After first General Chapter, Canons Regular advance Charism with Blessing of the Church
On December 23rd, the Feast of St. John Cantius, the documents and Constitutions of the first General Chapter of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius were signed and approved by Cardinal Blase Cupich.
At the signing Cardinal Cupich stated “I hope you continue to prosper and grow. I am really pleased to sign this decree accepting the Acts of the General Chapter and updating the Constitution and also the Ratio Formationis that you have for your community.”
These documents update and expand upon the Constitutions of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, begun in 1998 and approved by Cardinal Francis George in 2003. The Constitutions guide the community as they live their charism of ‘Restoration of the Sacred’ in service to the Church and the people of God.
Since their founding over 20 years ago, the Canons Regular have grown to 21 members in three houses in the midwest, staffing St. John Cantius parish in Chicago, St. Peter Parish in Volo, and two parishes in the diocese of Springfield, Illinois.
Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago stated in 2003, “Here are the beginnings of an order, founded to make available to the people of God, the heritage and gifts of the universal Church in all their forms and all their splendor.”
In October of 2019, Cardinal Blase Cupich, authorized the first General Chapter of the Canons Regular, during which members of the community clarified the charism of Restoration of the Sacred given to them by the Holy Spirit through their founder.
During the grace-filled chapter meeting, significant decisions and modifications were made to increase the vitality of the charism and strengthen the identity of the Canons Regular.
For the first time since the community’s founding in 1998, a Superior General and Council were elected. At the concluding solemn vespers for the Chapter, October 10th, 2019, Fr. Joshua Caswell, SJC was installed as the first elected Superior General.
At the signing of the constitution Cardinal Cupich discussed the importance of offering the ‘life giving’ charism of the Canons Regular with the larger presbyterate and local Church.
Fr. Joshua Caswell, SJC, Superior General of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius closed the event stating “I am very grateful to the Cardinal for his encouragement and support to our community, and for every one of parishioners and benefactors who supported us in so many ways. We couldn’t have done this without you.”