Find out more about Fr. Ray

The Vision

Father Gerald Fitzgerald, the founder of the Servants of the Paraclete, from the very beginning of his priestly ministry had an uncommon sensitivity to and compassion for priests experiencing difficulties in their ministry. Their pain, he realized, became almost unbearable since in many cases there were no means available to care for or help these men. Father Fitzgerald was aware that these priests' sense of failure was a cause of intense suffering and in walking with them, he himself felt their pain.

In consultation with his superiors and the hierarchy of the Church, it was discerned that Father Fitzgerald should embark on the foundation of a new religious congregation which would dedicate itself exclusively to ministering to priests and Brothers. The vision of Jesus calling his disciples together to celebrate the Passover supper and the washing of their feet was his inspiration and motivation.

To celebrate this mystery and to continue this ministry of prayer and service to priests, the new congregation was called to establish houses of prayer, fraternal care, and healing for priests who are wounded and hurting.

Beginnings
It was to the beautiful mountains in the sunny Southwest that the Lord led Father Gerald. There, in a set of simple adobe buildings in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, the Servants' ministry began in 1947.

The ministry was soon blessed by the Lord and expanded to include six residential healing centers with a capacity to care and minister to over 135 priests and Brothers in three states and in England.

Spirituality
The prayer, life-style and ministry of the congregation is aimed at helping the individual Servant to grow towards the ideal of contemplation in loving service. At the very beginning of its founding, Father Gerald asked for and received affiliation with the Discalced Carmelites. The Superior General accepted Father Gerald's request by officially aggregating us to the Teresian Carmelite Family in 1956.

Vows
We are a Congregation of "Pontifical Right," and have the three traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Prayer
In practice, Servant communities express their prayer life through daily celebrations of the Eucharist along with the residents, a daily hour of private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to which our program participants are invited, and by a common celebration of the principal parts of the Liturgy of the Hours.

In addition to these common prayers, each Servant priest and brother is encouraged to develop his inner life in ways that are compatible with our vocation. This includes private retreats, days of prayer, and the pursuit of studies in theology, spirituality and human growth and development.

"Brokenness"
Many of the priests and brothers who have come to us over the years, even though highly gifted and spiritual men, have also been dealing with humiliating and painful problems. An important part of a Servant's life, therefore, is to be able to accept people unconditionally. Moreover, the environment provided by the Servants enables each priest or Brother who comes to us for care to begin to face his difficulties, and thus to be open to healing and renewal. Our ministry, then, leads us to embrace a "spirituality of brokenness." We realize that it is where people are weak, out of control and powerless that they often meet God. We see ourselves as wounded healers and we learn much from the men to whom we minister.

Brother Anthony O'Kane, s.P.

Brother Philip Taylor s.P. "I guess the six year gap between first visiting the Servants of the Paraclete and finally entering the congregation was a little excessive, but my life was good as a manager of a transit company..."

Find out more about Brother Philip

Some Vocation Accounts

Fr. Paul Valley, s.P.

Fr. Benedict Livingstone, s.P.

Rev. Ray Gunzel, s.P.

Brother Conrad Rydelek, s.P.

Brother Philip Taylor, s.P.

Fr. Gregory McCormick, s.P.

Brother Bernard Scollon, s.P.

FORMATION

Candidate Phase
If someone inquires about our life, there is usually an exchange of letters or phone calls. At an appropriate time, an invitation is extended to come to visit us during which an assessment interview is conducted by a member of the Congregation. If it is discerned that a person might have a vocation, the potential candidate is invited to enter a preparatory phase. This is a period of reflection, reading, prayer, and spiritual direction while the candidate usually remains at his home and engaged in his own work. The candidate phase usually lasts from six months to two years.

Associate Phase
When the time seems right, the candidate comes to live at the Novitiate and to work part-time in some non-therapeutic way in the Fr. Fitzgerald Center programs. He also is asked to take part in the prayer and life of the community with an individual schedule for reading, study and spiritual direction. Personal growth is the primary focus of the associate phase.

Novitiate
The novitiate is the most intense experience in the formation process. The novitiate consists of one year with spiritual growth being the emphasis.

Lourdes Novitiate is located a mile from our mother house at Jemez Springs. It provides a contemplative setting for the quiet and serious preparation to be a Servant. During the novitiate, the novice seeks to build a solid spiritual foundation for life. Scripture, religious life, human growth, prayer, spirituality, liturgy, sexuality, social issues and the vows are the focus. Above all, it is an experience of learning together with one's companions to view the values of the Gospel in a new and particular way.

Qualifications
Committed Catholic men who have achieved a high degree of personal maturity and who are in good health are invited to apply. All candidates must be free from familial and financial obligations and have an appropriate level of education. A caring and compassionate attitude is essential.

The work of the Servants of the Paraclete is uniquely rewarding with a pleasant community lifestyle, but it can also be stressful. A degree of psychological robustness and balance is necessary. Of course, such a balance is not arrived at over-night and often comes through the experience of dealing with ones own infirmities. A background in the caring professions is helpful but not necessary. During the period of temporary vows, Paracletes frequently exercise their skills in some area useful to our unique ministry.

Primary Ministry
The Servants of the Paraclete sponsor highly developed holistic healing programs for priests and Brothers in the United States at St. Michael's Community in St. Louis, Missouri.

Chemical dependency and similar problems, stress, and depression, as well as vocational and celibacy issues are among the difficulties with which we deal in the holistic healing programs.

The Servants of the Paraclete also sponsors a long-term residential facility for priests and Brothers at Vianney Renewal Center in Dittmer, Missouri where the primary emphasis is on community living.

Other Ministries
Some Servants preach retreats and give workshops to brothers and priests around the country. According to our constitutions, "any possible and prudent service" to priests and Brothers and by extension to seminarians is within our scope. 

An Invitation
If you are attracted to the Servants' way of life and our specialized and much needed ministry, and if you have the qualifications, why not come to see us? If you have any questions, just email, write or pick up the phone. We would like to hear from you!

Bro. Philip Taylor, s.P.