Intercessors of the Lamb

Last updated
Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc
FormationFebruary 12, 1980 (1980-02-12)
TypeNon-profit Religious Organization
Headquarters11811 Calhoun Road
Omaha, Nebraska 68152, United States
Coordinates 41°22′03″N95°59′00″W / 41.367598°N 95.983230°W / 41.367598; -95.983230
Founder
Mother Nadine Brown
Website www.bellwetheromaha.org


The Hermit Intercessors of the Lamb was a Roman Catholic Association of priests, brothers, nuns, and lay people, based in Nebraska, United States. The 1998 canonical organization was suppressed by Omaha Archbishop George Joseph Lucas in 2010 [1] and no longer exists. The 1980 legal organization, Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc., continues to exist but is disassociated from the Roman Catholic Church. They continue to exist and live in the Ponca Hills neighbourhood of Omaha.

Contents

History

Foundation

The Intercessors of the Lamb were founded in 1980. They trace their spiritual charism back to Saint John Eudes's Congregation of Jesus and Mary. [2]

The foundress of the Intercessors, Nadine Mae Brown (Mother Nadine), after an adult conversion to Catholicism, felt called to join the cloistered religious in the Sisters of the Cross. This is the contemplative branch of the Congregation of the Good Shepherd. In 1976, Brown discerned that she was being called to bring a deeper relationship with God to the faithful [2] beyond the religious Orders.

She left the order and with permission from then Archbishop of Omaha, Daniel Eugene Sheehan, began to implement a different ministry, living and teaching contemplative spirituality and its intercessory lifestyle. A local family later offered their carriage house, which served as a hermitage for Nadine, and their log cabin, which allowed for others to have communal intercessory prayer and also make individual retreats.

Nadine authored many books, tapes and materials in order to help in the instruction of contemplation. She particularly emphasized the task of "spiritual warfare". Among her publications are Bathe Seven Times: A Contemplative Look at the Seven Capitals Sins (2003) and God's Armor (1998).

The Intercessors of the Lamb were canonically erected on 27 May 1978 as a public Association of the Christian faithful under Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss. Commensurate with a Roman Catholic lay ecclesial movement, this would have been one of the steps to the society's recognition as an Institute of Consecrated Life. [2]

A separate legal entity, Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc., was incorporated in 1980 with the full permission of Archbishop Sheehan. The corporation manages the business affairs of the community and received its tax-exempt status in 1980. It continues today as a 501 (c)(3) organization with Fed. ID # 47-0625390. The corporation retained ownership of the Bellwether property after the suppression, and owns property outside the United States.

Bellwether Center

In 1984, the growing community acquired 11 acres (4.5 ha) and two houses in the Ponca Hills area north of Omaha, Nebraska. This became the Bellwether Contemplative Formation Center, referred to as "Bellwether". Over the course of the next 25 years, Bellwether grew to be a 75 acres (30 ha) Contemplative Formation Center, which currently has two large retreat houses, a chapel, two residence homes, and a building which when completely renovated, will be able to accommodate groups desiring the spiritual formation and ministry of the Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc. A "spirit of prayer, penance, silence and solitude" are promoted at Bellwether and serve as the four pillars of the contemplative way of life.

In 1994, Intercessors of the Lamb hosted its first annual international Workshop of Contemplative, Intercessory and Spiritual Warfare Prayer at Omaha. This summer conference grew and thousands of people participated in the Intercessors' conferences.

Canonical visitation, suppression, and reorganization

A request by Nadine Brown to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha in 2010 to have the group made a full religious Institute led to a canonical visitation conducted by Reverend James Conn, a Jesuit and noted canon lawyer.

Several issues at the community were noted in his report. On September 30, 2010 Archbishop George Joseph Lucas requested the resignation of Nadine Brown from both the corporation's board and the Association, and she complied. He appointed an Omaha priest, Fr. Gregory Baxter as temporary trustee of the Association.

Arbp. Lucas wished to bring the organization into conformity with Catholic canon law. Because most of the directors of the civil Board refused to allow the reforms, Lucas decreed the suppression of Hermit Association of the Intercessors of the Lamb on October 15 . [3] Lucas stated that the vows of the members ceased at the moment of suppression. The Bellwether chapel is no longer recognised by the Archdiocese. [4]

Forty-eight members of the community left Bellwether that day to accept temporary housing offered by the Archdiocese. They lived on the former campus of Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, as "the Intercessor Relief Community." Several other members decided to leave religious life and by 2012, the Relief community consisted of nine sisters. The priests went back into various parishes and the brothers left the group.

A new community endorsed by the Archdiocese, "Brides of the Victorious Lamb", was formed in February 2012 and was located at St. Mary's Convent, Omaha. [5] The group developed a charism of ministering and providing spiritual support to the sick, elderly and dying and their families, but disbanded in 2019. [6]

Nadine Brown had left Bellwether on 5 October 2010. Two days after the suppression, she and ten hermits returned to the centre. They re-organised the community as "Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc.". Their aim was to continue to promote contemplative spirituality, communal intercession and spiritual warfare prayer, providing retreats and spiritual guidance.

A July Prayer Weekend was held in 2011 at Bellwether, followed up with an Advent Prayer Weekend the same year. A Spiritual Warfare Workshop took place in July 2012 and workshops have continued each year along with sales of religious material. [7]

Nadine Brown died on 3 June 2013. [8]

The 21st annual international conference was held at Bellwether in 2014 and this attracted people from five countries.

The mission statement of Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc. is:

Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc. is a Christian organization dedicated to form contemplatives, nationally and internationally, through individualized and group retreats, spiritual direction, conferences, workshops, prayer seminars, and communal intercessory prayer ministry. Intercessors of the Lamb, Inc. also offers literature, brochures, books, CDs, and DVDs instructive in the ways and methods of contemplation, directed toward the experience of interior union with God.

As of March 2015, there were 20 full-time individuals, from various backgrounds and nationalities and mostly female, who refer to themselves informally as the "Bellwether Lambs". There are also many individuals from around the world who actively participate in the ministry, in their respective prayer circles. Currently Mary Elizabeth Weaver is the General Director of the corporation and President of the Board of Directors.

Charism

The society's particular ministry, or spiritual charism, is the promotion of contemplative spirituality and the provision of spiritual guidance, with the aim of inspiring spiritual renewal among Catholics. [2] The priests, deacons, brothers, and nuns of the order called themselves hermits, and live with a "desert spirituality", [2] a commitment that includes public vows of "chastity, poverty, obedience and zeal for the salvation of souls". The main apostolate of the association is prayer for priests. [9]

The group maintained an international network of "Companion" groups that prayed in unity with the Intercessors, especially for priests, and new vocations to the priesthood. [10] The Companions were not canonically recognised, some have continued their work beyond the suppression.

The religious habit of the Intercessors is a teal scapular; the merging of the colors green, for the earth, and blue, for heaven expressed the society's role as intercessors . [11]

Criticisms

During 2004, some neighbours to the Bellwether Contemplative Formation Center opposed their plans to build four group homes, the chapel (Our Lady of Light) and 18 hermitages.

There are allegations that many members signed over their assets to the Intercessors before 2010.

The Intercessors of the Lamb have a distinctly Catholic Charismatic Renewal piety. [12] CatholicCulture.com noted the society's emphasis on Medjugorje and its "uncritical focus on an exclusively charismatic spirituality". [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustinians</span> Members of religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine

Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13th centuries:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hieronymites</span> Catholic cloistered monastics of Jerome

The Hieronymites or Jeronimites, also formally known as the Order of Saint Jerome, is a Catholic cloistered religious order and a common name for several congregations of hermit monks living according to the Rule of Saint Augustine, though the role principle of their lives is that of the 5th-century hermit and biblical scholar Jerome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest</span> Roman Catholic society of apostolic life

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, Latin: Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis, abbreviated as ICRSS and ICKSP, is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right in communion with the Holy See of the Catholic Church. The institute has the stated goal of honouring God and the sanctification of priests in the service of the Catholic Church and souls. An integral part of the institute's charism is the use of the traditional liturgy, namely the Missal of John XXIII for Mass and the Rituale Romanum for other sacraments. The society has undertaken the restoration of a number of historic church buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha</span> Latin Catholic jurisdiction in the United States

The Archdiocese of Omaha is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern Nebraska in the United States. Its current archbishop, George Joseph Lucas, was installed in Omaha on July 22, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discalced Carmelites</span> Catholic religious order

The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel or the Order of Discalced Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers. The order was established in the 16th century, pursuant to the reform of the Carmelite Order by two Spanish saints, Teresa of Ávila (foundress) and John of the Cross (co-founder). Discalced is derived from Latin, meaning "without shoes".

In the Catholic Church, a canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view to maintaining faith and discipline and of correcting abuses. A person delegated to carry out such a visitation is called a visitor. When, in exceptional circumstances, the Holy See delegates an apostolic visitor "to evaluate an ecclesiastical institute such as a seminary, diocese, or religious institute [...] to assist the institute in question to improve the way in which it carries out its function in the life of the Church," this is known as an apostolic visitation.

Catholic spirituality includes the various ways in which Catholics live out their Baptismal promise through prayer and action. The primary prayer of all Catholics is the Eucharistic liturgy in which they celebrate and share their faith together, in accord with Jesus' instruction: "Do this in memory of me." The Catholic bishops at the Second Vatican Council decreed that "devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them." In accord with this, many additional forms of prayer have developed over the centuries as means of animating one's personal Christian life, at times in gatherings with others. Each of the religious orders and congregations of the Catholic church, as well as lay groupings, has specifics to its own spirituality – its way of approaching God in prayer to foster its way of living out the Gospel.

The Oblates of the Virgin Mary is a religious institute of priests and brothers founded by Bruno Lanteri (1759–1830) in the Kingdom of Sardinia in the early 19th century. The institute is characterized by a zeal for the work of preaching and the sacrament of confession, according to the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola and the moral theology of St. Alphonsus Liguori. It is also marked by love for Mary and fidelity to the magisterium.

The Little Brothers of St. Francis were members of a Roman Catholic institute of Religious Brothers founded in the Archdiocese of Boston on September 8, 1970, by Brother James T. Curran, L.B.S.F.. Canonically designated as a Private Association of the Faithful, the community was spiritually affiliated to the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the Order of Friars Minor. Striving to be poor in spirit, they worked to serve the needs of the homeless primarily through prayer and presence. They followed a contemplative life based on the Rule of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, also influenced by the Rule for Hermitages written by St. Francis of Assisi. The community disbanded in 2013.

The Society of Saint Augustine, also known as the "Augustinians of Kansas", is a Roman Catholic Institute of Consecrated Life which takes as its pattern of living, the way of life delineated in the Rule of Saint Augustine of Hippo. The community was founded on October 16, 1981 in Amarillo, Texas by four Augustinian Recollects. They were later joined later by two Augustinians; As an Augustinian community, The Society of Saint Augustine is composed of priests, religious brothers and lay people. It is rooted in the Augustinian Recollect tradition but differs somewhat from many other Augustinian Communities in that it places great emphasis on the inclusion and involvement of the laity in the life and ministry of the community. Wherever a Community house is established, great emphasis is placed on extending Augustinian spirituality. Lay "Affiliates" take part in Communal activities and regular formation. These "Affiliates" are invited to join the friars in Daily Offices, communal events—and even in the apostolate, where appropriate. In turn, they extend Augustinian spirituality by their lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenmary Home Missioners</span>

Glenmary Home Missioners, also known as The Home Missioners of America Inc.; Latin: Societas Missionariorum Domesticorum Americæ), is a Catholic society of priests and brothers founded in 1939 to serve the spiritual and material needs of people in rural parts of the United States. It is a society of apostolic life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel</span> Catholic Carmelite order

The Carmelite Monks or Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel are a public association within the Diocese of Cheyenne, dedicated to a humble life of prayer. The Wyoming Carmelites claim loyalty to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and to the Carmelite charism. Their life includes strict separation from the world and the living of the cloistered Carmelite spirituality and way of life established by John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus. In accord with the Carmelite Rule, they engage in manual labor and the study of Carmelite spirituality in the solitude of the mountains, with the firm hope of attaining to Union with God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuel Community</span>

The Emmanuel Community is a Catholic association of the faithful of pontifical right, founded in 1972 by Pierre Goursat and Martine Lafitte-Catta, starting from a prayer group belonging to the Catholic charismatic renewal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prayer in the Catholic Church</span> Roman Catholic beliefs on Christian prayer

Prayer in the Catholic Church is "the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." It is an act of the moral virtue of religion, which Catholic theologians identify as a part of the cardinal virtue of justice.

The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, formerly the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and of the Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus, is a third order of Catholic lay persons and secular clergy associated with the Discalced Carmelites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Joseph Lucas</span> American prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1949)

George Joseph Lucas is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Omaha in Nebraska since 2009, having previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois from 1999 to 2009.

A religious brother is a member of a religious institute or religious order who commits himself to following Christ in consecrated life of the Church, usually by the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. He is usually a layman and usually lives in a religious community and works in a ministry appropriate to his capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen of Angels Foundation</span>

The Queen of Angels Foundation is an association of lay faithful of the Catholic Church dedicated to fostering devotion to Mary, Mother of Jesus. The Foundation is a volunteer group of lay men and women who "...strive together in a common endeavor to foster a more perfect life for themselves and their community by promoting reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whose name, as Our Lady of the Angels, the City and Archdiocese of Los Angeles were founded..." and whom Catholics revere as Queen of Heaven and Empress of the Americas.

Brother Richard Scott Withers is an American diocesan hermit. In 1974, Withers converted to Catholicism and was baptized; later he started to live a religious life. In 1989, Withers and Sister Margaret McKenna moved to inner city Philadelphia and founded New Jerusalem Laura, a drug treatment center. Withers petitioned the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to become a diocesan hermit several times but was rejected. In 2001, Withers made his vows as a hermit by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, the Archbishop of Philadelphia. He was the first diocesan hermit in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Withers lives in a hermitage, a converted rowhouse, in the city of Philadelphia where he spends most of his time in prayer.

The Servants of Christ Jesus is a Catholic private association of the faithful in the Ignatian and Franciscan traditions, following the formula of the Institute of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and based in Denver, Colorado.

References

  1. ↑ "Intercessors of the Lamb closed". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Charism of the Lamb". Intercessors of the Lamb. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  3. ↑ "Companion Letter" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-22.
  4. ↑ "Suppression Release" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-22.
  5. ↑ Roseann Moring (February 17, 2012). "9 Intercessors form new order". Omaha World Herald.
  6. ↑ "Brides of Victorious Lamb disband". Catholic Voice Omaha. April 18, 2019. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  7. ↑ "HOME". www.bellwetheromaha.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  8. ↑ Alissa Skelton (June 4, 2013). "Nadine Brown, founder of controversial Intercessors of the Lamb, dies". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Priests & Deacons". Intercessors of the Lamb. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  10. ↑ "Companions". Intercessors of the Lamb. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  11. ↑ Todd, Kris (25 July 2007). "Spencer native joins an Omaha-based religious order". Spencer Daily Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  12. 1 2 "Intercessors of the Lamb". Site Reviews. Trinity Communications. 4 November 2009. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.