Fr. Stephen Fichter, former LC, announces Book!

+ Dear Family, Friends, and Colleagues:

It’s been a long time since I have been in contact with you some you. I hope that you have had a good Lenten season and that you are looking forward to Easter.

One of the great joys in my life right now is my first published book entitled Same Call, Different Men: The Evolution of the Priesthood since Vatican II. It has been a two-year labor of love that I worked on with two of my CARA colleagues. I think it is a good book that will be of great benefit to our church and all interested Catholics throughout the world.

I would greatly appreciate it if you had the chance to order a copy. Those of you that have e-readers can start reading a copy right now. For those of you who prefer a hard copy, the publisher promises they will be ready next month. Please go to 

http://www.litpress.org/Detail.aspx?ISBN=9780814634295 

for more information. I appreciate your love and support.

God bless, (Fr.) Stephen Fichter

Legion Founders Omitted from Legion Video on Irish Foundation

The Legion of Christ uploaded a new video of the Irish Foundation to YouTube on February 1, 2012.
It is an interesting but rather long (37 minute) work produced by their audiovisual master, David Murray, an Irish former Legion member.

It cannot help but be a Selective Memory of the foundation. The Legion always writes its history selectively, omitting any "problematic" people or facts. I wrote my impressions of the foundation in "Our Father Maciel who art in Bed" . I should know at least part of the truth because I was there.

One particular group comes up for almost Total Amnesia: the group of eight 16-18 year-olds who on August 26, 1961 went to Salamanca with Fr. Maciel  to begin their "Holy Novitiate" thinking we were "The First Irish Legionaries"; that is what Fr. Maciel told us.

Only one of those 8 "persevered in his Legionary vocation" to the present day;
Some of us were ordained in the Legion and left, staying in the diocesan priesthood for some years:
Declan Murphy,
Paul Lenno,
Michael Caheny left the Legion and was ordained for the diocesan priesthood in Ireland, became a missionary in Brazil and later left the ministry, married and had children. Michael wrote me that he had been sexually abused by Fr. Maciel.

Maurice McGowan, the first Irishman ordained to the Legionary priesthood (circa 1968), left the Legion and the ministry after a relatively short period. Fr. Maciel did not like Maurice Oliver to go by his middle name -which he had done until joining- and wanted him to be called "Brother Maurice". (He might have been afraid that Mexican wags would have called him "Fr. Oliver Twist" -not joking)

One of our group is a bishop of the Church working in the Roman Curia in the Department for Christian Unity, Mons. Brian Farrell

Pearse Allen, Declan French, and Francis Coleman did not last long and were never ordained.

Good luck and the Blessings of St. Patrick be with you all.