Holy Ghost Fathers
The seal of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost depicts the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Trinity.
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| Abbreviation | C.S.Sp. |
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| Motto |
Cor unum et anima una (Latin) One heart and one spirit (English) |
| Formation | 27 May 1703 |
| Type | Roman Catholic Institute of Consecrated Life |
| Headquarters | Clivo di Cinna, 195 Rome, Italy 41°54′54″N 12°26′43″E / 41.91500°N 12.44528°ECoordinates: 41°54′54″N 12°26′43″E / 41.91500°N 12.44528°E |
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Superior General
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Fr. John Fogarty, C.S.Sp. |
| Website | www |
The Congregation of the Holy Ghost (full title, Congregation of the Holy Ghost under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or in Latin, Congregatio Sancti Spiritus sub tutela Immaculati Cordis Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, and thus abbreviated C.S.Sp.) is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates. Congregation members are known as Spiritans in Continental Europe, and as the Holy Ghost Fathers in English-speaking countries, although even there they are becoming known as Spiritans. A Spiritan priest or brother has the abbreviation C.S.Sp. after his name.
Spiritans in the 1840s dedicated themselves to working with newly freed slaves on the islands of Haiti, Mauritius and Réunion. In East Africa, where most of the American Spiritans now serve, they began to work in the 1860s by buying men and women out of slavery in Zanzibar. They opened schools and hospitals, taught people marketable skills, and gave property to those who needed it. The Spiritans pioneered modern missionary activity in Africa and ultimately sent more missionaries there than any other religious institute in the Catholic Church.
In other countries, such as Mexico, the Spiritans were invited by the local Catholic bishops to minister to Catholics in remote areas where there were not enough diocesan priests to serve the growing numbers of faithful. Today, Mexican-born Spiritans outnumber Spiritan missionaries from other countries. The seminary program is a vital aspect of the Spiritan presence in Mexico.
The core of mission remains constant—the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus to those who have never heard it at all and to those who have heard it inadequately. But the manner in which this is accomplished varies according to context and opportunity. The goal is always to establish a viable local faith community with its own leadership, incorporating the language and customs of the people.
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Wikipedia