The following comes from a February 9 ABC7 News article:
Nearly one year after the I-Team reported on a group of Chicago nuns whose West Side heating system broke down, the nuns’ organization is now in similar dire straits in San Francisco, where the Sisters of Fraternite of Notre Dame is facing eviction.
In San Francisco’s famous Tenderloin district, a group of Chicago nuns are facing eviction from the building where they run a soup kitchen – although they may end up saved by a public relations campaign very similar to the one seen in Chicago a year ago when the boiler went out at their West Side church and feed-the-homeless center.
The Sisters of Fraternite Notre Dame have been feeding the homeless in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district for eight years. The past two days, the sisters’ story has been on TV and in the newspapers, with the nuns saying that they cannot afford such a rent increase.
After the boiler break-down, the I-Team learned their French religious order owned millions of dollars in homes, buildings and land in McHenry County and was planning a multi-million dollar construction project near rural Marengo. That controversial project was shut down by McHenry zoning authorities and the nuns’ organization is now suing because of the denial.
One thing not reported in the San Francisco coverage is that the nuns are not recognized by the Vatican or the Roman Catholic Church. They call themselves a “traditional Catholic religious order” and some donors may believe that the organization is approved by the church, but it isn’t.
From ABC7 March 4 2015 story:
According to a spokesperson for the Chicago Archdiocese, the [Sisters of Fraternite Notre Dame]’s founder Bishop Jean Marie Roger Kozik “is not a legitimately ordained bishop in the Roman Catholic Church,” and, Kozik says, is not a priest in good standing with the church. Because of that, the archdiocese says “Catholics should not attend mass” at the order’s West Side church. And they say the nuns are not a religious order associated with the Roman Catholic Church.
“We are a new order. We want to be with the Vatican. We want to be with the Archdiocese. We are working on it and took some steps to be with the Vatican,” Sister Marie Valerie said.
The Archdiocese does say that the nuns are “good people of faith who do important work for the poor.”
Bishop Kozik began the order in 1977 in France after reporting the Virgin Mary spoke to him. Now he lives – at least part-time – in Marengo.
Explains that. I had never heard of them either.
Ahhh now it becomes clearer…fake nuns following a fake bishop who celebrates a fake Tridentine Mass. Hmmmm now where have i heard this story before???
only a modernist homosexualist like YFC would refer to the Tridentine Mass as fake…
These nuns are more Catholic than the nuns on the bus group.
Indeed and I speak from first hand experience. I had the opportunity to observe and lend a hand over a 3+ years from the very beginning of this mission. The degree of self-sacrificing to serve and their efficiency were astonishing to me.
In addition to feeding 300+ people daily three days a week in SF, on Saturdays, rain or shine, one of the nuns is at the vast San Jose flee market from 8am – 6pm with religious items, books, prayer cards, used clothing, etc. serving the predominately Spanish speaking “customers”. No money? No problem, just take what you need.
And on Tuesdays, they will travel in their beat up old van down south bay again, stopping and picking up day-old bread and cakes from Safeway and Costco in Sunnyvale where they first stepped foot in CA to start their west coast missions.
Yes i believe so.
As far as I’m concerned they can be canonically irregular as long as they feed the poor as Christ commanded us. However, these ladies may have big problems with their ministry. It looks like they’ve been flying under the City radar using the space as both a convent and food prep/serving space. While I expect their kitchen and dining room is squeaky clean they probably can’t get a department of health permit.
Their lawyer will keep them operating for a time w/ various legal maneuvers but…long term…they probably need to be adopted by an outfit like the St. Anthony Foundation.
Flee vs Flea??
I understand C&H’s point. I just hope the city doesn’t overenforce the sanitation laws by requiring expensive modifications to the facility at minimal benefit to food safety. Of course the place needs to meet code. But a bit of common sense please.
I found out about Fraternite Norte Dame church in Chicago through one lady she gave me the pamphlet, and asked me if I can take her to this church because the Bishop serve mass on the 14th of each month at 5am. I believe that this was a call from our blessed mother to invite me to this church. Since than I’ve been coming, and stayed very close to the nuns, Bishop, and church for more than 10 years.
I have personally seen the work they do without hesitation or pay. They may not be a part of the Chicago Arch Diocese but the faith they have is undeniably. I do believe the Bishop receives messages from our Lady, They consistently feed anyone that comes in need and help families.
In my house are many mansions
These nuns and Bishop are against the Vatican’s abuses. Their works of. good and helping the poor are admirable. Much better than the phonies in Rome with their wealth & politics.