
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
of the Congregation. Father Pivarunas received episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
in 1991 by Bishop Moises Carmona, also of the Thuc lineage.
Pivarunas currently serves as Superior General. Bishop Schuckardt (before his death) and his followers dispute Pivarunas' position as Superior General inasmuch as Bishop Schuckardt, the founder of the Congregation, had never officially resigned as Superior General and further claimed to have excommunicated Pivarunas, which would disqualify Pivarunas, according to traditional Catholic Church law, from holding that position.
Present day
The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen serves 29 churches and chapels in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. They also operate the Mater Dei Seminary in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, while the Sisters' motherhouse is located in Spokane, Washington (Mount Saint Michaels Mission). They have expanded into Central and South America, as well as Europe, with centers in the British Isles, Central Europe, and Russia.
Superiors General
- Francis K. SchuckardtFrancis SchuckardtFrancis Konrad Schuckardt was an American Traditionalist Catholic independent bishop and the first known bishop of the sedevacantist movement in the United States. Sedevacantism holds that Pope Paul VI —sometimes going back to include John XXIII— and his successors are not valid Popes...
, (1967–1984) - Denis P. ChicoineDenis ChicoineDenis Chicoine was a Traditionalist Catholic priest who assisted Francis Schuckardt in founding the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen and served as Superior General of the Congregation from 1984 to 1989.- Early life :...
, (1984–1989) - Mark A. PivarunasMark PivarunasMark Anthony Pivarunas, CMRI is a U.S. based sedevacantist and Traditionalist Catholic bishop and Superior General of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen.- Biography :...
, (1989–1991; 1995–present) - Casimir M. Puskorius, (1991–1995)
External links
- Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen - Official website
- Theological Position Statement