Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer | |
Filii Sanctissimi Redemptoris | |
 The general seal of the FSSR | |
| Abbreviation | FSSR |
|---|---|
| Formation | August 2, 1988; 37 years ago (1988-08-02) |
| Type | Clerical institute of diocesan right |
| Headquarters | Golgotha Monastery,Papa Stronsay, Scotland |
Rector major | Michael Mary |
| Website | papastronsay |
TheCongregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (Latin:Filii Sanctissimi Redemptoris;FSSR), commonly known asThe Sons andThe Transalpine Redemptorists, are areligious institute of theCatholic Church canonically erected in theRoman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen and based onPapa Stronsay in theOrkney Islands,Scotland, as well as in the city ofChristchurch,New Zealand, until July 2024. They were formed in 1988 as atraditionalist offshoot of theRedemptorists, following amonastic rule based on that ofSaint Alphonsus Liguori, and was later formally erected as a religious institute in 2012.
The community was founded as the Transalpine Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer on 2 August 1988 by the Redemptorist priest Michael Mary Sim as a traditional Redemptorist religious community affiliated with theSociety of Saint Pius X.
Originally based at the Monastery of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary on theIsle of Sheppey,Kent, they moved to the Mother of Perpetual Succour Monastery inJoinville,Haute-Marne, France, in 1994, until they bought the island of Papa Stronsay on 31 May 1999.[1] There they established theGolgotha Monastery, and have publishedThe Catholic monthly since 1982. They promote a Redemptorist Purgatorian Confraternity.[2] In July 2007 the institute established a second monastery inChristchurch,New Zealand.[3]
In June 2008, the community petitioned theHoly See for reconciliation and this was accepted byPope Benedict XVI who declared them to be in "canonical good standing" within theCatholic Church.[4] Themotu proprioSummorum Pontificum was the main incentive which caused the community to reconsider their position.[5] Most of the members accepted the move, while a remnant continue to be affiliated with the SSPX. They changed their official name to The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer (FSSR), and made alterations to theirreligious habit in order to more clearly differentiate themselves from that of the Redemptorists.[6] However, they were not canonically established as a religious institute and thus their faculties for celebratingMass were for some years restricted to the islands ofPapa Stronsay andStronsay.[7]
On 15 August 2012, the community of fifteen was granted canonical recognition as aclerical institute of diocesan right byHugh Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen.[8] In June 2013, the congregation celebrated the ordination in Rome of two of its members.[9] During 2017 another small community was established atKakahu by the Christchurch monastery.
On 7 October 2020, the community was invited to establish a monastery in theDiocese of Great Falls–Billings,Montana, US.[10]
In 2023, a New Zealand journalistic investigation suggested[11] abuse within the community, including multipleexorcisms being conducted on children without the approval of the local Bishop. Shortly after, Michael Gielen,Bishop of Christchurch suspended all exorcisms in the Diocese.[12][13] The Rector Major of the order responded to all the accusations and denied them. He specifically stressed that no exorcisms without the approval of the bishop were performed, that none of two involved minors, and that certain allegations concerned a priest who was not a member of their community.[14]
The Bishop of Christchurch on 13 July 2024 disallowed priests of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer to minister in the Diocese of Christchurch.[15]
59°9′6.12″N2°35′12.2″W / 59.1517000°N 2.586722°W /59.1517000; -2.586722
