Society of St. John of the Cross

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The Society of St. John of the Cross (SSJC) is a clerical society professing pre-Vatican II beliefs and practices, but who specifically take a neutral opinion of the reason for the changes. As well, the SSJC condemns no other traditional catholic group for their views. But they are in no way associated with the mainstream Roman Catholic Church.

When Lawrence Miller was a young man, he witnessed the changes in the Church during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In turn he approached the North American Old Roman Catholic Church under Archbishop Marchenna and was later ordained to the priesthood, so he could continue with his pre-Vatican II practices while he pastored St. Michael the Archangel's Mission.

After Archbishop Marchenna's death, the NAORC splintered into separate jurisdictions, and shortly thereafter, Fr. Lawrence's parish diminished. But Bishop Robert Bowman of the United Catholic Church approached Fr. Lawrence and consecrated him a Bishop on July 22, 2002 with the Costa and Old Catholic lines of apostolic succession. A lifelong dream to establish a traditional order, he later broke with the UCC and established the SSJC as a Traditional Catholic priestly fraternity.

Thus together Bishop Lawrence and the new priest repudiated their ties with the UCC and founded the Society of St. John of the Cross - with a province in Canada and the United States.

Both the young priest and Bishop Lawrence made the Oath Against Modernism as well as the Profession of Faith before the Blessed Sacrament. Additionally they posted a formal abjuration of error on the internet for all to read.

November 18, 2002, Bishop Miller publicly resigned from the Society. On this date he handed over the office of Superior General to Fr. Gregory Bellarmine, saying "With your dedication to the Tridentine Mass and the old ways of the pre-Vatican II church, you are ideally suited to be Superior General. I look forward to hearing great things concerning the Society as you take the reins."

Since that time the SSJC has expanded to the UK and continues to concentrate on spiritual means rather than political ones to deal with the crisis of conscience for many tradition-oriented Catholics.

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