General Council of the Sulpicians

Last week, April 3-15, the General Council of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice held a meeting in Rome, this time accompanied by the Provincials of France, Canada, and the USA and the General Treasurer. Such meetings are held periodically in order to apprise various dicasteries of the Holy See of the ongoing ministry of priestly formation and formation of formators.

This time, the Superior General, Ronald D. WITHERUP, PSS, accompanied the three Provincials, Jean-Marc MICAS, PSS, Jacques D’Arcy, PSS, and John KEMPER, PSS, on visits to the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples, and the Congregation for Clergy.

In addition, these leaders also met with the Procurator of the Society, Rev. Jaroslaw KAUFMANN, PSS, a priest of the Canadian Province who is also the new Rector of the Pontifical Canadian College in Rome. He also hosted the General Council, Provincials, and Treasurer at a festive dinner at the CPC, attended by our confrere Cardinal Marc OUELLET, PSS, who is Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Council for Latin America. Cardinal Ouellet celebrates his 50th anniversary of priestly ordination this year, a milestone that was properly signaled during the dinner.

Also present at the dinner, by coincidence, was the Sulpician Archbishop Emeritus of Saint Boniface (Canada), Mgr Emilius GOULET, PSS, who celebrates his 60th anniversary of priestly ordination this year. Mgr Goulet was conducting a guided visit to Rome and the Holy Land with some relatives from Canada.

What made this meeting unusual was that several participants were able to attend a doctoral defense of a member of the Canadian Province, Father Juan Elías Muñoz Gómez, PSS, who successfully defended a thesis at the Pontifical Urbaniana University on the topic of “‘Joy’ in Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.” It seems the presence of his Superior General and Provincial in the audience did not intimidate him at all!

Congratulations to Father Muñoz Gómez for his defense, and to Cardinal Ouellet and Mgr Goulet for this anniversaries of priestly ordination. Ad multos annos!

Below are a few photos from this visit.