Abbreviation S.S.F. | ||
Founder Reverend Anthony D. Ward, Father Superior Purpose Sanctification through the traditional Latin Mass Location 8528 Kenosha Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80908, USA | ||
The Servants of the Holy Family is a traditionalist Catholic religious order in Colorado Springs which professes adherence to traditional Catholic doctrine and morals. Their spiritual life centers on the Liturgical Calendar, especially the traditional Latin Mass.
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Purpose of the Foundation
Their stated purpose is "to aspire after and achieve by the grace of God the sanctification of its members and the salvation of souls through their prayers, sacrifices and apostolate". It intends to accomplish this chiefly by attachment to the Holy Sacrifice of the traditional Latin Mass and to the Roman Breviary. Other important devotions observed by all the members are Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the frequent reception of the sacrament of Penance, keeping days of recollection on a regular basis, and praying the Holy Rosary with one of the approved litanies daily. Also, frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament as well as mental prayer are considered most important for all of the members, who are to regard holiness of life as their primary objective. According to their website, their apostolate is the salvation of souls through the Mass, the Catholic Liturgy, the dispensing of the Sacraments, traditional Catholic sermons, morality, the spiritual life, and teaching of the Baltimore catechism. They allow the public to attend many of their liturgical ceremonies.
History
Servants of the Holy Family was founded in 1977 on the feast of the Holy Family by Reverend Anthony D. Ward, who is their Father Superior, and was placed under the patronage of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The community has been located in Colorado since March 1977. Since that time the community has accepted priests, seminarians and brothers as members. The mother house with its chapel is situated on ten acres of land south of the Black Forest near the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In 2004, Michael John Sheridan, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Colorado Springs, sent a letter to some 60 families saying, "I entreat you to separate yourself from the Servants of the Holy Family," claiming that they are not "authentically Catholic". The community responded to the local media by saying, "Servants of the Holy Family will neither participate in a public debate or controversy, nor will it in any way contribute to the strife and division already present today in the Catholic Church. If anyone is interested, he or she may come and see for themselves what we are about."