St. Paul’s Cathedral host to the18th Annual Conference of the Society of Catholic Priests

The past week, September 29 through October 2nd, St. Paul’s Cathedral hosted the 18th Annual Conference of the North American Province of the Society of Catholic Priests (SCP). Seventy-seven attendees from across the United States and Canada were present, coming from as far away as Arizona and the Northwest Territories.

The theme for this year’s conference was Changed from Glory to Glory: Awe and Wonder that Forms the Soul. Keynote speakers were the Revd Dr. Benjamin King and Revd Dr. Jarred Mercer: Dr. King is the Academic Dean and DuncalfVillavoso Professor of Church History at Seminary of the Southwest, whose areas of research are the Oxford Movement, particularly the theology of John Henry Newman; the development of the Anglican Communion; and the Episcopal Church’s historic entanglement with slavery. Dr. King contributed to the cause for Newman to be declared a Doctor of the Catholic Church, and when this occurred in 2025 he was part of the Anglican delegation which met Pope Leo XIV.

The Revd Dr. Jarred Mercer is Rector of St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newburyport, MA. He was previously a faculty member and chaplain at the University of Oxford, UK, and a priest in the Church of England. He has published extensively on the history and thought of early Christianity, as well as in contemporary theology. Fr Jarred is also the founding president of The Resettlement Partnership, a non-profit organization creating the first known system of affordable housing for refugees (theresettlementpartnership.org) and co-leads The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts’s theological education and adult formation work through The St Paul Center for Theology and Prayer (stpaulboston.org/tspc).

Dr. King’s lecture, entitled “Putting Discipline back in Discipleship” focused on discipline not as a form of punishment, but returning to the older understanding of instruction aimed at retention of and restoration of those who may have strayed from the fold. Dr. Mercer delivered a powerful message reminding us that there is nothing God needs, as God is God, and yet we are of immeasurable worth to God and to one another. God created all out of his desire for us and for all that exists in creation. Therefore the things we do, loving God as he loves us, and loving our neighbors as ourselves becomes our raison d’etre (reason for being) out of our devotion and gratitude for all that we are and have been given by our Creator.

In addition to the presentations by the keynote speakers, attendees enjoyed fellowship together and participated in workshops and worship throughout each day, including Evensong and Benediction, on the first evening in celebration of the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. On Wednesday, a Requiem Mass was held, and on Thursday evening, the Conference Mass was celebrated which was a votive of Christ, the High Priest Forever, at which The Revd Dr. Melanie Rowell, Provincial Convener preached and The Rt Revd Stephen Lane, Bishop Provisional of the Diocese of Western New York presided. That evening, eight new members were inducted into the Society.

Time was provided in the weekly schedule for attendees to take advantage of spiritual direction/confession, prayer and adoration. Meals included an off-site gathering at the Pearl Street Grill at which “Buffalo fare” – wings, beef on weck, and perogies were enjoyed. Tours were offered and ample time was provided to take in some of the sights of the Buffalo Niagara region.

Of the seventy-seven attendees, fifteen were seminarians from Berkeley Seminary at Yale and the Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), including one VTS seminarian from Nigeria. The seminarians from VTS offered a presentation about their newly established Austin Farrer Guild which offers a way for seminarians to organize themselves as provisional members of the Society. The Guild helps support their spiritual and vocational formation in the historic, catholic expression of our faith by fostering in its members a devotion to prayer, service, the Sacraments, and evangelism. This conference included the highest number of seminarians to date.

The Society of Catholic Priests is a Society of Episcopal/Anglican priests working for an inclusive priestly spirituality and Catholic evangelism. The Society is the largest Anglican priestly society in the United Kingdom, and it is one of the largest priestly societies in North America and Canada. The Society is open to all priests, deacons, religious, and seminarians who are in good standing with The Episcopal Church of the United States, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Anglican Church of Mexico, as well as La Iglesia Anglicana de la Región Central de América and The Church in the Province of the West Indies. The Society is in an unprecedented time of growth, and we invite your prayers for the work of the Society.

Members of the Society commit themselves to living the Society’s Rule of Life, namely to: ⦁ center their spiritual life on the Eucharist;
⦁ say the daily office;
⦁ consult regularly a spiritual director;
⦁ make use of the sacrament of reconciliation;
⦁ pray for their sisters and brothers in the Society;
⦁ offer confidential pastoral care to fellow members of the Society; and
⦁ attend the SCP Annual Conference and all meetings of their local Chapter unless prevented by good reason.

Members of the Society of Catholic Priests in the Diocese of Western New York include: The Revd Ellen Brauza (founding chapter convener), The Revd Ann Tillman, The Revd Elizabeth Grohowski; and The Very Revd Rebecca Barnes (chapter convener). If you are interested in learning more about the SCP, please contact Dean Rebecca, or another member of the local chapter.