Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen

Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen

Congregatio Mariae Reginae Immaculatae
Abbreviation	CMRI
Formation	1967
Type	Sedevacantist Catholic religious congregation
Headquarters	Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Superior General	Mark Pivarunas
Key people	Francis Schuckardt (founder) Denis Chicoine M. Benedict Hughes Casimir M. Puskorius Mark Pivarunas (current Superior General and bishop)
Website	cmri.org

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church: CMRI church in Sulphur Springs, Ohio, United States

The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (Latin: Congregatio Mariae Reginae Immaculatae; CMRI) is a sedevacantist Traditional Roman Catholic religious congregation. They are a branch of Independent Catholicism with apostolic succession derived through episcopi vagantes (Latin for "wandering bishops"). The CMRI is one of the most well-known branches of Independent Catholicism with apostolic succession derived from Ngô Đình Thục, along with the Palmarian Christian Church, Unión Católica Trento, and Michel-Louis Guérard des Lauriers. The CMRI is dedicated to promoting the message of Our Lady of Fátima and the devotion of the practice of Total Consecration to the Virgin Mary as taught by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort.

The CMRI holds that the Chair of St. Peter has been empty since the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958. The CMRI is not connected to The Vatican or any diocese in which they operate. It is responsible for over 90 traditional Catholic churches and Mass center both in the U.S. and abroad, as well as at least 13 schools staffed by religious. The CMRI operates a major seminary, Mater Dei Seminary, in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, as well as a minor seminary, Saint Joseph's Minor Seminary, in Rathdrum, Idaho, United States, while the Sisters' motherhouse is located in Spokane, Washington, United States.

Bishop Lawrence Welsh of the Diocese of Spokane stated of the group, "their presentation of Catholic tradition distorts the mainstream of Catholic faith by a certain historical perception of Catholic life. They take a far too pessimistic view of world order."

Names

Over the years, the group had used various names, including legal names for real estate purchased & other legal documents:

• Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI)
• Tridentine Latin Rite Church (TLRC) (a label primarily used by outside media, not by the group itself)
• Ecclesiastical Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Fatima Crusade or Fatima Crusaders or Fatima Crusade Church
• Fatima Cell Movement (during the early speaking tours)
• Oblates of Mary Immaculate Queen of the Universe
• The Community
• Mary Immaculate Queen Center
• Tridentine Latin Rite Catholic Church of St. Joseph
• Tridentine Latin Rite Catholic Church
• Christ the King Priory, Inc., an Idaho Corporation or Christ the King Priory
• Pillar Investment Co. (the legal entity used to purchase Mt. St. Michael in 1977)

Beliefs and practices

The group holds to the teachings and liturgies that were in place at the time of the death of Pope Pius XII. The CMRI teaches the following:

• They are sedevacantists (totalists), meaning that the modern Vatican hierarchy are not the Catholic Church in any way and that none of their priests, bishops, or popes are true priests.
• They reject the Second Vatican Council as a heretical and false council. They accept all previous Catholic ecumenical councils.
• They do not prohibit members from receiving the sacraments from validly ordained priests who follow the Mass of 1962 or prior. The CMRI considers a validly ordained priest to be one ordained by a bishop who was themselves consecrated following the rites prior to the 1968 Rite of Episcopal Consecration. They reject the overwhelming majority of Catholic priests in the world since they are not considered "true priests" by the group.
• The bishop and priests provide opinions on the nullity of marriage.
• They teach Baptism of Desire (BOD) and reject strict interpretations of "outside the church there is no salvation", also known as Feeneyism.
• The group allows for natural family planning (NFP) as taught by Pope Pius XII.
• They follow the 1955 Holy Week as promulgated by Pope Pius XII.
• Within the chapels women are required to wear a head covering and men are required to wear a suit coat and tie.

The CMRI has both secular and religious priests as well as religious brothers and sisters. The CMRI religious priests make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and have further restrictions beyond that of the secular priests. Within the chapels the religious priests wear a white cassock, brown scapular & hood, and miraculous medal with a blue cord displayed over the clothing. The secular priests work with Bishop Pivarunas, wear a black cassock, and have more freedoms than the religious priests. Priests may wear different religious or secular clothing when away from the church, especially during outdoor activity or travels. The sisters wear a blue and white habit with the same miraculous medal and cord as worn by the religious priests.

The CMRI believes that the 1968 Rite of Episcopal Consecration is invalid, and therefore rejects liturgies & priests that stem from these lines of episcopal consecration. They primarily reject their priests, bishops, confessions, Eucharist, and confirmations. Often the terms "priests" or "bishops" are put into quotations when referring to clergy of the main Catholic Church in order to indicate the belief that they are not "true priests." Anyone joining the CMRI from the wider Catholic Church typically confesses to a CMRI priest all sins since their baptism and receives Confirmation from the CMRI bishop. Validity of marriages may be reviewed by the CMRI clergy. The process of joining the CMRI is determined by their clergy. Conditional baptism is generally not performed for those joining the CMRI from the main Catholic Church.

The CMRI rejects the validity of the Novus Ordo Missae of Paul VI as being invalid and non-Catholic. The CMRI rejects the 1962 Mass since it was promulgated by John XXIII, who they do not recognize as a true pope. They accept the 1917 Code of Canon Law as binding on members. Since the CMRI does not recognize The Vatican and their hierarchical structure of popes, bishops, and dioceses, the CMRI has used the concepts of "supplied jurisdiction"[1][2] and "epikeia" in order to justify their activities in place of the typical legal structures of the Catholic Church.

Leadership and core membership

• Superior General of CMRI: Bishop Pivarunas
• Mother General: Rev. Mother Mary Agnes, CMRI leads the motherhouse based on Spokane, Wash.
• Mater Dei Major Seminary is located in Omaha, NE (since 1989) and is run by Bishop Pivarunas
• Religious seminary is lead by Fr. Gregory Drahman, CMRI in Rathdrum, Idaho (since 2022)
• Religious novitiate is located in Olathe, Colorado. Fr. Bernard Welp, CMRI is superior of novices
• St. Joseph's Minor Seminary in Rathdrum, Idaho run by Fr. Benedict Hughes (since fall of 1999)

Previous Superiors General:

• Francis Schuckardt (1967–1984)
• Denis Chicoine (1984–1989)
• Mark Pivarunas (1989–1991)
• Casimir M. Puskorius (1991–1995)

The following people are part of the core membership of the group:

• The Drahman family has been involved with the CMRI since the early 1970s. Tom Drahman was instrumental in the purchase of Mt. St. Michael in 1977 and his son Fr. Gregory Drahman is a CMRI priest.
• The Urban family was part of the core leadership with Francis Schuckardt and Denis Chicoine. The Urban family was involved with Schuckardt prior to the move to Coeur d'Alene in the summer of 1967. Alvina ran a house for the boarding school. Notable figures in the family include Sister Mary Bernadette (Janet) Urban and Alvina Urban who were noted on legal paperwork along with Frater R. Denis Chicoine and "Christ the King Priory, Inc., an Idaho Corporation."
• The Urann family was involved with the purchase of Mt. St. Michael and were involved with the convent. Notable figures include Joseph Urann and Sherri Schettler.
• Identical twin brothers Fr. Dominic (Mark) Radecki and Fr. Francisco (Michael) Radecki are CMRI priests. Their mother Emily Radecki had brought them to join Schuckardt's church in the 1970s. Emily was the subject of a lawsuit brought by her husband Henry Michael "Hank" Radecki against the Schuckardt group in the 1970s. Hank's brother Dr. Joseph A. Radecki was also involved in the lawsuit since his wife Catherine had been induced to join the Schuckardt group.

Activities

The Sisters at Mt. St. Michael record CDs and perform an annual Christmas concert.

The CMRI hold the Fatima conference at Mt. St. Michael in Spokane, Washington in October each year. The conference includes five days of lectures, daily Mass, devotions, and meals.

The CMRI has been heavily involved with mass media since their founding as a method of recruitment and information. Throughout their history, the CMRI has produced books, pamphlets, and audio recordings. Today, the CMRI runs a bookstore (Mary Immaculate Queen Center) and has various periodicals: The Reign of Mary (quarterly magazine), Adsum (Mater Dei seminary monthly newsletter), and Anima Mariae, the CMRI sisters' newsletter. The CMRI also produces annual CDs of the Fatima Conference talks, as well as providing a livestream of Daily Mass and devotions from the City of Mary in Rathdrum, Idaho.

The CMRI continues recruitment & information through websites such as Traditional Catholic Sermons, The Catholic Wire, Novus Ordo Watch, Daily Catholic and Twitter accounts of Fr. Gabriel Lavery, Fr. Carlos Borja, and Mt. St. Michael.

The CMRI clergy and religious have made pilgrimages and pastoral trips a focus of their efforts since the founding of the group. The CMRI began making extensive use of air travel in the 1960s, which had only become widespread in 1957. The bishop and priests travel worldwide to provide the sacraments, ordinations, consecrations, and for speaking events. These trips are a regular part of the work of the clergy. These trips may involve driving to a local mission church or flights for longer trips. The CMRI do not consider themselves constrained to any geographical area, e.g. a diocese, and they therefore travel worldwide to provide for Traditional Catholics. The CMRI loosely coordinates with the Sacerdotal Society of Trent, in Mexico, and with other independent priests. The clergy have been leading tours to pilgrimage sites since 1967.

History

Speaking Tours & Coeur d'Alene Beginnings (1967 to 1971)

Main article: Francis Schuckardt

Francis Konrad Maria Schuckardt (a Catholic layman from Seattle, Wash.) and Robert Denis Chicoine (a former marine from New Bedford, Mass.) attracted their initial followers through international speaking tours as part of The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima. Schuckardt had widely toured the United States, Europe, Latin America, North Africa, India, Vietnam, and Scandinavia from 1963 to 1967, leading to considerable fame as International Secretary of The Blue Army. Schuckhardt produced cassette tapes with titles such as "Communism in American? No Way!" Global travel & distribution of cassette tapes was to be a central method of recruitment & information for decades. The focus of these speaking tours was the message of Our Lady of Fatima, the Third Secret Of Fatima, anti-Communism, Marian apparitions, and Marian devotions. Former members noted that Schuckardt used the mystery regarding the third secret of Fatima to instill fear and loyalty. A common topic on these tours was "Fatima Manifesto vs Communist Manifesto." Tensions of the Cold War during the 1940s and 1950s created much of the atmosphere for these talks.

These speaking tours were being conducted in the mid to late 1960s when there were major changes occurring in both the Catholic Church & wider world. Schuckardt was a charismatic speaker and was able to capitalize on the obvious changes, especially the change in religious costume for nuns, popular female fashions of the laity, & the Novus Ordo Missae that was made obligatory throughout the U.S in the early 1970s. A growing tactic of these speaking tours was to read selections of documents produced by The Vatican prior to the 1960s and to contrast these against documents produced by The Vatican since the 1960s in order to convince audiences that major changes in The Catholic Church have occurred. The printing of Papal Encyclicals for worldwide distribution had become available only in the 19th century and these documents produced in the 19th and early 20th centuries became the primary source of their speaking material.

As part of the speaking tour, Schuckardt encouraged the creation of Blue Army Cells. Typical members were over 40 years old. These weekly meetings included praying The Rosary & members wore the brown scapular.

Both Schuckardt and Chicoine were third order Carmelites, and this was reflected in the initial norms of the beginnings of the group. In May 1967, Schuckardt and two other brothers made a pilgrimage to Fatima and the Shrine of Mary Immaculate Queen in Paris. In July 1967, Schuckardt made a phone call to the young women who had been following Schuckardt, and he invited them to come live in Coeur d'Alene, ID. Schuckardt and the brothers had been wanting to move the Blue Army Center from Bellevue, WA to Coeur d'Alene, ID in the summer of 1967. In the months following the May 1967 pilgrimage, Schuckardt moved the Blue Army Center and The Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen was formed in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The young women arrived July 26, 1967 to staff the Blue Army Center in Coeur d'Alene. The original sign on the building was "Mary Immaculate Queen Center." Two priests from the Diocese of Boise came to dedicate the new center that summer.

The religious brothers & sisters took private vows on October 7, 1967. They soon became targets for violence in Coeur d'Alene due to their conservative way-of-life. In October 1967, Schuckardt returned to Fatima with a group of 30 lay followers. At this time, there were four young women staffing the Blue Army Center while the religious brothers were in Fatima. The CMRI did not attend Masses offered by priests of the diocese after the words of consecration were changed in 1967, but instead were served by priests who offered the Mass prior to the changes.

In 1969, with the approval of Bishop Sylvester William Treinen of the Diocese of Boise, Shuckardt formed the group into a religious congregation of sisters and brothers.

Beginning in the late 1960s, Schuckardt was able to attract numerous retired, vagabond, or otherwise dissatisfied priests. The CMRI would continue to attract priests from the main Catholic Church throughout their history. Francis Schuckardt surrounded himself with priests who were later credibly accused of sexual abuse of children including Fr. Burton Fraser, S.J., Fr. Lawrence S. Brey, and Fr. Joseph Pinneau. The CMRI was never listed in public records of this abuse since Schuckardt operated outside of the bounds of the diocese structures and was able to effectively shield connection to the abusers. To this day the CMRI has never been publicly accused of being a refuge for abuser priests in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

With the implementation of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, in about 1970, Schuckhardt and the CMRI came to believe that Pope Paul VI was not a valid pope (the theological position known today as sedevacantism), and therefore sought services from sympathetic Catholic priests who shared their views in this regard, among them Father Burton Fraser, S.J. (who was later credibly accused of sexual abuse), a Jesuit from Colorado, United States, who became the congregation's spiritual advisor. Other Catholic priests who became associated with the congregation include Father Lawrence S. Brey (who was later credibly accused of sexual abuse), Father George Kathrein C.Ss.R. (who later joined the SSPX), Father Joseph Pinneau (who was later accused of sexual abuse), and Rev. Clement C. Kubesh. Fr. Kubesh had begun publicly rejecting Schuckardt in the early 1980s on charges of homosexuality. Fr. Kubesh separated from the group and refused to talk to anyone about why he left. Fr. Kubesh died in 1987 and is buried in a secular cemetery in Coeur d'Alene. Fr. Brey dissociated from the group after his attempt to correct some aberrations was received with indignation by Schuckardt. Fr. Frasier was killed in a car accident (only his hands survived mutilation, and his pyx is now at St. Hilarys Chapel, Baltimore).

Schuckardt was ordained a priest and consecrated a bishop by Daniel Q. Brown from 28 October to 1 November 1971 at a motel in Chicago in front of 40 witnesses. All but a small number within the group accepted his consecration. Bishop Brown worked with the TLRC, until he had a falling out with Schuckardt around 1973. Schuckardt ordained Denis Chicoine to the priesthood on September 20, 1975. His full religious name was "Very Reverend Father Denis Philomena Marie Chicoine CMRI" as noted on his tombstone. Schuckardt also ordained Fr. Benedict Hughes and Fr. James McGilloway to the priesthood following his consecration.

The congregation achieved its peak membership in the late 1970s, leading to the eventual purchase of Mt. St. Michael. Denis Chicoine traveled extensively throughout the country during these years, including stops in Biloxi, Fremont (Ohio), Colorado Springs, Minneapolis, Modesto, and Columbus (OH) as advertised in local newspapers.

New Religious Movement

Ahern has noted that the City of Mary became a refuge for Catholics from the moral upheaval and changes of the 1960s, especially from California. Ahern said the "appeal to ideal and need" was a shared value between the Moonies and the TLRC.

The 1960s and 1970s mark the popularity of the guru movement in the United States and the CMRI was part of this wider new religious movement. Although these movements differ on many core issues, numerous popular movements had their origins in the late 1960s and early 1970s, all capitalizing on changes occurring in the post-war era. The Hare Krishnas were founded in 1966, the Moonies grew in popularity throughout the 1960s in the U.S., Children of God was founded in 1968, Rajneesh became a spiritual teacher through lectures in the late 1960s, Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in California in 1966, Jim Jones was ordained by the Disciples of Christ movement in 1964, the Students International Meditation Society (SIMS) was founded in 1965, and the Aryan Nations built a church in nearby Hayden Lake, Idaho in the mid 1970s. Much of Schuckardt's recruiting was done in Southern California in the 1960s in direct response to the growing new religious movements and communism.

Schools, Camps, and Properties

The CMRI owned and operated numerous schools, camps, and properties from 1967 to 1977, primarily located in the Coeur d'Alene (Idaho), Rathdrum (Idaho), and Spokane (Washington) areas. Legal documents noted they owned 18 properties worth $8 million (Washington Case #84-2-01445-2). Notable locations include:

• A 165-acre survivalist cabin in northern Canada called "Cabrini Mission". This was a survivalist lair stocked with gear and provisions in preparation for a U.S. Government takeover by Freemasons.
• St. Joseph's Chapel on 4th Street in Coeur d'Alene, ID (concrete block building where Fr. Clement Kubesh would say Mass);
• Espiritu Youth Camp also called "Espiritu Seminar" at Twin Lakes, Idaho (the yearly summer camp)
• Villa Maria boarding school (originally at Indiana and Second, later on Wallace) in Coeur d'Alene run by laywomen Miss Shroyer and Miss Hogenkamp. This property doubled as the Immaculate Convent School for high school girls;
• Sacred Heart High School for boys;
• A convent in Colvert, Washington about 15 miles north of Spokane.
• A convent at the corner of Mill Ave and Lincoln Way in Coeur d'Alene.
• An elementary school operated in the mountains near Coeur d'Alene
• City of Mary in the hills of Rathdrum, Idaho at the end of Church Rd.
• A mansion located at 2314 E South Altamont Blvd in Spokane, Wash. that operated as the priory and Schuckardt's main residence

Mount St. Michael Headquarters (1977 to 1984)

On the last day of 1977, the TLRC acquired the 735 acre old Jesuit scholasticate Mount Saint Michael in Spokane, Washington for $1.5 million and relocated its headquarters from Idaho to Mt. St. Michael. The property was purchased by Pillar Investment Co. Two members of Pillar Investment Co. were identified as Thomas "Tom" Drahman and Lawrence Urann. Patrick Urann (age 18) had recently obtained his real estate license and was the real estate agent for the purchase. Mary Drahman was also listed on the mortgage. All involved in the purchase were members of the TLRC. The Jesuits claimed of the shell company, "we had absolutely no idea they were anybody else than developers."

The TLRC was growing in this time and sending priests to Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and the Holy Land. At their peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the TLRC had about 120 sisters, 6 priests, 61 Clerics and Brothers, K-12 schools, the Knights of the Eucharist, the Knights of the Altar, the Knights of St. Karl the Great, the Altar and Rosary Society, Our Lady of Cana Cell for couples interested in courtship and marriage, the Holy Name Ushers, several Third Orders, numerous Fatima Cells, St. Anne's Home for the elderly and infirm, the Little Daughters of the Immaculate Conception Convent for the mentally impaired, the Singing Nuns, the Kevelaer School for the neurological impaired, the St. Joseph the Worker Guild, the Mater Dolorous Guild to aid the terminally ill and arrange for their funerals.

Although the TLRC and CMRI were not part of the Diocese of Spokane, there was an atmosphere of crime, secrecy, and cover-up from 1978 to 1989 by Bishop Lawrence Welsh of the Diocese of Spokane. Law enforcement and community members continued to pressure the Diocese of Spokane to reveal the extent of abuse that was occurring in the diocese within this time, especially during the revelations of abuse in 2001 and bankruptcy of 2004. The TLRC had worked with one retired priest of the Diocese of Spokane (Fr. Joseph Pineau who died in 1982) and was therefore not entirely separate from the actions of the Diocese of Spokane during this time period. The Diocese of Spokane has never revealed that Fr. Pineau had secretly worked with the TLRC after his abuse involvement and retirement from the Diocese of Spokane in 1968.

Anti-Cult Movement

During the 1970s and 1980s, the popularity of the CMRI began to decline as part of the wider anti-cult movement of the time. Numerous families began defecting from the TLRC in the mid to late 1970s. Some parents and spouses attempted to make contact or rescue their family members from the TLRC through force or coercion, with confrontations sometimes leading to lawsuits, violence, or arrests. A common tactic of family or former members was to hold up signs outside of the TLRC properties with warnings about the group. Family members often attempted to rescue a child by force as they walked between properties in Coeur d'Alene, with at least one attempted rescue leading to arrest. The TLRC told members to shun former members, specifically telling members to avoid the Case and Klotze families.

The anti-cult movement was a response to the surge in new religious movements of the 1950s and 1960s. One of the earliest countercult organizations was the Citizens Freedom Foundation, founded in 1975 (later becoming the Cult Awareness Network). The International Cultic Studies Association (formerly American Family Foundation or AFF) was founded in 1979 and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was founded in 1971. The mid-1970s marked the beginning of numerous lawsuits brought against the CMRI. These lawsuits continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

In the early 1980s, Fr. Bill Wassmuth of St. Pius X Church in Coeur d'Alene formed the Cult Awareness Center to address information about the TLRC that had been disclosed from former members. Wassmuth concluded that the public should be aware of what was going on with the group.

Both CMRI members and scholars have heavily criticized the anti-cult movement, "deprogramming", and claims of "brainwashing" as being pseudo-science. Groups such as the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), The Cult Education Institute, and Rick Alan Ross, have paid damages for their false claims.

Connection to Aryan Nations

The CMRI purchased automatic weapons from the Aryan Nations around 1984. The Aryan Nations had been headquartered near Hayden Lake, Idaho since 1973. This Aryan Nations connection was also corroborated when Sheriff Deputy Cloud testified under oath in California (Court Case 87–2823) that the members of the Aryan Nations had been guests at Mount Saint Michael's during this time period.

Chicoine Era (1984 to 1989)

On June 3, 1984, Schuckardt and a small group of his followers (including Fr. Alphonsus Maria Barnes who had been ordained by Bishop Schuckardt in the 1970s) left the Spokane area, taking the name Tridentine Latin Rite Church (TLRC). In addition to Fr. Alphonsus, Schuckardt was followed by 4 religious sisters and 10 religious clerics and brothers. A larger group of the priests, religious, and laity remained with Fr. Chicoine at Mt. St. Michael, retaining the CMRI name and the bulk of the church property. The Chicoine faction claim that Schuckardt left after being exposed for reports of abuse & drug addiction. The Schuckardt faction claim that Chicoine simply wanted to take over the group to gain power and to relax the severity of the rules that had been imposed by Schuckardt. The peak membership of the group in the late 1970s has been estimated between 500 (per Schuckardt) and 5000 (per opponents of the group) members. In 1986, local media reported that about half the members of the church's religious orders left. By 2002, The Seattle Times noted that Schuckardt had approximately 100 followers. Exact figures on membership decline in the CMRI between 1984 and 1991 is unknown.

After the Schuckardt departure, the CMRI sought out a sedevacantist bishop to ordain clergy for the congregation, and found Bishop George J. Musey of Galveston, Texas, whose episcopal lineage, like that of most other sedevacantist bishops, traces to the Vietnamese sedevacantist Bishop Ngô Đình Thục.

On April 23, 1985, three of the four remaining priests (Fr. Chicoine, Fr. Benedict Hughes, and Fr. James McGilloway) of the CMRI formally and publicly took an "Abjuration of Error and Profession of Faith ad cautelam" before Musey in case, through their previous actions, they had incurred any ecclesiastical censures. Musey then conditionally ordained them. He publicly stated that he had little reason to doubt the validity of their earlier ordinations, but he nevertheless decided that the most prudent course of action would be to bestow conditional ordination on them, as he believed that since the Holy See is vacant, an authoritative and binding decision on their orders cannot be made, and that the validity of their orders will always be doubtful in the minds of some. On June 27, 1985, Bishop Musey ordained Mark Pivarunas to the priesthood. Bishop Musey one day declared that the CMRI would never recover from their wounds from the Schuckardt era & recommended that the CMRI go home to re-evaluate the future, but the CMRI refused these suggestions. Bishop Musey was ousted and some CMRI nuns left with him to start a new convent. Bishop Musey stated of the fallout, "I didn't realize the patient was going to bleed to death when I started operating."

Other sedevacantist bishops who ordained priests for or assisted the congregation include Bishop Moisés Carmona and Bishop Robert McKenna, bishops whose episcopal lineages also trace to Thục.

In 1986, the congregation held its first General Chapter, establishing a formal set of Rules and Constitutions. In the same year, the Rule was approved by Bishop McKenna. Similar to Bishop Musey, Bishop McKenna left the CMRI on negative terms shortly after beginning work with the group.

Pivarunas Era (1989 to present)

Following a series of negative articles in the Spokane newspapers in early May 1989 and a vote of "no confidence" from the other CMRI priests, Denis Chicoine retired as the Superior General and moved to a CMRI mission church in New Zealand, disappearing from public view until his death in 1995. In August 1989, Father Tarcisius Pivarunas (Mark Pivarunas) was elected as the Superior General of the congregation, succeeding Father Chicoine.

In the summer of 1989, Fr. Daniel Dolan and Fr. Anthony Cekada parted ways with Fr. Clarence Kelly of the SSPV and began accepting adherents of the CMRI to their communion rail at their church in West Chester, Ohio. This led to tensions between the SSPV and the Mt. St. Michael group, leading to a conference in 1991 and a pamphlet in defense of the CMRI published by Fr. Cekada in October 1993. This was the beginning of a friendly relationship with Fr. Cekada and Fr. Dolan, with the CMRI carrying numerous publications from Fr. Cekada regarding The New Mass and defense of the sedevacantist position. The early 1990s also saw the CMRI begin a friendly relationship with Rama Coomaraswamy (a married Traditional Catholic priest), son of Ananda Coomaraswamy (a notable member of the Traditionalist School (perennialism)) and personal friend of Mother Teresa (whose group was instrumental in the 2007 expulsion of 15 nuns from the CMRI). The CMRI hosted Coomaraswamy at The Fatima Conference and continue to carry his publications critical of the "New Mass" and "New Sacraments."

On 1 February 1991, Bishop Carmona expressed his desire to consecrate as bishop whomever the congregation chooses. On 3 April 1991, Mark Pivarunas was elected to be consecrated a bishop. In accordance with Catholic practice, Mark Pivarunas discontinued the use of his religious name, "Tarcisius", and in accordance with the CMRI Constitutions, resigned his post as the Superior General. He was succeeded by Father Casimir M. Puskorius. On 24 September 1991, in Mount Saint Michael, Mark Pivarunas was consecrated a bishop by Bishop Carmona. Some of the CMRI religious priests were unaware of this consecration at the time, leading to concerns that Bishop Pivarunas was following the actions of Schuckardt. Bishop Carmona died 38 days after his consecration of Bishop Pivarunas. Following on their positive relationship beginning in 1989, Bishop Pivarunas consecrated Fr. Daniel Dolan on 30 November 1993.

In 1995, Bishop Pivarunas was re-elected as the Superior General of the congregation, succeeding Fr. Puskorius.

In 2001, Fr. Louis Kerfoot left the CMRI along with Sister Claudia and got married a few weeks later. This followed after the death of his parents in 1999 and 2000. Fr. Kerfoot had been a key player in having Schuckardt removed in 1984 and had been a priest with the CMRI for at least 10 years.

Sister Solange left the Mt. St. Michael convent due to alleged sexual abuse she had received at the hands of one of the TLRC teaching nuns in 1979 where she had been a high school boarder. Sherri Schettler left the convent around 2000.

In June 2007, 15 sisters (including Rev. Mother Ludmilla) living at Mount Saint Michael in Spokane were expelled from the congregation because they had come to disagree with the congregation's stance of sedevacantism. They joined the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane and formed the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church (SMMC) under the authority of William Skylstad, bishop of Spokane.

Fr. Anthony Short & Rev. Dominic Crawford separated from the CMRI in the 2010s and are part of "Carmel of The Immaculate Heart of Mary" in Preston, Minnesota. There are around 10 families in this group. This group disagrees with the laxity and beliefs of the CMRI.

Changes in the Post-Schuckardt Period

A number of changes were made after Schuckardt left the group in 1984:

• Schuckardt had required anyone joining the CMRI from the Vatican II Church to make an abjuration of error. Bp. Sanborn has stated that Bp. Schuckardt was the only sedevacantist bishop to require an abjuration of error when joining from the Vatican II Church. Today, the CMRI does not require this abjuration of error, nor does any sedevacantist bishop.
• Schuckardt had taught "the Holocaust was a myth." The CMRI does not hold this view.
• Schuckardt looked down on marriage and supported those who abandoned their families to join the TLRC. The CMRI no longer looks down on marriage.
• Newspapers had noted that Schuckardt taught that, "American is a Freemasonic Republic and that it is anti-Catholic to support the U.S. Government or honor the American flag." Today, the CMRI has the American flag posted in the sanctuary of the chapels.
• Schuckardt had taught that smoking is a mortal sin. The CMRI no longer teaches this.
• The CMRI moved their headquarters from Mt. St. Michael to Omaha, NE.

Criticism & reconciliation

There has been a movement among former CMRI members & other Traditional Roman Catholics to expose the reality of the Schuckardt group, CMRI, and Traditional Roman Catholicism in general. This movement exists to expose the abuse, lies, history, pain, and financial ties of both former and current members. This exposure has been happening for decades, but has especially taken off since the 2010s. This change mirrors the wider Roman Catholic Church that has been coming to terms with its history of abuse. Additional criticism has come from other sedevacantists for issues specific to the CMRI.

• In 2014, former nun Sherri Ann Schettler (Urann) published her memoir, "Spiritual Blackmail: My Journey Through A Catholic Cult" notably describing sexual abuse within the Villa Maria boarding school in the late 1970s.
• In 2016, "Bishop" Joseph Marie wrote a letter to "Bishop" Mary Fidelis (Andrew Jacobs) arguing that their episcopal & priestly orders were invalid. Joseph Marie and Mary Fidelis were the two bishops consecrated by Francis Schuckardt in 2006 prior to Schuckardt's death. Joseph Marie runs a website calling for the "old CMRI" (how he refers to those who remained with Chicoine after 1984) to reconcile with their past and to make amends for what they've done.
• In 2020, a critical documentary, "Congregation of Mary Immaculate | The Cult Next Door Ep. #2" was released.
• In 2022, Stephen Heiner and the "True Restoration" website published an article, "What Serious Catholics Should Know About The CMRI" concluding, "I believe the best option is to not associate with the CMRI." Bp. Pivarunas offered a response to this article.

The SPLC in 2006 designated Mount St. Michael one of twelve "anti-semitic radical traditionalist Catholic groups." The SPLC 2021 list of "Radical Traditional Catholicism" no longer includes Mt. St. Michael. Members of the CMRI and others outside of the group have disagreed with the characterization and inclusion on this list. The current CMRI members pin the conspiracy and anti-semitism onto Schuckardt, who separated from the group in 1984.

Lawsuits

CMRI has been involved in lawsuits beginning in the 1970s across various states. These lawsuits occurred both before & after the Schuckardt split. Notable cases include:

• In 1974, two Toledo, OH brothers, Dr. Joseph A. Radecki and Henry M. Radecki, won a lawsuit against the Tridentine Roman Catholics and Christ the King Priority, Inc. The lawsuit alleged that Joseph's wife Catherine and Henry's wife Emily were induced by the group and its teachings to desert and abandon their husbands. The judge awarded $48,000 to the two brothers. This judgement was overturned by the Court of Appeals of Ohio No. 7873 decided November 5, 1976. Today, identical twin brothers Fr. Dominic Radecki and Fr. Francisco Radecki (brought to Schuckardt's group by their mother Emily Radecki) are priests and part of the core leadership of CMRI.
• In 1976, a former member, John M. Tamplin, sued the CMRI for $14 million. Tamplin said he left his wife in 1975 to come to Coeur d'Alene "to be near Schuckardt's and Chicoine's Roman Catholic Church." The local newspaper reported that Tamplin had once parked his truck outside of Mt. St. Michael and "had signs on his truck alleging the Fatima Crusaders were a 'satanic, family-splitting cult' composed of 'vicious swindlers."
• In 1983, Tamplin (John M.) v. Thomas A. Drahman of Fatima Crusade Cult Known as Tridentine Latin Rite Church, 722 F.2d 747, No. 83-3512 United States Court of Appeals, ninth Circuit. 7 November, 1983. Appeal from E.D. Wash. Affirmed.
• In 1984, Fr. Chicoine and the CMRI sued Francis Schuckardt (case no. 84-2-01445-2) for church property. The CMRI was awarded $250,000
• In 1986, O'Neil v. Schuckardt, 112 Ida. 472, 733 P.2d 693, 67 ALR4th 1065 (1986). A July 3 decision by the Idaho Supreme Court said a Montana man was not entitled to $750,000 from the church. Jerry O'Neil had sought the money on the grounds that the church alienated him from his wife.
• In 1987, the Supreme Court of Idaho heard a case involving a lawsuit of Jerry Bryant O'Neil against the Fatima Crusade Church itself for alienation of his wife's affections and for invasion of his wife's privacy.
• In 1995, Chicoine v. Bignall (Supreme Court of Idaho No. 21320), a case involving Bliss & Annette Bignall against Christ the King Priory, Inc.

Religious Abuse

During the late 1960s and into the early 1980s, Religious abuse of the laity and seminarians was commonplace within the TLRC. Abuse among the religious sisters within the convent was similar to other forms of asceticism and abuse that were common in the Catholic Church religious orders prior to Vatican II (for example, begging for food, licking floors, laying across a doorway to be stepped on) and are therefore not unique to the TLRC. Some unique examples of abuse in this time period have been noted by former members:

• Francis Schuckardt withheld the sacraments from parents living in California unless they agreed to send their children to the TLRC boarding school in Coeur d'Alene;
• Girls who talked to boys at the Espiritu youth summer camp would have their heads forcibly shaved. Their bald heads were then covered with a bandana;
• One teacher went to jail (Kootenai County) for physical abuse of a student;
• Fr. Clement Kubesh had provided theological defense (Principle of double effect) of Schuckardt's demands that young seminarians within the group provide the bishop with massages.
• Girls were forced to swap their secular wardrobes for homemade modesty clothing. Former nun Sherri Schettler noted this to be humiliating;
• Children were not allowed to talk to non-church members and were forced to "mortify their eyes" (not look at someone or something) when directed by the leadership;
• Current TLRC members were forbidden from looking at or talking to former members who had left the group and attempted to make contact.

A doctor was brought in to meet with members of the group and concluded that members were suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sexual abuse

Since Schuckardt’s departure, information has been released that has shown the CMRI or TLRC were connected to people later accused of sexual abuse. The CMRI does not publish lists of former CMRI-affiliated priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. The following accusations of sexual abuse have been made public:

• Francis Schuckardt was accused of sexually abusing four young men.
• Fr. Burton J. Fraser. S.J. was named publicly as accused by the Jesuits Central Province on its list December 7, 2019. The allegation of abuse was in the 1950s and the accusation was made after his death in 1971. It's unclear where the abuse occurred.
• Fr. Joseph Pineau was credibly accused in 2003 of sexual misconduct with an adolescent. The alleged abuse occurred around 1967 and involved an adolescent in a counseling situation. Pineau had retired as a priest from the Diocese of Spokane in 1968.
• Fr. Lawrence S. Brey was accused in December 2018 of ritual sexual abuse of a child at the Holy Innocents Catholic School in Waite Park, MN in the 1970s and 1980s. The Diocese of St. Cloud has stated that this school was not part of the diocese, but was operated independently by Robert and Bernice Sis, who were also accused as part of the lawsuit regarding the ritual sexual abuse with Fr. Lawrence S. Brey. This school was not operated by the CMRI or TLRC.
• In 2005, three members (Steve A. Belzak, Justin Kirkland, and Michael W. Muratore) of the TLRC under Schuckardt were found guilty of sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy beginning in 2000. This abuse occurred after Schuckardt had separated from the CMRI.
• Sister Solange claimed in the early 1990s she was sexually abused by a nun at the Villa Maria boarding school in 1979 operated by the TLRC in Coeur d'Alene. Sherri Schettler (daughter of Joseph Urann), a former CMRI nun and boarder in the late 1970s, claims in a 2014 book that the abuse was covered up by Rev. Mother Ludmilla, Bishop Pivarunas, and other nuns in the convent. This abuse claim has not been made public through the media or law enforcement and the nun who is alleged to have committed the abuse has not been named.

Disagreements with other traditional Catholics

The CMRI has had disagreements with other groups and individuals that identify as Traditional Catholics. The following are notable disagreements:

• Numerous Traditional Catholic priests & bishops have recommended that the CMRI repudiate its past publicly. These outside recommendations included renouncing their previous name, renouncing claims to ordinary jurisdiction, and abandoning the notion that Schuckardt was a good man. Recommendations also included that the group restart by getting rid of the blue habits, rosaries around the neck, and medals over the clerical habit. In addition to a new name and new habit, recommendations included arranging for regular inspections by a small panel of unbiased priests to look for relapse into cultism or impurity. These recommendations regarding the name, clerical habit, and outside inspections were rejected by CMRI leadership.
• The FSSP and SSPX do not allow their members to receive the sacraments from CMRI chapels.
• True Restoration disagrees with the CMRI regarding "una cum" Masses and marriage cases.
• Some groups have questioned the validity of the Thuc line of bishops. The SSPV does not allow CMRI members to receive the sacraments from SSPV chapels. Debates have been held over the Thuc line of bishops continuously since the 1980s, with a conference held in 1991 to address the issue, and a website and paper created by Mario Derksen (owner of Novus Ordo Watch) in 2011 in defense of the Thuc line.
• The topics of Baptism of Desire (BOD) and Natural Family Planning (NFP) have caused disagreements.
• So-called "home aloners" disagree with the concept of epikeia used by the CMRI.

Bibliography

• Ahern, Fr. Daniel B. Mount Saint Michael: A Systematic Study.
• Cubbage, Bob. Tridentine Latin Rite Church (Spokane, WA: Inland Register, 1980)
• Cuneo, Michael. The Smoke of Satan (Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press, 1999)
• Lebar, James J. Cults, Sect, and the New Age. Our Sunday Visitor, 1989.
• Ruby, Griff. The Resurrection of the Roman Catholic 2002, p. 166.
• Schettler, Sherri. Spiritual Blackmail: My Journey Through a Catholic Cult. Lifelong Habits, LLC, 2014. ISBN 978-0692331972.
• Waller, Gary. Walsingham and the English Imagination. 2011, p. 42.

External links

• Official website