The Congregation of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri in DC is erected as a community in DC – El Pregonero
Cardinal Wilton Gregory urged members of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri to keep alive the gifts of spirituality, humility and joy now that it has been erected as a community in Washington, DC.
“This is a moment of great spirituality and joy for the local Church. I invite you to encourage charity, promote good works and a life of holiness so that you may be true witnesses of Christ,” Cardinal Gregory said at a special Mass celebrated July 10 at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish.
He recalled that, as a Congregation of Pontifical Law, the Oratory is now recognized and approved by the Holy See by formal decree.
The Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Washington, Wilton Gregory, had as concelebrants Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Apostolic Nuncio Christophe Pierre, Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., archbishops and bishops from New Zealand, Australia , India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Monsignor Andrew Wadsworth, homilist representing the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, thanked Cardinal Gregory for his support so that the congregation could establish itself in the capital of the United States, and recognized the initial support provided by Cardinal Wuerl.
“We work with devotion to improve the things we experience every day. “Our priests do their best to be like our patron Saint Philip Neri,” said Monsignor Wadsworth.
Pope Francis established the Community in Formation of Washington, DC, as the Congregation of the Oratory in the United States, in a decree dated February 2, 2024.
The holy father, when referring to Saint Philip Neri, described him as a “passionate announcer of the Word of God,” adding that “thanks to the apostolate of Saint Philip, the commitment to the salvation of souls once again became a priority in action.” of the Church; “It was understood again that priests should be with the people to guide them and sustain their faith.”
Philip Neri, the third Apostle of Rome, ascended to Heaven in the early hours of May 26, 1595. The dynamism of his love never faded, and he still seems to repeat one of his well-known phrases: “It is not time to sleep, because Paradise was not made for the lazy.”
