The weekend of 17-19 February 2012, Father Ronald D. WITHERUP, p.s.s., Superior General of the Society of Saint Sulpice visited the Sulpician confreres at the Canadian Pontifical College in Rome. All three provinces (France, Canada, and the United States) have priest-students who engage in graduate in studies in Rome and reside at the Canadian Pontifical College.
Since 1864, the Society of Saint Sulpice has maintained a Procure in Rome. In recent years, the Canadian Pontifical College has been the site of the Procure, and, with the assent of the Province of Canada, the Rector of the College has served as the General Procurator of the Society. Since the Generalate has always remained in Paris, the Procure functions as the “face of Saint Sulpice” for the Holy See. The current Procurator, Father Eric SYLVESTRE, p.s.s., was recently reappointed Rector of the College for another three-year term and will continue as Procurator.
Father Witherup was also in Rome to attend the consistory at which the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, created twenty-two new cardinals. Three of them were from North America: Thomas COLLINS, Archbishop of Toronto, Timothy DOLAN, Archbishop of New York, and Edwin O’BRIEN, Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore. Father Witherup attended various festivities for these new Cardinals, notably a festive reception at the Canadian College for Cardinal Collins and his entourage. Father Sylvestre organized a magnificent program, attended by several government dignitaries from Canada and the Canadian Ambassador to the Holy See, the Honorable Ann LEAHY.
A collage of photos, thanks to Fr. Diego ARFUCH, p.s.s.:
