Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As most of you know, I am a member of a fraternity of diocesan priests called the
Companions of Christ. As priests, we have come to understand the importance of
fraternal communion for our priestly holiness. It is easy for priests to become isolated because of the demands of the ministry. Archbishop Flynn identified the charism of the Companions as “a strengthening presence.” We seek to support and encourage one another in living our priestly vocation with Charity and Joy and living well the Evangelical Counsels of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience.

Many of the members of the Companions of Christ, especially the earliest members, were involved in the Catholic charismatic renewal as high school and college students. Many of the men joined prayer groups, communities and lay brotherhoods of celibate men that were connected with the movement. The Companions of Christ grew out of one of these communities. In 1992, with the help of the then-Auxiliary Bishop Carlson, the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis formally established the Companions as a “Public Association.”

This summer, I was re-elected as the Moderator (leader) of the Companions of Christ and am honored to serve in this position as our group celebrates its 25th anniversary. In November, we will be travelling to Assisi and Rome on pilgrimage to mark this important milestone. We will also celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving and celebration next Wednesday, October 11th, at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Edina. The Mass is at 6:30pm, followed by a reception. I would like to extend an invitation to any of you who would like to attend this celebration. Come and join us if you can.

God bless,
Fr. Tony