A Meeting with Frs Triglio and Brighenti
Following on from last week's meeting with 'Fr Z,' I met two more luminaries of American Catholicism on Monday evening. The first appears in the above photo: Fr John Triglio of the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA. The other took the photo: Fr Kenneth Brighenti of the Diocese of Metuchen, NJ. I showed them round the diocesan archives (as seen in the picture); aperitifs followed in the Abingdon Arms before retiring to the local Italian, Il Portico. The link with them was made through this blog.
These two priests need no introduction. Fr Triglio can be seen regularly on the EWTN show Web of Faith. They both appear on Council of Faith on the same network and have written a series of excellent apologetic materials: Women in the Bible for Dummies, Catholicism for Dummies, The Catholicism Answer Book and John Paul II for Dummies (the latter two are hot off the press). For more details visit their website.
I was presented with a signed copy of the John Paul II book, which looks very interesting and useful for parish sessions, etc. As you can see above, the Holy Father himself uses it for reference purposes. Their Catholicism for Dummies is superb and is my first recommendation for those who are interested in the Faith and would not find a more 'academic' approach helpful (and, actually, if they did I'd still recommend it).
The fact that these books exist is a great achievement - let's remember that they're not published by a Catholic publishing house like Ignatius Press but by a mainstream, big-bucks secular one. It's a real coup that these authors were chosen, since they present the Faith in its fullness without any liberalising agenda.
Our table talk covered many subjects and I was particularly interested to hear of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, of which Fr Triglio is President. Founded in 1975, it boasts 700 members and is basically a huge 'priestly support group', promoting on-going formation through an annual convocation, a quarterly journal (Sapientia) and local chapter meetings. There is also a highly successful branch in Australia. I wonder if the time is ripe for a British version?
Labels: Diary, Priesthood
posted by Fr Nicholas at 12:06 am
9 Comments:
I looked at the website for the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy some time ago. It looks like an excellent initiative.
I think it would be a wonderful thing if you were to found a UK branch, Father!
Hard core, Traditional, Old School, Unyeilding is all I can think of when I see pictures of priests like these. Of course since I am Hardcore, Traditional, Old School and Unyeilding I check this blog everyday and love it. An honor to see and read about such great priests. I have had the pleasure and honor of meeting the great Fr. Z. and I can tell you he is a priest I will never forget.
A great blog Fr. Keep up the good work and keep in touch with orthodox priests like the ones pictured above. I will keep you in my prayers.
The ACCC down here is fantastic. Is it actually a rival organisation to the National Council of Priests. I recall hearing one great old stalwart priest remark that it was so great that every priest on the Executive of the ACCC was under 45 compared to the executive of the NCP which was all over 55.
Here in Australia we have nicknames the good guys form the ACCC the "black shirts" as most priests down here don't wear a roman collar. they prefer to stick to two cross on their shirt collar - if that.
The ACCC has recently allowed seminarians to attend their conferences too.
With all respect father. A Google search tells me that there are 46,000 priests in the United States and the CCC has 700 members since 1975! Does this mean that there are only 700 Faithful clergy in the USA?
The similar organisation in Australia likewise has far fewer members compared to the other association.
Father Schofield is the epitome of cordiality and hospitality. Not only is he the author of a wonderful blog, but most of all, an orthodox Oxford alumnus and most devout Roman Catholic priest. Our first meeting of the North Atlantic Ultramontanist Society went well ;-) Seriously, though, we hope and pray for a British Confraternity of Catholic Clergy someday. We also hope a possible joint meeting (convocation) of the Australian (ACCC) and American (CCC) Confaternity of Catholic Clergy at Rome in 2008 (Deo volente) is possible. Meanwhile, please support Father Schofield and his colleagues with your prayers. Cheers.
Father John Trigilio, Jr
www.catholic-clergy.org
Anonymous - no, it doesn't mean that there are only 700 faithful clergy in the USA, it just means there are 700 priests interested in this kind of support network.
Clergy are entitled to form priestly associations and this is just one example (albeit a large one). In this country there are many smaller ones - and I myself belong to a small 'support group' that meets a few times a year.
The main aim of the Confraternity, as far as I can see, is on-going spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation.
Cheers, Fr Triglio, for your kind comment. It was a great pleasure to meet the two of you. Keep in touch!
I read Catholicism for Dummies last year and really enjoyed it--it cleared up a lot of subtle, yet important, misunderstandings for me!
Sign me up!
A UK CCC as a rival to the NCP sounds a very attractive proposition.
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