Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete
Encyclopedia
The Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete is a Latin Rite, Catholic
religious congregation of men dedicated to ministry to priests and Brothers with personal difficulties. The congregation was founded in 1947 by Father Gerald Fitzgerald
in Jemez Springs, New Mexico
. The order has consolidated their holistic programs to St. Michael's in St. Louis, Missouri
, and to Our Lady of Victory Trust in Gloucestershire
in the United Kingdom
.
, Father Gerald Fitzgerald
developed a vision of a religious community whose mission would be to serve the needs of priests and members of other religious orders who were struggling with issues such as celibacy
, alcohol and substance abuse problems. Fitzgerald recounted that he was inspired by an experience in which a destitute transient came to his door seeking assistance. Fitzgerald gave him assistance and was deeply moved when the transient said, as he was leaving, "I used to be a priest." Fitzgerald reported that he was stricken by the fact that the man had given up his vocation and that nothing had been done to rehabilitate him.
When Fitzgerald put out a request for a sponsor who would provide a location for him to situate his new religious congregation, Edwin V. Byrne
, Archbishop of Santa Fe responded. Fitzgerald accepted and moved quickly, buying 2000 acres (8.1 km²) in the Jemez and founded The Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete in Jemez Springs, New Mexico
in 1947.
Fitzgerald believed in spiritual treatment, such as Eucharistic adoration
, and was vehemently against psychological treatment. In dealing with alcoholism, for example, he opposed Alcoholics Anonymous
. Later, a halfway house was set up in Albuquerque's South Valley, and other centers were established in St. Louis, Missouri
and in Gloucestershire
, England.
In a 1964 letter to Bishop Joseph Durick of Nashville, Tennessee
Fitzgerald expressed "growing concern" about the dramatic change in the nature of problems that were being referred to his order:
Fitzgerald became increasingly convinced even then that such priests could not be cured, could not be trusted to maintain celibacy and should be laicized even against their will. Moreover, Fitzgerald opposed vehemently the return of sexual abusers to duties as priests in parish situations. Although some bishops refused to hire sexually abusive priests based on Fitzgerald's refusal to recommend them for parish duties, others ignored Fitzgerald's advice. In general, it appears that bishops chose to ignore Fitzgerald's recommendations, preferring to rely on the advice of medical and psychological experts who asserted that treatment was feasible.
officials, including the pope
, of his opinion that many sexual abusers in the priesthood could not be cured and should be laicized immediately.
Many of Fitzgerald's letters can be found at http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2009/03_04/fitzgerald.pdf and http://www.richardsipe.com/2009-09/Father.Gerald.Fitzgerald.pdf
For example, in a 1952 letter to Bishop Robert Dwyer
of the Diocese of Reno, Nevada
, Fitzgerald wrote:
In 1957 Fitzgerald wrote to Matthew Francis Brady
, the Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire
:
In a letter written in 1957 to Archbishop Byrne, his ecclesiastical sponsor and co-founder of the Paracletes, Fitzgerald wrote:
In 1962, Fitzgerald prepared a report at the request of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
(then known as the Holy Office) in which he discussed the various types of sexual problems of priests, including sexual abuse of minors.
Fitzgerald’s papers were unsealed by a judge in New Mexico in 2007 and were authenticated in depositions with Fitzgerald's successors, said Helen Zukin, a lawyer with Kiesel, Boucher & Larson, a firm in Los Angeles.
and psychology
— his followers espoused them and even trained in the treatment of sexual disorders. As a result, the Servants of the Paraclete center in Jemez Springs became the first facility in the world specifically treating sexual disorders of clergy.
As Fitzgerald lost control, medical and psychological professionals began working at the center although he continued to resist these changes until his death in 1969. These experts said some abusers could return to ministry. The center was closed in the 1990s as the result of lawsuits over priests who had molested children while staying at Jemez Springs or after being treated at the facility.
, South Dakota
, Chairman of the United States Bishops Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, explained why Father Fitzgerald’s advice "went largely unheeded for 50 years": First, "cases of sexually abusive priests were considered to be rare." Second, Father Fitzgerald's, “views, by and large, were considered bizarre with regard to not treating people medically, but only spiritually, and also segregating a whole population with sexual problems on a deserted island.” And finally, “There was mounting evidence in the world of psychology that indicated that when medical treatment is given, these people can, in fact, go back to ministry.” This was a view which Cupich characterized as one that "the bishops came to regret."
Helen Zukin, a lawyer representing some of the plaintiffs against the Church, challenged this explanation, asserting that psychiatrists who worked at the Servants of the Paraclete’s centers have stated in legal depositions that they had rarely recommended returning sexually abusive priests to ministry, and only if the priests were under strict supervision in settings where they were not working with children.
priest Emmett McLoughlin
published an autobiography which was the first to make public the existence of the Jemez Springs establishment. He characterized it as one of several "ecclesiastic prisons" where priests were sent, without ecclesiastical trial, for sexual offences, alcoholism, and insubordination. McLoughlin revealed a few more details about the Jemez Springs in a second book published in 1962. He commented that, "The sexual affairs of priests in the U.S. are more closely guarded secrets than the classified details of our national defense."
and Nevis, Minnesota
. In addition, the order opened centers in Italy
, England
, Scotland
, France
, Africa
, South America
and the Philippines
.
The Servants of the Paraclete also operated a novitiate in Randolph, Vermont
until 1971. Its current novitiate is located in Jemez Springs, approximately one mile from the mother house.
In the 1990s, after a series of lawsuits related to sexually abusive priests that had been treated at its facilities, the order closed most of their centers. They have since consolidated their holistic programs to St. Michael's in St. Louis, MO and to Our Lady of Victory Trust in Gloucestershire, England. In 1998, the Gloucestershire facility ended its ministry to priests who had committed sexual abuse. The Servants of the Paraclete also sponsor a long-term residential facility for priests and religious brothers at Vianney Renewal Center in Dittmer, Missouri where the primary emphasis is on community living.
In 1999 Rev. Peter Lechner, s.P. was elected the fifth Servant General.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
religious congregation of men dedicated to ministry to priests and Brothers with personal difficulties. The congregation was founded in 1947 by Father Gerald Fitzgerald
Gerald Fitzgerald (priest)
Gerald Michael Cushing Fitzgerald was an American Roman Catholic priest, who began his ministry as a priest in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and later became a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross...
in Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Jemez Springs is a village in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 375 at the 2000 census. Named for the nearby Pueblo of Jemez, the village is the site of Jemez State Monument and the headquarters of the Jemez Ranger District...
. The order has consolidated their holistic programs to St. Michael's in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and to Our Lady of Victory Trust in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Founding
While a member of the Holy CrossCongregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
, Father Gerald Fitzgerald
Gerald Fitzgerald (priest)
Gerald Michael Cushing Fitzgerald was an American Roman Catholic priest, who began his ministry as a priest in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and later became a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross...
developed a vision of a religious community whose mission would be to serve the needs of priests and members of other religious orders who were struggling with issues such as celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
, alcohol and substance abuse problems. Fitzgerald recounted that he was inspired by an experience in which a destitute transient came to his door seeking assistance. Fitzgerald gave him assistance and was deeply moved when the transient said, as he was leaving, "I used to be a priest." Fitzgerald reported that he was stricken by the fact that the man had given up his vocation and that nothing had been done to rehabilitate him.
When Fitzgerald put out a request for a sponsor who would provide a location for him to situate his new religious congregation, Edwin V. Byrne
Edwin Byrne
Edwin Vincent Byrne was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served in Puerto Rico, as Bishop of Ponce and Bishop of San Juan , before returning to the United States as Archbishop of Santa Fe .-Biography:Edwin Byrne was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Francis Charles and Anna...
, Archbishop of Santa Fe responded. Fitzgerald accepted and moved quickly, buying 2000 acres (8.1 km²) in the Jemez and founded The Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete in Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Jemez Springs is a village in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 375 at the 2000 census. Named for the nearby Pueblo of Jemez, the village is the site of Jemez State Monument and the headquarters of the Jemez Ranger District...
in 1947.
Fitzgerald believed in spiritual treatment, such as Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church, and in a few Anglican and Lutheran churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful....
, and was vehemently against psychological treatment. In dealing with alcoholism, for example, he opposed Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. Later, a halfway house was set up in Albuquerque's South Valley, and other centers were established in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England.
Treatment of sexually abusive priests
Although Fitzgerald started the Servants of the Paraclete to assist priests who were struggling with alcohol and substance abuse problems, he soon began receiving priests who had sexually abused minors. Initially, Fitzgerald attempted to treat such priests using the same spiritual methods that he used with others. By 1948, Fitzgerald had set a policy whereby he refused to take priests who were sexually attracted to young people. In a letter sent to a priest in 1948 Fitzgerald said “It is now a fixed policy of our house to refuse problem cases that involve abnormalities of sex.” The policy was changed, possibly at the insistence of bishops, because Fr. Gerald’s letters reveal that he had indeed offered help to several priests with such sexual problems in the years between 1948 and his death in 1969.In a 1964 letter to Bishop Joseph Durick of Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
Fitzgerald expressed "growing concern" about the dramatic change in the nature of problems that were being referred to his order:
“May I take this occasion to bring to your attention what is a growing concern to many of us here in the States. When I was ordained, forty three years ago, homosexuality was a practically unknown rarity. Today it is rampant among men. And whereas seventeen years ago eight out of ten problems here [at the Paraclete facility, Via Coeli] would represent the alcoholic, now in the last year or so our admission ratio would be approximately 5-2-3: five being alcoholic, two would be what we call “heart cases” (natural affection towards women) and three representing aberrations involving homosexuality. More alarming still is that among these of the 3 out of 10 class, 2 out of 3 have been young priests.
Fitzgerald became increasingly convinced even then that such priests could not be cured, could not be trusted to maintain celibacy and should be laicized even against their will. Moreover, Fitzgerald opposed vehemently the return of sexual abusers to duties as priests in parish situations. Although some bishops refused to hire sexually abusive priests based on Fitzgerald's refusal to recommend them for parish duties, others ignored Fitzgerald's advice. In general, it appears that bishops chose to ignore Fitzgerald's recommendations, preferring to rely on the advice of medical and psychological experts who asserted that treatment was feasible.
Warnings to the Church hierarchy
Over the next two decades, Fitzgerald wrote regularly to bishops in the United States and to VaticanHoly See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
officials, including the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, of his opinion that many sexual abusers in the priesthood could not be cured and should be laicized immediately.
Many of Fitzgerald's letters can be found at http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2009/03_04/fitzgerald.pdf and http://www.richardsipe.com/2009-09/Father.Gerald.Fitzgerald.pdf
For example, in a 1952 letter to Bishop Robert Dwyer
Robert Joseph Dwyer
Robert Joseph Dwyer was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Portland from 1966 to 1974, having previously served as Bishop of Reno .-Early life and education:...
of the Diocese of Reno, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Fitzgerald wrote:
"I myself would be inclined to favor laicization for any priest, upon objective evidence, for tampering with the virtue of the young, my argument being, from this point onward the charity to the Mystical Body should take precedence over charity to the individual, [...] Moreover, in practice, real conversions will be found to be extremely rare [...] Hence, leaving them on duty or wandering from diocese to diocese is contributing to scandal or at least to the approximate danger of scandal."
In 1957 Fitzgerald wrote to Matthew Francis Brady
Matthew Francis Brady
Matthew Francis Brady was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington and Bishop of Manchester .-Biography:...
, the Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the region of New England in the United States comprising the entire state of New Hampshire...
:
In a letter written in 1957 to Archbishop Byrne, his ecclesiastical sponsor and co-founder of the Paracletes, Fitzgerald wrote:
“May I beg your excellency to concur and approve of what I consider a very vital decision on our part - that we will not offer hospitality to men who have seduced or attempted to seduce little boys or girls. These men Your Excellency are devils and the wrath of God is upon them and if I were a bishops I would tremble when I failed to report them to Rome for involuntary laicization....It is for this class of rattlesnake I have always wished the island retreat - but even an island is too good for these vipers of whom the Gentle master said - it were better they had not been born - this is an indirect way of saying damned, is it not? When I see the Holy Father I am going to speak of this class to his Holiness.”
In 1962, Fitzgerald prepared a report at the request of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
(then known as the Holy Office) in which he discussed the various types of sexual problems of priests, including sexual abuse of minors.
In April 1962, Fitzgerald wrote a five-page response to a query from the Vatican's Congregation of the Holy Office "the tremendous problem presented by the priest who through lack of priestly self-discipline has become a problem to Mother Church." One of his recommendations was for "a more distinct teaching in the last years of the seminary of the heavy penalty involved in tampering with the innocence (or even non-innocence) of little ones." Regarding priests who have "fallen into repeated sins ... and most especially the abuse of children, we feel strongly that such unfortunate priests should be given the alternative of a retired life within the protection of monastery walls or complete laicization."
In August of the following year, he met with newly elected Pope Paul VIPope Paul VIPaul 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...
to inform him about his work and problems he perceived in the priesthood. His follow-up letter contained this assessment: "Personally I am not sanguine of the return of priests to active duty who have been addicted to abnormal practices, especially sins with the young. However, the needs of the church must be taken into consideration and an activation of priests who have seemingly recovered in this field may be considered but is only recommended where careful guidance and supervision is possible. Where there is indication of incorrigibility, because of the tremendous scandal given, I would most earnestly recommend total laicization."
Fitzgerald’s papers were unsealed by a judge in New Mexico in 2007 and were authenticated in depositions with Fitzgerald's successors, said Helen Zukin, a lawyer with Kiesel, Boucher & Larson, a firm in Los Angeles.
Dispute over treatment modalities
Despite the fact that he opposed secular treatment modalities — Alcoholics Anonymous, psychiatryPsychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
— his followers espoused them and even trained in the treatment of sexual disorders. As a result, the Servants of the Paraclete center in Jemez Springs became the first facility in the world specifically treating sexual disorders of clergy.
Ouster
According to Father Joseph McNamara who succeeded Fitzgerald as Servant General, Fitzgerald was eventually forced from leadership by a combination of factors, not least of which was a growing disagreement with the bishop and other members of the congregation over the direction of the Paracletes. According to McNamara, Fitzgerald "never again resided at Via Coeli Monastery, nor did he ever regain the power he had once had."As Fitzgerald lost control, medical and psychological professionals began working at the center although he continued to resist these changes until his death in 1969. These experts said some abusers could return to ministry. The center was closed in the 1990s as the result of lawsuits over priests who had molested children while staying at Jemez Springs or after being treated at the facility.
Assessment
In April 2009, Blase Joseph Cupich then of Rapid CityRapid City
- United States :* Rapid City, South Dakota* Rapids City, Illinois* Rapid City, Michigan, an unincorporated community of Clearwater Township, Michigan...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, Chairman of the United States Bishops Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, explained why Father Fitzgerald’s advice "went largely unheeded for 50 years": First, "cases of sexually abusive priests were considered to be rare." Second, Father Fitzgerald's, “views, by and large, were considered bizarre with regard to not treating people medically, but only spiritually, and also segregating a whole population with sexual problems on a deserted island.” And finally, “There was mounting evidence in the world of psychology that indicated that when medical treatment is given, these people can, in fact, go back to ministry.” This was a view which Cupich characterized as one that "the bishops came to regret."
Helen Zukin, a lawyer representing some of the plaintiffs against the Church, challenged this explanation, asserting that psychiatrists who worked at the Servants of the Paraclete’s centers have stated in legal depositions that they had rarely recommended returning sexually abusive priests to ministry, and only if the priests were under strict supervision in settings where they were not working with children.
Secrecy
In 1954, the FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
priest Emmett McLoughlin
Emmett McLoughlin
Emmett McLoughlin was a Catholic priest of the Franciscan order who became known in the 1930s as an advocate for low-income housing in Phoenix, Arizona...
published an autobiography which was the first to make public the existence of the Jemez Springs establishment. He characterized it as one of several "ecclesiastic prisons" where priests were sent, without ecclesiastical trial, for sexual offences, alcoholism, and insubordination. McLoughlin revealed a few more details about the Jemez Springs in a second book published in 1962. He commented that, "The sexual affairs of priests in the U.S. are more closely guarded secrets than the classified details of our national defense."
Expansion
At its peak, the Paraclete congregation expanded to operate a total of 23 facilities. In the U.S., these included the original center at Jemez Springs, NM as well as facilities in Dittmer, MissouriDittmer, Missouri
Dittmer is an unincorporated community in western Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. It is located about fourteen miles northwest of Hillsboro on Route 30. This is shown on an early railroad map published in 1891 as "Dittmer's Store."...
and Nevis, Minnesota
Nevis, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 364 people, 162 households, and 109 families residing in the city. The population density was 388.9 people per square mile . There were 199 housing units at an average density of 212.6 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 96.98% White, 1.10%...
. In addition, the order opened centers in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
The Servants of the Paraclete also operated a novitiate in Randolph, Vermont
Randolph, Vermont
Randolph is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,853 at the 2000 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that surround it....
until 1971. Its current novitiate is located in Jemez Springs, approximately one mile from the mother house.
Later history
The Very Reverend Joseph McNamara, s.P. was elected to succeed Father Fitzgerald as the second Servant General. In 1981, The Very Reverend Michael E. Foley, s.P. was elected to serve as the third Servant General. In 1987, Liam J. Hoare, s.P. was elected as the fourth Servant General.In the 1990s, after a series of lawsuits related to sexually abusive priests that had been treated at its facilities, the order closed most of their centers. They have since consolidated their holistic programs to St. Michael's in St. Louis, MO and to Our Lady of Victory Trust in Gloucestershire, England. In 1998, the Gloucestershire facility ended its ministry to priests who had committed sexual abuse. The Servants of the Paraclete also sponsor a long-term residential facility for priests and religious brothers at Vianney Renewal Center in Dittmer, Missouri where the primary emphasis is on community living.
In 1999 Rev. Peter Lechner, s.P. was elected the fifth Servant General.