Following the publication of the encyclical Laudato Si’ – On the Care of Our Common Home, Pope Francis has instituted the 1st of September as the “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.” The Spiritan family welcomes both the Papal encyclical and the institution of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

Nearly 3,000 students, faculty, staff and friends attended the Duquesne University Mass of the Holy Spirit, which serves as the traditional beginning of the academic year, in the A.J. Palumbo Center on Sunday, Aug. 23.  

Fr. Christopher Promis, C.S.Sp. and Fr. Edward Vilkauskas, C.S.Sp. celebrated their fiftieth anniversary of religious profession on August 22, 2015 with a special celebration of the Eucharist in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel followed by a festive lunch with the Pittsburgh Spiritan community at the Spiritan Center in Bethel Park, PA.

The Spiritan novitiate program began in Trinidad on Tuesday, August 11 with the arrival of the two Spiritan candidates Phuong Nyugen from Houston, Texas and Andre Burton from Port of Spain, Trinidad.

On the occasion of his recent vacation visit to Houston, Fr. Trinh Le, C.S.Sp. shared some aspects of his missionary ministry in Vietnam with Fr. Michael Begley, C.S.Sp. Typical of most missionaries on ‘home-leave’, Fr. Trinh divided his time between visiting benefactor groups, presiding at Mission Appeal liturgies, helping out with preparations for a Gala Dinner and squeezing in time for some rest and relaxation with family, friends and confreres.

Fr. Joe Kelly, C.S.Sp. celebrates 70 years of Profession to the priesthood on August 15, 2015.  A native of Sayville, NY, he made his first profession on August 15, 1945 at Ridgefield, CT, and was ordained on September 15, 1950 by Bishop Byrne, C.S.Sp. at St. Mary Seminary in Norwalk, CT.  

​​​​​​​After meeting with Auxiliary Bishop, Most Rev. George Sheltz, of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, His Excellency George Varghese Thottamkara, CM, of the Apostolic Vacariate of Nek’emte in western Ethiopia, paid a recent courtesy visit to Fr. Michael Begley, CSSp, Director of the Spiritan Office for Mission Advancement of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit-US Province in Houston.

Five hundred people squeezed into the ballroom at Kim Son in Houston for an evening of  Vietnamese food and entertainment, a greeting by Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Nguyen of Toronto and an auction to raise funds for the planned formation house in Manila.