Rome, 7 October 2025 — The Vatican Press Office has announced the appointment of Fr. Pedro Alexandre Simões Gouveia Fernandes, C.S.Sp., of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), as Bishop of the Diocese of Portalegre-Castelo Branco, Portugal. Born on 22 June 1969 in the Parish of Nossa Senhora do Amparo de Benfica, Lisbon, Fr.…
Rome, 6 October 2025 — The Vatican Press Office has announced the appointment of Rev. Fr. Frédéric Pierre Rossignol, C.S.Sp., of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), as the new bishop of the Diocese of Tournai in Belgium. Born on 5 January 1974 in Berchem Sainte Agathe, Belgium, Fr. Frédéric made his religious profession…
While it may be argued that insecurity is not new in Nigeria, judging from the prolonged menace of the Boko Haram in North Eastern and other parts of Nigeria, the conflict between crop Farmers and Nomadic herders may also be as old as the history of Agriculture. The dimension the current crises have taken, the…
As part of her mission to advance Bagamoyo II:88, the General Council’s formation commission organized, and held a seminar on key elements of Spiritan spirituality for Anglophone Novice Masters and other Directors of Formation within UCAWA. The seminar was held from the 1st to the 31st of October, 2024 in the 2nd cycle formation community…
On 4th April, our Confreres in Haiti informed us about the situation at Port-au-Prince, the Capital of Haiti, which was getting out of control and more specifically about the attack by armed bandits breaking into the Petit Séminaire Collège Saint Martial (Spiritan Newsflash No. 66). The latest gang attacks and massacre took place in the…
Dear confreres and friends, the situation in Port-au-Prince is getting out of control and we are more than ever the victims. Monday, 1st April 2024, at 5 p.m. local time, armed bandits broke into the Petit Séminaire Collège Saint Martial by climbing over a poorly protected wall in a back street. After neutralising the two…
On 4th February 2024, the Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic celebrated 20 years of the Spiritan presence and mission in the Diocese of San Juan, Dominican Republic. Although the Spiritan community and mission is part of the circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, it is a collaborative mission of the…
The Meeting of Spiritan Provincial Superiors of the Union of European Circumscriptions (UCE) was held from Monday 22 to Friday 26 January 2024 at the Luther King Centre in Manchester, England. Among the participants were Fr. Marc Botzung (General Assistant in Rome and UCE Correspondent to the General Council), Fr. Innocent Izunwanne (Superior of Germany),…
In 1923, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit was asked by the archdiocese of Paris to take over the management of the Orphelins Apprentis d’Auteuil foundation. The congregation appointed Fr. Daniel Brottier to manage and give new impetus to this institution, which then had seventy children. 19 November 2023 marks the centenary of the arrival…
Tony Neves. All the roads of young Catholics have come to Portugal. The World Youth Days bring together more than a million young people, many of whom have travelled thousands of kilometres to get here. You can see the dark circles under their eyes from the tiredness and sleep they have accumulated. We hear voices…